ISWA Women's Wrestling

Jeffersonville 's Becky Cissell

November 21, 2008

Jeffersonville senior Becky Cissell is a national champion and five-time state champion, but she's still proving herself as a wrestler. After winning titles in women's wrestling, Cissell has earned a spot among the boys. She's currently nursing a right knee injury, but she'll be in the starting lineup at 125 pounds for the Red Devils this winter. As a student with a 3.8 GPA, she hopes to become the first girl to earn Academic All-State honors in wrestling.

The Courier-Journal: What got you started in wrestling?

Cissell: I was sitting in class one day and heard an announcement about it. I just went down there to see what it was about. I'm very competitive, I like winning, and wrestling is a very competitive sport.

The C-J: Coach (Danny) Struck said he tried to run you off, make you quit. Why didn't you?

Cissell: I didn't really care. I was just going to work harder to prove them wrong.

The C-J: What did your teammates think about it?

Cissell: When I first came to high school, most of them thought I was just in it for the guys. After that first year, they realized I don't care for any of the guys on the team, and I was in it to get better and win. I love this sport, and I don't know what I would do without it.

The C-J: What about your parents? Were they supportive of your decision?

Cissell: My mom was like, "If you want to do it, it's OK -- just try not to get hurt too bad." My dad didn't even come to watch me until my sophomore year. But once he came, he was like, "Wow, I can't believe you're that aggressive." He's kind of changed his mind about it.

The C-J: What about boyfriends? What do they think about your sport?

Cissell: When I have a boyfriend, they'll ask me about hanging with other guys on the team. Most of them don't understand that most of my friends are guys. Most of them don't understand wrestling. Most of my friends think it's pretty cool. Some of them think it takes too much of my time.

The C-J: As a girl in a boys' sport, I'm sure you've heard plenty of negative comments. How do you handle that and earn respect?

Cissell: A lot of people joke around with me and talk about not getting in a fight with me. But there's always that one guy that will be calling me a lesbian or something worse. I just prove myself on the mat. I don't care what they think or say. When they walk out there, they're smiling and stuff, thinking they're going to win. When they walk off, it's usually different.

The C-J: Do you think everything you've gone through has been worth it?

Cissell: Oh yes. I wish I had done more. When I think about it, there are things I could have done when I was younger that would have made me better now.

The C-J: Wrestling is a physical sport that requires some toughness, maybe even a mean streak. Do you consider yourself a mean person?

Cissell: I am when I wrestle. When I'm out on the mat, I'm no one's friend. We can be friends in school and after school, but at practice I'll try to beat you like you were some kid I didn't know.

The C-J: What do you love about wrestling?

Cissell: After a stressful day, you can go to practice and not worry about all the other stuff. You get to beat up on other kids and not get in trouble. And you make so many friends in wrestling, even from different schools.

The C-J: Coach Struck said your best attributes as a wrestler are your upper-body strength and your ability and flexibility to escape from pins. What do you consider your best moves?

Cissell: I'm really slow on my feet -- I'm not as quick as most of the other people. So I try to do a lot of throws and use my upper body. I don't like being pinned, and as long as you don't go to your back you'll never be pinned.

The C-J: Who's been your role model?

Cissell: There's a girl named Marcie Van Dusen (a member of the U.S. women's freestyle team). She came to one of our camps, and she made it to the Olympics. I thought that was pretty cool.

The C-J: What do you like to do away from sports?

Cissell: I'm never really away from sports. If I'm not at practice, I'm doing homework. And then I'm so tired I fall asleep.

The C-J: What's the main difference between girls' and boys' sports?

Cissell: When I play soccer with the girls, they whined so much about running and things. I kept thinking that if they had done that in wrestling, I could see Coach going off on them.

The C-J: If you ever have a daughter, would you want her to do this?

Cissell: Well, I'm pushing my baby sister ( Brooklyn , age 3) into doing it right now. We wrestle around all the time, and she loves it. If I do have a daughter, I don't care if she stays with it, but I would want her to have the option.

-- Justin Sokeland