Making A Dream A Reality
By: Haley DiMisa
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Girls On Boys' Sports Teams: Making A Dream A Reality
Imagine Katie, a teenage girl that absolutely loves basketball. She would love to be on a team, but there's so girls' team in her town. Therefore, she decides to try out for the local boys' team. When she tries out she is unbelievable! She makes every free throw, she's a great passer. This girl is a star athlete! However, she isn't even considered to make the team because of her gender. Now, not only will Katie's abilities not be given the chance to be put to good use on a team, but her self esteem has made a cutback. Girls playing on boys' sports teams improves confidence and provides opportunities that aren't generally available.
For girls, playing on a boys team may prevent any frustrating situations that could take place on a team of their own gender. When selecting a team, they "... can pick a team that has a better player development philosophy that better fits..." as opposed to on a girls' team, they probably will not get this opportunity ("Should My Daughter Play For A Girls' Team Or A Boys' Team"). Also, when it comes to a girl playing on a boys' team, a female possibly will get more more minutes of play time. This will also result in more attention in practice ("Should My Daughter Play For A Girls Team Or A Boys' Team"). Lastly, an "... age appropriate boys' team may help avoid... players of varying ages, such as wide gaps in skill and overall player development that can sometimes lead to frustrating situations" ("Should My Daughter Play For A Girls' Team Or A Boys' Team"). Playing on a boys' team would most likely prevent this from happening as well.
Most people make the assumption that boys are stronger than girls their whole lives. But guess what... That's actually not true at all. In actuality, girls will hit puberty about two years before boys' do. This causes them to be slightly taller than the average boy (Women's Sports Foundation). Therefore, a girl who have the strength and skill to match up to a boy should be able to. "Especially in sports leagues below the professional level, there will be some individual girls who are able to with and against boys despite the physiological advantages of most boys" after puberty (Women's Sports Foundation). This may not apply to every girl that has ever taken part in a sports game. However, there have been several girls, all over the world, that have been jeopardized of many things, after being told that they couldn't participate on a boys' team.
Generally speaking, people will argue that a mix of males and females on the same team isn't a well though out idea. They say that it makes boys feel uncomfortable. That it doesn't let boys be boys. I beg to differ. At a middle school in Newport, seventh grade student Dan says "the girls look at us in a different perspective, and we look at them in a different perspective. They know what happens to us and why we get so competitive, and we know how they can get competitive too. I kind of think it's broken down the walls, so to speak, between the boys and the girls." Therefore, males and females playing a sports game together will not put boys in an awkward position, or force them to change their sense of style.
Girls playing on boys' sports teams improves confidence and provides opportunities that aren't generally available. So go ahead, take a stand for young women all over the globe that have ever been rejected by a boys' team. Rally up parents, school board members, and coaches. All the people that agree with the idea that a persons gender shouldn't be the deciding factor when that person has the right talents to succeed. You have the power to make a dream for all girls who want to be athletes become a reality!