It needs to be documented. It’s neat to witness. It’s exhilarating to be a part of.
Lebanon County athletic history is in the process of being made in Myerstown – and other parts of the locale for that matter. ELCO is establishing a new athletic program amidst the continuing evolution of the sport of girls’ wrestling.
Chad Miller, who similarly helped found the Raiders’ wrestling program almost 30 years ago, is the architect, the facilitator. Sophomore Kylie Trostle serves as the inspiration, the foundation upon which it is being built.
“I just want them (the female wrestlers) to enjoy it,” said Miller, who’s four weeks into being the first girls’ wrestling head coach in ELCO history. “For them to feel part of the success is important. I’m hoping everyone feels like they’re part of it. We’re taking the approach, ‘Let’s celebrate that we’re part of the first ELCO girls’ wrestling team.’ There’s a lot of excitement. I have no (competitive) expectations for the girls. I just don’t know.”
This winter, the Raiders will field their first-ever girls’ wrestling team, complete with school-representing uniforms, practices and workouts, and regular and postseason schedules, after 27 female student-athletes came out, signed up, or were persuaded to try the discipline. Prior, ELCO girls’ wrestling consisted of one lone competitor, Trostle, who, as a freshman last year, practiced and competed with the boys’ team, before going on to earn a fifth-place medal at the female version of the state wrestling tournament.
It’s certainly a unique situation in the annals of Lebanon County sports history, but one that is playing out in similar ways and in different degrees at other local high schools.
“They had three kids sign up before I said I’d do it,” said Miller, who headed the boys’ wrestling program from 1998 to 2021. “I just asked the kids. When I asked them, they weren’t against it. I said, ‘Why don’t you come out and try it?’ Half of the girls had never been on a team before and that got them excited.”
The inaugural ELCO girls’ wrestling team consists of one senior, two juniors, nine sophomores, and 15 freshmen. Some play other sports, like soccer and volleyball, some are friends of Trostle’s, and most of them have no first-hand experience with a physical sport that demands physical and mental discipline and toughness.
“I think it’s a community thing,” said Miller. “I think the kids just want to feel like they belong. Some want to get in shape. They seem to love it. It’s all different kinds of girls. It’s athletes and non-athletes. With a couple of them, it was like, ‘Hey, can my friend come out?’”
“It’s going really well,” continued Miller. “None of our kids (besides Trostle) knows anything. We just have kids. But we’re having fun. It’s kind of our own deal, and the girls are really into it. We don’t ask for a huge commitment. We practice every day. But we understand if the girls have got to be somewhere.”
Because of its good numbers and high participation rate, ELCO should fare well over its dual-meet regular season and tournament schedules. In that way, the Raiders might be ahead of the girls’ wrestling evolutionary curve.
The 2023-24 season marked the first time that girls’ wrestling was recognized as a PIAA sport and last year was the first time that girls were afforded an opportunity to compete against other girls in postseason competitions. For years, females who committed to wrestling were forced to practice with and compete against their male counterparts.
“I know we will win a lot of matches because we’ll fill all the weights,” said Miller. “As a team, we’ll have success, and we have athletes. They’re going out there and competing in something they never did before. These girls are taking that on in their high school years. They’re taking on a challenge.”
Miller helped raise two daughters who are now young adults. It’s an experience that’s just as valuable as his wrestling background.
“I’ve learned so much from them (his daughters),” said Miller. “I’m more sympathetic to females than I was. These girls don’t treat me differently. They’re not intimidated by me. It’s surprising. They’re comfortable with me. It’s much harder to keep their attention (than boys). They’re doing things I’m not used to. The things that are important to them, I’m not used to being important. I’m really enjoying it, mainly because there’s no pressure. We don’t have kids who have individual goals, besides Kylie.”
For Trostle, practicing with inexperienced competitors doesn’t help to hone her skills. But there are other benefits to not being the only Raider female wrestler.
“She’s at a disadvantage because she’s no longer going against guys,” said Miller. “But now, she’s a leader. She’s in her element. Everyone looks up to her. In this group setting, she fits in.”
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