Thode Helping Girls Wrestling Grow

By Kevin Eickman

Emily Thode

If you have been following Milford wrestling over the last few years, the name Emily Thode should be familiar to you. A 2023 graduate, she wrestled at the varsity level for the Buccaneers and performed well. So well in fact she was selected as a captain her senior season. This was not a small feat due to the obvious gender differences as almost all of her competitors were boys

“I can say that there were some pros and cons to wrestling against boys, but I always enjoyed competing so whoever I was wrestling against really didn’t matter to me,” Thode said.

By the time she was a  senior, Thode was a well-respected member of the wrestling community and embraced as an equal, however.

“From the very beginning I always had the support of my coaches and teammates, that was very important,” Spode stated. “As time went by and the rest of the teams and coaches began to know and respect me, I really enjoy being part of the wrestling community.”

For many girls, that line and level of competition that was too stark to cross, limiting how many women participated in the sport at the high school level. As more girls became interested in the sport, that began to change, leading to the formation of the DIAA Girls Wrestling Committee with teams also forming. No season has been scheduled yet, but competitions like The Beast of the East and Milford Invitational have added a girls brackets, demonstrating the growth of the sport.

Thode is very excited about what is happening with the sport and sees it as a great opportunity for girls who want to wrestle.

“I was a little different since I grew up with wrestling as a big part of my entire life and had a built in training partner with my brother Jack (A two time State Champion), so I was never intimidated.” Thode explained. “But that was me, I can’t tell you how many girls I have spoken with who want to try the sport, but don’t want to have to compete against boys. I understand that. There were a small number of guys I competed against that weren’t sportsmanlike because I was a girl. If not for my background and the support of my teammates I wouldn’t have wanted to do it either.”

Thode is now giving back to the community and sport as well. She is assisting Don Parsley with the wrestling program at MHS. In addition, she is conducting a pair of 13 week sessions with her Thode Trained Girls Club, beginning December 13^th. The clinics will be held on Tuesdays in Milford at the Central Academy and Fridays in Millsboro at The McDonald Wrestling Academy. They are setup for beginners through advanced wrestlers, so no matter the level of skill, athletes will benefit from the training.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to give back and get some more girls into the sport,” Thode stated.

If you would like more information on this program, you can find them Thode Trained Wrestling on Facebook or call them at 302-566-5094.

When asked why a girl would want to participate in wrestling, Thode was quick to answer.

“They will develop self-confidence, friendships, learn how to battle through adversity and in general just become a stronger person both physically and mentally. Also, with sport growing like it is, there are college programs starting up and there will be scholarships available for the top-tier wrestlers.”

Thode also enjoyed playing other sports since she could be found on the field in both soccer and field hockey while at Milford.

“I think it’s very important to play multiple sports, besides the fact that colleges look for things like that, you really develop as a more rounded athlete and person,”