Cousins Master Boxing and Wrestling at Civic Center Self-Defense Program-August 23, 1976

Nine-year-old cousins Jodi Young and Jeanelle Tebeau, residents of 42 Marion Ave. in Norwood, are proving that girls can hold their own in the ring just as well as any boy. Originally enrolled in an arts and crafts course at the Norwood Civic Center on Washington Street, the pair spent their breaks watching boys wrestle and box before pressing instructor Gary Sheehan—a wrestling coach at Norwood High School—to let them join the center’s self-defense program. After securing approval from the recreation superintendent and their parents, the girls traded plaster of Paris for boxing gloves.

According to Sheehan, who manages the self-defense program alongside 25 boys, Jodi and Jeanelle quickly proved themselves to be exceptionally tough and enthusiastic participants. “Although Jodi seems to get punched a lot, Jeanelle throws a good right,” Sheehan observed, noting that both girls have mastered the fundamentals of boxing, including leading off, proper stance, blocking, swinging, and footwork. Jeanelle, who also plays in the Cinderella Little League, proudly maintains that she and her cousin “do practically everything boys do,” while Jodi asserts there is nothing unfeminine about boxing and wrestling. Initially, the boys in the class were hesitant and “freaked out” over physical contact with female peers, but after witnessing the girls’ aggression, several agreed to spar, with one match ending in a hard-fought tie.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger