There’s a tsunami sweeping over the sports world these days, and women are riding high on the wave.

Basketball, soccer, softball, flag football and almost any other competition you can think of, women are stepping up into an environment where only men ruled.

One of the fastest growing sports in Pennsylvania has been around a while, but just lately has come to the dance floor of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

It was the last bastion of a male-dominated competition that the PIAA didn’t recognize – until 2023, that is. Since then, girls’ wrestling caught on across the state.

And one of its biggest stars — high school junior Brenda Banks — is from the Panther Valley.

You may have heard the sirens this past Sunday when fire engines and police cars cruised through Coaldale, Lansford, Summit Hill and Nesquehoning.

They were celebrating Banks’ third state girls’ wrestling championship in as many years, where she’s dominated the 235-pound weight class.

In four matches during this year’s tournament, she had four wins — all in less than one period and the last two in a combined 52 seconds.

It was the kind of performance that dreams are made of, and a model for younger girls to follow.

Banks’ success is a bellwether for women’s sports of all kinds all across the nation.

It used to be that fans would only hear about women’s sports when the Olympics were held.

Remember names like Peggy Fleming dominating the world of figure skating in the late 1960s, or Nadia Comaneci storming the gymnastics world in 1976?

And those of a certain age can’t forget the much-hyped 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” between tennis legends Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

Others — Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Wilma Rudolph, Laila Ali, Venus and Serena Williams and Florence Joyner, to name a few — all spurred interest in women’s sports with their accomplishments.

Programs for preteens and teenagers began springing up as the increased visibility of successful female athletes encouraged more girls to try their hand at sports as accepted gender barriers were falling.

They’ve empowered and encouraged girls to develop skills like leadership and decision making that would help them in later life.

Many girls have gone on to successful college careers, often through athletic scholarships that bring successful and higher-paying careers.

The growth trend in women’s sports got a boost in the last few years as phenoms like Simone Biles captured the world’s attention with her prowess in gymnastics, and Caitlin Clark, who played collegiate basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes and now plays professionally for the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Indiana Fever.

Clark’s career performance prompted the media to coin the phrase “Caitlin Clark effect” to describe the increase in physical attendance at games and increased television viewership. In fact, her national championship game set viewership records and was the first NCAA women’s basketball contest to outdraw the men’s title game. The phenomenon continues in her WNBA career.

The expanded interest in women’s sports extends to other, lesser contests. Beach volleyball, hockey and flag football come to mind.

And beginning in 2026, a women’s professional lacrosse league and the Women’s Professional Baseball League plan to launch.

But the influence of women’s sports doesn’t end there.

We’re seeing more women covering national sports, no matter who’s playing. Nationally, female announcers have called football, basketball and other events, a practice that’s trickled down to local newscasts featuring female reporters and anchors.

We’ve seen women serve as referees in major sports, too.

What’s more, women’s sports help fuel the economy. Branding deals involving teams, leagues and athletes have increased over the years, indicating a growing investment in their future.

As all that growth and improvement continue, it’ll be interesting to watch as the careers of Brenda Banks and countless others like her unfold.

And just how far the women’s sports wave will travel.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnoline.com