While teaching a new move at a recent practice, Lawrence Junior Wrestling Club coach Brian Hayes noticed only a few wrestlers were paying attention.

Most of the boys and girls listened intently as Hayes explained how to execute a five-point move called “The Peterson,” but a few were chatting and ignoring his words.

That is, until Hayes said something that made their ears perk up.

“I just taught ’em how to make boys cry,” Hayes chuckled. “I’ve got everybody’s attention now.”

Sure enough, the girls wanted to learn this move, and the boys wanted to know how to avoid it.

A decade ago, Hayes would have had to find another way to command his squad’s attention. Female participation in the male-dominated sport gradually is gaining acceptance nationally. LJWC has embraced the concept and become Kansas’ leader in producing girl wrestlers.

Of the 195 youth mat clubs statewide, LJWC boasts the most female participants. Fourteen of the club’s 40 members are girls.

“It’s incredible how the program is growing,” Hayes said. “Here locally, we have some of the most incredible talent. We have one of the greatest athletic pools you can dip from. For many of the girls, this is their second or third year with me, and they’re turning into some incredible athletes.”

There is no clear-cut reason why more and more girls are choosing to wrestle. Ten-year-old Deidre Housworth enjoys the challenge of competing against — and sometimes beating — boys.

Jessica Bowman, 12, does pushups before the Lawrence Youth Wrestling Club practice last week at Lawrence High. She is one of the 14 girls on the 40-member squad.

“Wrestling is fun because boys are slow and are wimps,” she said with a giggle.

Others simply love to compete. Such is the case with seven-year-old Amanda Morris, who Hayes said “will stomp boys as well as girls” on the mat.

“It doesn’t matter who they are,” Morris said. “There’s no difference. I just like to wrestle.”

Hayes, a former Lawrence High wrestler who has two daughters in the program, loves the fearless attitude he sees from the girls. He coaches them to work just as hard as the boys.

“If I treat the girls any different then they’re going to wrestle different on the mat when it comes down to competition time,” Hayes said. “I have the same expectations of my girls as I do of my boys.

“At practice I make it perfectly clear that if I team you up with a boy — and that’s going to happen from time to time — I expect you to go toe to toe with them.”

LJWC practices are from 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Lawrence High west gym. Anyone interested in joining (ages 4-16) or volunteering to coach can contact club director Jeff Morris at morris@sunflower.com or stop by practice.