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Parents urge Roseburg High to hire girls wrestling coach and intensify recruitment
Summary
Multiple parents asked the Douglas County SD 4 board to hire a dedicated girls wrestling coach at Roseburg High School and to increase recruitment and tournament inclusion for female wrestlers.
Parents and community members urged the Douglas County SD 4 board to prioritize a head coach and recruiting for a girls wrestling program at Roseburg High School during public comment.
Rob Hesselton told the board Roseburg “can't have a program that's successful” without hiring a coach in advance of the season and said waiting to hire until “you get a certain number of athletes” is counterproductive. He said local middle school participation indicates a feeder pool and that the high school missed taking girls to at least one tournament last year.
Mindy Rush, who identified herself as the parent of a Roseburg High School wrestler, said the district has shown “little to no knowledge about female wrestling standards” and has not recruited girls at the level seen in other county schools. Rush said the sport has been an official girls high school sport for two years and that Roseburg could have “about 15 to 20 female wrestlers” now if staff had acted earlier. She told the board, “They need a coach that is a 100% dedicated to the girls and their athletic careers.”
Board members present acknowledged the comments and asked for follow-up. Director Hamerson said she would welcome additional background information and noted the board will not respond during public comment. Chair Minor and other board members invited parents to email additional details and materials to the district to inform next steps.
The public comment portion is not a board Q&A; Chair Minor reminded speakers that the board does not interact during presentations but will review submitted materials.
Clarifying details provided by speakers included parents’ estimate of 15–20 girls who could participate and a claim that a school staffer told parents a 10-player threshold might be required, which a parent disputed.
The board did not take an immediate formal action on the girls wrestling request during the meeting; staff were asked to accept emailed information and the board expressed willingness to follow up.
