Neenah (NBC 26) – once a infrequent view in the girls’ wrestling rooms in Neenah take their mark on the mat. Behind the main coach Maddie Ruckdashel, the Rockets’ Girls wrestling program is growing – and wins.
“I think that the representation matters, and when you win, it makes everyone else believe that they can do it,” said Ruckdashel.
Ruckdashel grew up in a wrestling room with her dad and younger brother.
She began as a manager of her father’s team, but she quickly realized that she wanted to be on the mat.
Ruckdashel struggled with Lakeland in the first women’s wrestling team in Wisconsin. Now he is a trainer Neenah.
“When I started as a little girl for the first time, there were barely girls at tournaments,” said Ruckdashel. “It was sometimes difficult to collapse boys and just browse changes and growing pain in women’s wrestling, but I think it’s so satisfying now when I see 14 girls with me here, enjoying this sport. And it is so that it is so satisfying and simply makes me feel like he was worth it. “
One of Ruckdashel’s wrestlers is Kylee Kurzewski, who has been fighting for five years and is the first girl of Rockets she put in the state. He recognizes Ruckdashel as the development of the program, with almost three times the number of girls compared to her first year.
“He really puts on leaflets and spends a lot of time promoting the girls’ program and fun,” said Kurzewski. “This is not – I feel that many people think that wrestling and they like:” It really is: terrible, “but he finds a way to be fun and girlish. My first year, there were five girls in the team, and this year there were 14 of them. It was really funny, just growing numbers. “
One of these recent wrestlers is Julia Rangel, who joined the team last season. Only a year later she has 19 wins and just won the conference championship for 132 pounds.
“Last year I barely won any matches, and this year I won many others,” said Rangel. “It’s just nice to see this height. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. “
Wrestling regions are this weekend and while some of her teammates, like Rangel, can be recent in this sport, Kurzewski said that every girl from her team has a deadly instinct and is determined to win.
“I hope that there is only a wall for girls. More girls will be there because of me – said Kurzewski.
