MSHSL Representative Assembly Meeting Advance Release

Monday, May 10, 2021

Representative Assembly to vote on adding boys volleyball, girls wrestling

For immediate release:

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. --- The 48-member Representative Assembly legislative body of the Minnesota State High School League is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, May 11 in a virtual format at 9 a.m. Included in its agenda is consideration of proposed amendments to add the sport of Boys Volleyball and a Girls Wrestling postseason division to the League’s programming of co-curricular opportunities.

A two-thirds majority vote is required for approval. If approved, the activities will be enacted for the 2021-2022 school year.

Here is a look at the amendment proposals:

Boys Volleyball

The request was approved by the required 9 of the 16 administrative regions during the winter of the 2019-2020 school year to advance to the Representative Assembly for consideration. By request of the authors of the proposed amendment, this was tabled until the Spring of 2021 for consideration and a vote.

Boys Volleyball is in its third season as a recreational activity offered by some member schools. In the 2018-2019 school year, more than 50 Minnesota member schools played club volleyball. Like other spring sports in 2020, the boys volleyball season was cancelled due to the global pandemic. There are 24 state associations that sanction Boys Volleyball.

Girls Wrestling

This request, also approved by 9 of the 16 administrative regions, seeks a Girls Varsity Division as part of the winter wrestling postseason. Currently, girls wrestle with boys in the fully sanctioned wrestling programs and compete in team and individual competition. Under the proposed amendment, girls participants would continue to train and compete with the boys’ teams during the regular season, but would have the option of competing in a girls-only individual section and state tournament that would occur simultaneously with the boys postseason individual tournaments. As part of the proposed amendment, girls would be eligible to remain a part of the boys’ team for dual tournaments at section and state tournaments.

Twelve weight classes are suggested as part of the proposed amendment: 95, 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 160, 170, 182 and 220.

During the 2019-2020 season, 153 girls in Minnesota participated in high school wrestling. More than 21,000 female wrestlers are competing nationally. Thirty states have sanctioned girls wrestling as a high school varsity activity.

Also included in the Representative Assembly agenda are League updates from Executive Director Erich Martens, Board of Directors President Blaine Novak and Board of Directors Treasurer Troy Stein.