Zayra Calderon once said, “You have to have the drive to tackle something a little bit bigger than you”(Ross 129). Sex-integrated sports means that sports teams are made up of both genders. Many people believe it is too dangerous physically and socially for girls to participate in boy sports. Often times there are girls who have a passion for sports and an athletic ability that deserves to be shown off, even if it means playing with the boys. Girls deserve the equal opportunity to play among the boys because they are equally athletic as boys.
In years past many women have competed athletically with men whether on a court or on a field. Women do have the ability to be equally athletic and maybe even better than men. “In 1931, 17 year …show more content…
When Donna Lopiano was a young tomboy she wanted to tryout for a little league team, however she was turned down. A father approached her with a rule book and that’s “where three words altered her life forever: ‘No Girls Allowed’. Lopiano cried for months. The prohibition was devastating to a girl who had dedicated her youth to a game at which she so clearly excelled. And it happened solely because she was female” (McDonagh 172). A girl growing up, falling in love with a game and ambitiously waiting to finally play on a little league team. Is now heartbroken. “When Zayra Calderon was twelve, her father told her she had to stop playing soccer with her brothers because it wasn’t ladylike” (Ross 129). Zayra’s own father told her she can’t play a sport because she is a female. It wasn’t an outside force, it was her own father. People, family and friends are telling girls they can’t play a sport because of their gender. These two instances show the effect the female gender has on sports. Society believes sports are solely for male athletes, so that is simply what everyone believes. How could grown men look down upon a young girl and tell her she can’t play a sport she has a passion for? Other instances occur where girls do compete among the boys, however they still face challenges. “Sue Enquist batted second on her high school’s boys’ basebal team. She led the league in getting hit by a pitch” (Ross 129). Sue was only a high school girl when a pitcher on the other team intentionally targeted her with a pitch. She stood up at the plate like any other player on the team, however due to her gender she was knocked down. Here she is throwing herself out there, going against the odds and all she gets for it is hit by a pitch. Girls overcame these challenges by having really amazing teammates by their sides. Rebecca, a girl who played on an all boys basketball team, said, “But my
In years past many women have competed athletically with men whether on a court or on a field. Women do have the ability to be equally athletic and maybe even better than men. “In 1931, 17 year …show more content…
When Donna Lopiano was a young tomboy she wanted to tryout for a little league team, however she was turned down. A father approached her with a rule book and that’s “where three words altered her life forever: ‘No Girls Allowed’. Lopiano cried for months. The prohibition was devastating to a girl who had dedicated her youth to a game at which she so clearly excelled. And it happened solely because she was female” (McDonagh 172). A girl growing up, falling in love with a game and ambitiously waiting to finally play on a little league team. Is now heartbroken. “When Zayra Calderon was twelve, her father told her she had to stop playing soccer with her brothers because it wasn’t ladylike” (Ross 129). Zayra’s own father told her she can’t play a sport because she is a female. It wasn’t an outside force, it was her own father. People, family and friends are telling girls they can’t play a sport because of their gender. These two instances show the effect the female gender has on sports. Society believes sports are solely for male athletes, so that is simply what everyone believes. How could grown men look down upon a young girl and tell her she can’t play a sport she has a passion for? Other instances occur where girls do compete among the boys, however they still face challenges. “Sue Enquist batted second on her high school’s boys’ basebal team. She led the league in getting hit by a pitch” (Ross 129). Sue was only a high school girl when a pitcher on the other team intentionally targeted her with a pitch. She stood up at the plate like any other player on the team, however due to her gender she was knocked down. Here she is throwing herself out there, going against the odds and all she gets for it is hit by a pitch. Girls overcame these challenges by having really amazing teammates by their sides. Rebecca, a girl who played on an all boys basketball team, said, “But my