Des Moines Public Schools receives numerous donations to help fund girls wrestling program

Head coach: 'My girls don't come from mansions,' recruited 40 students to join DMPS team thanks to donations from around the area

Haylee Mcgrew, a wrestler for Des Moines Public Schools, competes at the 2023 state wrestling tournament. / Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

When it comes to starting a program, regardless of the sport, there are hurdles to overcome. Starting a program from within the Des Moines Public Schools district comes with plenty of obstacles.

Kendric Birden understand this when he put his name on the dotted line to lead the girls wrestling program. Birden, though, has found plenty of support from around the area.

"My purpose for middle school girls is just development, have fun and teach the sport," Birden told KCCI. "Just to believe in yourself and you can do anything you want if you just try."

But just having that inner-believe isn't enough. So the staff and others put out the word that they needed just about everything to give the girls a chance. Donations started coming in for shoes, sports bras and compression shorts.

"My girls don't come from mansions," Birden said. "Sometimes their parents have just enough money to afford bills and good, so when it comes to equipment for sports, they may not have money to do it. That's my purpose - just to give these metro kids and urban kids the opportunity just like suburban kids have."

Taking visits to all 10 middle schools within the Des Moines Public Schools system, Birden was able to get 40 girls signed up for wrestling. They are set to begin the season later this month with a showcase scheduled for November 7 and the first competition to be held two weeks later. The Des Moines Public Schools high school team begins its season on Tuesday.

Birden is a product of the DMPS, graduating from Des Moines Hoover. He was also a wrestler in high school.

Girls wrestling both in Iowa and around the United States has been on the rise. It became a sanctioned sport last year, crowning champions in numerous weight classes. In 2023, almost 2,400 students participated in girls wrestling, double from 2022. The number of teams has grown from 58 to 204.