Hector Ramirez built John Glenn Girls Wrestling into a quick success
John Glenn High School girls wrestling coaches, from left, Hector Ramirez, left, and Katherine Gonzales, and team members, Lucia Salcedo, Jasmin Huerta, Andrea Urea and Mia Ramirez. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
NORWALK – Hector Ramirez might be the only former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter that now heads up a girls’ varsity wrestling program.
Ramirez, who had been the John Glenn High School Boys Wrestling coach a few years earlier, then competed in the MMA, was presented with the idea of starting a girls’ high school program.
“So, I took on the challenge of starting a brand new first-time ever girls wrestling team at my alma Mater,” added Ramirez.
In 2016 he accepted the position to become the coach.
And he is glad he did.
“It was a very tough decision,” Ramirez remembers. “But, I’m glad I did it and I’m proud of it and I realize that I could really make a change in these girls’ lives.”
And change he did, as the JG team is currently the two-time defending 605 League champions.
“John Glenn is very proud of our girls wrestling program and coaching staff,” John Glenn Athletic Director Linda Parr said. “Coach Hector took this coaching position from the very beginning when we decided as a school to field a girls’ wrestling team.
“I knew from the moment he accepted the position that we would end up with a successful wrestling program, because Hector is an outstanding coach and teacher of the sport.”
In addition to the two league titles, three wrestlers over the last two years have advanced to State.
“The girls wrestling program is now one of our more successful programs on campus,” Parr added. Many of our girls are League Champions and a few have qualified for the State Championships the past two years. That is an amazing accomplishment!”
In 2019, senior Sophia Estrada, who was seeded 8th in the Southern Section, competed in the 235 Lb. weight class and won a match by a Fall in the consolation bracket.
The last season, two JG wrestlers made it to state – senior Nicole DeMasi at 131 Lbs. (CIF Champ) and senior Breana Sanchez at 189 Lbs.
A total of four have advanced to state for John Glenn.
Coach Ramirez, who owns a local gym the athletes call The Dog Pound, has two high school children competing in the sport - his son, Hector, and daughter, Mia.
“I started training some girl wrestlers at my gym in Norwalk and noticed a need for girl wrestling coaches,” Ramirez said. “The sport was growing at a rapid pace and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Ramirez, Sr. knows that girls wrestling is still a growing sport, but knows of its potential.
“I think the sport is definitely a fast growing sport with more and more girls joining,” he said. “I think the parents are the ones that are a little more apprehensive on letting their daughters wrestle. They don’t want them to get hurt. They think it’s too violent.
“But, really what it does, it gives the girls self confidence and it teaches them an art so they can actually defend themselves if they were attacked.”
Coach Ramirez, who competed in the MMA for 10 years and finished with a 10-6 record, remembers his best successful memory so far with the girls’ team against league opponent Cerritos.
“On paper they should have demolished us,” he remembered. “Circumstances, which I can’t really say, we ended up winning a tied match, going into the last (one) of the night. Their girl had beaten our girl twice that year already and our girl pinned her, which (gave) us the win. It was probably one of my most memorable moments as a coach at John Glenn HS for the girls wrestling program.”
Hector, Sr. wrestled at JG from 1990 - ‘94 and was a CIF Champion and state qualifier. He later continued his wrestling career at East L.A. College, where he was a two-time JC All-American and was a state runner-up twice.
He was the boys’ coach from 2000 to 2004 and was named Coach of the Year when they won a CIF Dual Meet title (’04) and were a perfect 22-0. He left coaching for the MMA, which led to some major fights with UFC and Bellator.
Athletic Director Parr added praise for coach Ramirez on how he develops and trains his wrestlers.
“Girls wrestling is definitely a sport that many high school girls are not familiar with prior to entering high school,” Parr said. “But coach Hector is willing to teach the sport to anyone who is willing to learn.
“(He) is very calm and patient and encourages all his athletes. The girls are held to high expectations and must work hard in all of the conditioning and practice drills. It is nice to see them encourage one another throughout the process.”
Parr also added, “……All the girls who have participated in the program (current & alumni) are a true reflection that hard work, dedication and perseverance pays off.
Team members: Andrea Urena, (112 Lbs wt. class), Soph.; Mia Ramirez, (106), Soph.; Jasmin Huerta, (145), Sr.; Lucia Salcedo, (152), Sr.; Marisol Gallardo, (145), Sr.; Valarie Ornelas, (170), Jr.
“My assistant coach Kathryn Gonzales dedicates so much time helping the girls achieve their goals,” Coach Hector said. “She brings in wrestling experience from Millikan high school. I couldn’t do it without her assistance.”
Coach Ramirez also gives special thanks to Francisco Ramirez, Linda Parra and Monico Enriquez for their continued support.
“My goal was to give these local girls another avenue and opportunity to get college scholarships,” Ramirez said. “I’m so proud that we had our first wrestler get a wrestling college scholarship - Breanna Sanchez.”
What they said:
Katherine Gonzales, Assistant coach
“I wrestled at Millikin High school (Long Beach) and started wrestling in the beginning of my sophomore year.
I wrestled for three years and I placed in the state (tournament) in the 106 Lb. weight class. What drew me to being qualified (as a coach) was I wrestled for coach Hector on an off-season team and he saw my potential. After I was done with high school, he needed a coach, so he asked me.
The connections that I share with them (team) is actually relating to what they are going through as a female. Even though we’re all wrestlers here, there’s a little more to just being a wrestler. There are also more struggles that girls have to face when you’re a wrestler. That’s how I feel like I bring more connections to them. It’s more mental in a way that we face more struggles to be more confident in ourselves or be successful in what we want to do.”
Lucia Salcedo, Sr.
“I like the teamwork. I like that everybody encourages each other. It’s like a safe place for everybody and we all motivate each other. I feel like it (girls wrestling) is empowering, because a lot of girls are scared to try something that they considered a guys’ sport.
I feel good about (the team being successful) and I feel like it encourages us more and it motivates us to do better.”
Jasmin Huerta, Sr.
“I think it’s the bond that we’ve created, to be successful. Overall, the team makes a good family. We just know how to work around each other and what works best for (whom) and what works best for the team in general.
A good team memory is always having the most fun on the bus. The tournaments are fun, but on the way there, we all give each advice on what to do and what not to do and comfort each other.