10/10/2026
Great write up!
Sometimes you just have to sit back and appreciate how far we’ve come.
Back in 2019, I was just another fan sitting in the stands, watching these young ladies step on the mat and do something special. I admired the competition, the toughness, and the way they were helping grow a sport that was still finding its place in Missouri.
Never in a million years would I have imagined where women’s wrestling would go in this state. And I sure never would have imagined where that moment in the stands would take me years down the road.
Today, watching the growth of women’s wrestling in Missouri through the lens of MOment of Impact, it’s hard not to reflect on where it all started and appreciate the women who helped lay the foundation for what we have today.
Before the packed brackets, before the growing opportunities, before the recognition and the attention, there were young ladies who showed up, competed, and helped pave the way. They were out there making history without even realizing what it would mean for the generations coming behind them.
They didn’t have the same numbers, the same opportunities, or the same path that so many of today’s young wrestlers are fortunate to have. But they showed up anyway. They competed. They pushed the boundaries. They helped change the conversation around girls wrestling in Missouri.
That’s what makes this so special to me.
The young ladies who stepped on those mats back in 2019 may not have known the impact they would have. They may not have realized that years later, girls across Missouri would have more opportunities, more competition, more teams, and more people fighting for their success because of the foundation they helped build.
We see it in the young girls walking into wrestling rooms for the first time. We see it in the high school athletes chasing state titles. We see it in the college opportunities opening doors for the next generation. And we see it in the coaches, parents, and communities who now believe in what women’s wrestling can become.
At MOment of Impact, we believe it’s important to celebrate where we’re going. But it’s just as important to remember where we came from and recognize the people who helped get us here.
So today, let’s take a moment to recognize those pioneers. The ladies who were out there competing in 2019, helping grow this sport before they could see just how big it would become.
You may have been wrestling for yourselves, your teams, and your own goals at the time. But your impact reached so much further than you probably ever knew.
You helped pave the way for the young ladies coming up behind you. You helped create opportunities that didn’t exist before. And you helped shape the future of women’s wrestling in Missouri.
From a fan sitting in the stands in 2019 to watching what this sport has become today, I can honestly say it’s been something special to witness.
To the pioneers of Missouri girls wrestling: thank you. We see you. We appreciate you. And we will never forget the role you played in getting us here.
This is MOment of Impact. And sometimes, the biggest moments of impact are the ones we don’t even realize we’re making.
