Starting wrestling can feel intimidating — especially if you’ve never stepped on the mat before. But here’s the truth: no one walks into their first practice knowing everything.At your first wrestling practice, you’ll learn the basics, meet supportive teammates, and realize that everyone starts somewhere. You don’t need to already be strong, confident, or experienced to begin. You just need the courage to show up.

Not every wrestling journey feels confident or successful all the time.There are days where you feel behind, doubt yourself, or wonder if you should quit altogether. But those moments don’t mean you’re failing — they’re part of the process.The athletes who grow the most usually aren’t the ones who never struggled. They’re the ones who kept showing up anyway.Because sometimes the biggest win isn’t getting everything right. It’s refusing to give up on yourself.

A lot of girls grow up feeling like they need to be smaller, quieter, or take up less space. Wrestling teaches the opposite. It shifts the focus from how your body looks to what your body can do — becoming stronger, more confident, and more resilient with every practice. Over time, that strength starts showing up everywhere: in school, friendships, challenges, and the way you see yourself. Because strong isn’t just physical. It’s a mindset.

For a lot of girls, wrestling can feel intimidating at first. You might feel nervous, inexperienced, or like everyone else already knows what they’re doing. But every wrestler starts somewhere — and confidence doesn’t come before you begin, it comes after. Wrestling isn’t about being perfect right away. It’s about showing up, trying anyway, and discovering you’re capable of more than you thought. Sometimes growth starts with simply stepping onto the mat.

Gen shares her wrestling journey—from high school beginnings to the 2016 Olympic Trials—highlighting resilience, mindset, and empowering the next generation of girls in sport.

Discover how the Wrestle Like a Girl Camp brought 100 young athletes and 27 coaches together to build resilience, confidence, and community in women’s wrestling. With inspiring leaders and a focus on growth both on and off the mat, this event highlights the power of mentorship and inclusion.

Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities has enabled Beat the Streets to run three new You Grow Girl programs, benefiting 65 girls in Toronto. Read about the positive impact these programs are having on participant engagement, empowerment, and physical activity.

With the generous support of the MLSE Foundation, we have received a $50,000 Girl-focused grant to launch the Work It Girl Program over the next two years. Read more to learn how together, we will impact girls to realize their full potential.

At Beat the Streets, we are committed to empowering girls through youth development programs like You Grow Girl. With the support of the Canada Post Community Foundation, we have made a lasting impact on the lives of 103 girls, providing them with the tools and skills they need to thrive.

There are inspirational women all around us, but the first one that comes to mind is my mother. Women who inspire other women is truly amazing, and essential to creating powerful women.

Learn about the inspiring moment that lead to my decision to wrestle.

The You Grow Girl program can make you stronger and a better person mentally whether it is becoming more confident with yourself, learning better discipline, or having good mutual respect for your fellow athletes and coaches.

To celebrate the launch of our new mentorship program, our BTS summer students are creating a blog series on people who motivate and inspire them. In this blog Simi tells us about Jessica O. Matthews, the Nigerian-American innovator and CEO.

Learn more about the Women Who Inspire video series where we are giving a platform to the women who inspire us! This comes ahead of our new You Grow Girl program beginning in Fall 2020.

Having core strength makes everything a little bit easier here is a killer core work out to give a try.