Competing Genders
By: Sadie Olson
Studies show that 44.7 million American youths between 7 and 17 participate in organized sports. 43% of that 44.7 million are female. If almost half the majority are girls, don't you think that we should have a fair chance of competing? Girls should be able to compete on boys teams since it improves confidence, and it doesn't have a negative impact on on either team.
For decades, women have been objectified, saying that their bodies will not amount to what males body can do. In fact, there is no actual physiological reason why female athletes shouldn't play and compete with similarly skilled boys. So, if you compare boys and girls on the same level, there is no point to separate them. There will always be a large variation in the way each girl and boy mature. There is no evidence that proves a difference size and gender is more likely to lead to an injury. (About Girls' Participation on Boys' Teams). There isn't more or less injuries when combining genders. Sports are sports, things happen. Since boys grow more muscle mass per unit of mass, it is helpful that girls hit puberty two years before boys. It gives them a slight advantage of being taller, and stronger than boys (American Development Model). Even today, in this generation, people will tell women that they aren't strong enough just because they are a women. Not allowing girls to compete on boys teams has a higher possibility of lowering their self confidence.
Over the course of time, women have been taught that they are supposed to be attractive to males. Well, Erkut, an associate director of the Center of Research on Women, believes sports give girls a new way to appreciate the power of their own bodies. Girls of this generation are learning that they are worth more than just standing and looking pretty (Driscoll).Even on female-centered sports, girls are expected to act or play a certain way. That's not always reasonable. Allowing girls on boys' teams will give them a shot at proving they can be strong enough to play a sport and be beautiful. The lessons learned through athletics give girls a stronger, more confident; more disciplined outlook on their future-advantages boys have always had (Driscoll). Girls have always had an unfair playing field. Do you really want your daughter, niece, or granddaughter being told they can't join a sport they love because of how they were born? It's ridiculous.
Banning boys from girls' teams is not reverse discrimination. Comparing the amount of discrimination between males and females, boys rarely suffer lack of opportunities to participate (About Girls' Participation on Boys' Teams). If you thinking about it, there has never been a 'mens rights' movement. Saying that is reverse discrimination is very unreasonable. If we combine girls and boys on teams, it will make a fair playing field, then both genders will have a common experience (Driscoll). It will create exposure to both genders, allowing them to be more connected. In fact, in 1972, Congress passed Title IX, which requires that 'the selection of sports and new levels of competition effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of members of both sexes'(Editorial: Don't mix boys, girls in sports).
Others argue that girls shouldn't be able to compete and play on boys' sports teams. They may think they are too weak and emotional to play on boys' teams. Some people do disagree and say that boys and girls are too different that it becomes unfair to play with each other. In fact, studies show that there aren't any physiological differences between genders before puberty. When girls hit puberty, it is most often two years before boys, allowing girls to almost equal out with boys.
Girls should be able to compete on boys teams since it improves confidence, and it doesn't have a negative impact on on either team. The importance of this topic is significantly important because it will lead to a change in society and allow girls to compete where they feel comfortable.