Wrestler Harmonie Roberts And Ukiah Make A Great Team

What is the formula for raising a powerful, successful girl?

The respected group PBS Parents sheds some insight at pbs.org.

“Powerful girls grow up feeling secure in themselves. They learn to take action, making positive choices about their own lives and doing positive things for others. They think critically about the world around them. They express their feelings and acknowledge the feelings and thoughts of others in caring ways. Powerful girls feel good about themselves and grow up with a “can-do” attitude.”[adToAppearHere]

The word is spreading in the female freestyle wrestling world that the community of Ukiah in general and Ukiah High School in particular are applying effective methodologies that has contributed to a successful and dynamic local girls wrestling program.

The ukiahdailyjournal.com reported on February 26, 2014, the Ukiah High Girls Varsity Wrestling Team won their first-ever girls North Bay League wrestling championship.

One of the stars of that team, Ms. Harmonie Roberts led the way as the lone survivor from a group of Wildcats who earned state berths. She had the opportunity to compete for the CIF State Title in the 113 pound class.

On October 7, 2014, the respected news source also confirmed, “Harmonie Roberts has signed a scholarship to wrestle at Life U, becoming the latest to commit to the new Women’s Wrestling program at the University. Roberts, a native of Ukiah, California was a runner-up in the California high school state championships last year, and is a four-time All-American and a runner-up at the prestigious Fargo Cadet & Junior Nationals tournament.[adToAppearHere]

Roberts will enroll in Life U and begin classes in fall 2015. This coming week is the team’s first competition of the season on October 10 and 11 – the Patriot Duals hosted by the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky.”

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work”……….Vince Lombardi

In terms of helping students reach their potential, consistent with the thinking of pbs.org here is how the vision statement of Ukiah High School reads. “Our students will impact the world by learning to apply skills, knowledge and compassion in real life, unpredictable situations.”

They continue, “Our students will graduate as lifelong learners ready to succeed in college and/or a career. They will be adaptable citizens of a global society, critical thinkers, ethical decision makers, effective communicators and collaborators.”

Exceptional results on the wrestling mats can certainly be connected to a good nutritional program. Here is how the school describes theirs. “The Nutrition Services department is made up of a team of food and nutrition professionals that are dedicated to students’ health, well-being and their ability to learn. We support learning by promoting healthy habits for lifelong nutrition and fitness practices.”

That’s very impressive.

A dynamic, goal oriented high school is often the result of a successful partnership with a great, supportive community.

Welcome to the scenic, northern California village known as Ukiah.

The educational information site, Wikipedia shares, “Ukiah, formerly Ukiah City, is the county seat and largest city of Mendocino County, California. With its accessible location (along the U.S. Route 101 corridor several miles south of CA 20), Ukiah serves as the city center for Mendocino County and much of neighboring Lake County. In 1996, Ukiah was ranked the #1 best small town to live in California and the sixth-best place to live in the United States. The population was 16,075 at the 2010 census.

Ukiah is known for wine production. The Ukiah vicinity is now home to some very large production wineries, including Brutocao, Fife, Parducci, Frey, and Bonterra. Ukiah vintners are known for innovating with organic and sustainable practices.”

The official municipal site cityofukiah.com adds, “Whether it’s communion with nature, creative expression or physical and spiritual rejuvenation, people who come to Ukiah are seeking an escape from the usual. The beautiful scenery, the community of free thinkers, world-class cultural venues, outdoor recreation, and a beautifully restored historic downtown have created a magical place where expression is a tradition and a way of life.

Just a two hour gorgeous drive north of San Francisco, Ukiah is a unique small town that charms you with its rich character, arts, vineyards and natural surroundings. Named California’s best small town, and the sixth best in the entire country, Ukiah beckons you to explore all that the valley has to offer amidst our 300 days of annual sunshine.

In Ukiah, there are no lines, and there is no reason to wait to plan your next memorable vacation experience here.”

In viewing a You Tube video entitled, “Ukiah High girls wrestling: A league of their own.” Ms. Roberts expressed a truism that women’s wrestling is a growing sport. The widely read business magazine forbes.com shares, “The growth of girls wrestling isn’t just at the high school level. The U.S. Girls Wrestling Association has a whole circuit of independent tournaments for school-age kids, and there are worldwide tournaments as well.”

As Female Competition International (FCI) continues to cover women’s wrestling news from around the globe, it’s always exciting to see how this great sport is forging into the future. The girls wrestling program in the community of Ukiah is a shining example of that.

~ ~ ~

Sources: brainyquote.com, Wikipedia, edline.net/pages/Ukiah High, fciwomenswrestling.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com, pbs.org, ukiahdailyjournal.com, cityofukiah.com, pdpreps.com, photos thank you Wikimedia Commons.