The Backstory of LUCHA: A Wrestling Tale
In 2010, Josh Lee, a former tobacco farmer from North Carolina moved to the South Bronx to teach special education at Taft High School — located in the poorest congressional district in America and the first school in the country with metal detectors. When a few students discovered he had been a wrestler, they asked him to start a team. He did.
That same year, New York City launched the nation’s first all-girls high school wrestling league, and Coach Rob Carrillo suggested documenting the historic moment. What began as a simple student recruiting video quickly grew into something far greater. While working side jobs as a TaskRabbit, Lee met Bronx-born filmmaker Marco Ricci. After attending a single practice, Ricci said, “You have way more than a recruiting video — you have a feature film.” When the coaches explained that they had no money and no permission, Ricci smiled and replied, “But you have a great story. We’ll figure out the rest.” He spent the next three years following four girls from the team, capturing their journeys on and off the mat.
“Figuring out the rest” took another five years — including a partnership with NIKE to fund post-production and a personal call to the NYC Chancellor from Luis Miranda to encourage final approval after Lin’s sister Luz saw the trailer. In November 2023, LUCHA got its big break at DOC NYC, the largest documentary festival in the country. The film won the Grand Jury Metropolis Prize, was runner-up for the Audience Award, and — in the words of the lead programmer — “won the festival.” From there, LUCHA took off. The film swept festivals nationwide, earning standing ovations, encore screenings, and spontaneous donations from inspired audiences. It didn’t stop there.
Without any formal fundraising, we have raised enough to launch the LUCHA Wrestling Club, New York City’s first and only all-girls freestyle wrestling program. The club’s first practice in January drew 22 wrestlers. By spring, more than 75 girls were training regularly. In its debut season, LUCHA produced 14 state qualifiers, 5 state medalists, and 3 national qualifiers.
What began as a dream in a Bronx classroom has become a national movement — a film, a club, and a cause redefining what’s possible for girls in sports.
