If anyone remembers the Rodney Dangerfield flick you know the reference. But I thought it was appropriate to post here and no one else had.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/keeling-...
Would make an interesting story if the boy was transgender, though I suspect this story is already written in some form on this site. Now, I know I won't be popular, but as a former athlete I oppose cross gender sports, but not for the reasons some might believe. I wrestled and I always cringed when I saw a girl wrestler wrestle a boy. I thought it was unfair to the boy, he was put in a no win situation. Maybe in some other sports there isn't that much of a stigma.
In this story, the boy was put in a situation. There were no boy field hockey teams for him to play for so it wasn't like he had the option (sort of like there are no H.S. or College girls wrestling, though I lobby heavily for it (screw you title IX)). I suppose if he wasn't a dominant player this wouldn't happen. But I think dominant is being taken out of context. He is a successful player, but doesn't seem to have dominant ability (strength, size, speed). But it does raise certain questions... is cross gender sports a good thing? What if this was a case of GID, would the ruling still be the same. I put this out for serious discussion, not a flame war.
Comments
I saw this
The article stated that almost all the other players are taller and bigger than he is. The kid is simply more skilled since he kinda got an early start since he's originally from a country where field hockey is more popular. I think that is the saddest part of this. The kid just wants to play a game he loves and if it's playing with the girls, well okay.
My thoughts on this is since it's pretty clear that in this specific case, that his gender is not giving him any kind of advantage then it is discrimination. I think the real issue is here, that the organization is afraid of setting a precedence and the kid is unfortunately the victim of their fears.
Hugs
Grover
Renee Richards
Successful tennis player, who transitioned and thwn went to court to get the right to compte as a woman. I have very mixed views on this. There are some games where men and women can compete evenly, but they are few and far between. Genetics is a bitch.
Not an issue
After a couple years or so on hormones a transwoman will have no muscular advantage. And we have larger, heavier skeletal structures to lug around with us. If anything we're at a disadvantage.
Of course, in my case I was always weaker than most genetic women so going on hormones only made that disparity greater. ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
You are right
There is a story along these lines and it's called Switching Playing Fields by Torey.
He's smaller and lighter then them, he's just better. Does this mean that if a girl were to be that good that she would get banned for being too good as well? Or just him because he is male and grew up in the sport?
Thank you, Katie!
Can you please keep us up-dated on this story? Those of us not in this part of the country didn't see this.
Due to the rather ignorant comments made by an adult who should know better, It seems to me that if the second appeal is lost, there are grounds for a discrimination suit against the school board, the state, the sport's governing body, and that particular bigoted idiot!
Girl's only sport indeed!!! If a "girl's only" sport is upheld, what happens to Title IX? Logic (mine) tells me it's invalid. This whole thing sounds like gender stereotyping. Could this be a Federal anti-discrimination case?
Are there any legally trained readers who can voice a better legal opinion?
Ole
We are each exactly as God made us. God does not make mistakes!
Gender rights are the new civil rights!
Wrestling
Last year a star High School wrestler in Iowa forfited a match because he had to wrestle a girl. He did so on moral/religious reasons. He felt that he might touch the girl in an inappropriate manner.
I think part of the question in crossed gender sports has to be the degree of contact between the players and if the difference in gender gives the player an unfair advantage. The degree of apptitude in and of itself should not be a factor.
Should a girl be able to be a kicker in football? There is no reason not to allow it.
Should this boy play field hockey, nothing in the story gives a valid reason to exclude him.
"Football Girl" tells a realistic story of a girl playing professional Football (Soccer).
So I think the answer is complicated and needs to be addressed on a sport by sport and a case by case basis.
RAMI
RAMI
First off, I think the reason
First off, I think the reason given is very patronizing and demeaning to the girls playing with him as it implies that he is better than them because he is a male. I know there is a lot of controversy in Women's Basketball because some of the coaches like the women to train with males. I think if it helps somebody to develop better skills going against another opponent even of the other sex that it is a good thing. As to cross gender teams, I think if all players have equal strengths then that is great. To me I think it is more important to foster the love of the game and let people play it if they want.
My niece wrestled through 8th
My niece wrestled through 8th grade, her career ended with a broken wrist.
So I guess NY will kick girls out of boys sports if they are too good also? The girl kicker that doesn't miss, or wrestler that wins a state championship.
Actually to follow this to its logical conclusion we should kick everyone that is better than average off all the teams, be they athletic teams or academic teams. The chess champion can now quarterback the football team, and the QB can play chess. The consumer math students can make up the mathletes, and the obese out of shape kids can be the basketball team. We have to be fair here.
I could see kicking him off if he was 6'2" (2m) and weighed 220lgs (100 kg) and had injured several opponents, but because he is more skilled is ridiculous.
I'm Fillled With All Sort sof Emotions on This One
I am at a loss for words.
I really feel that kicking him off the team is unjust. If he's good, he's good. Full stop. End of story.
I wonder how his teammates feel about this.
Why is there no boy's team for him to join? I guess the powers that be figure that field hockey is a 'girls' sport.
My biggest feeling is, however, why can't we let kids be kids. I long for a world where kids can play in an environment free from meaningless competition, where the play is the thing, not the score. I guess I'm a dreamer, but that's how I was brought up
Trap
One of my doctors...
...has a son who played girl's field hockey in high school. He distinguished himself and he was accepted by the school and especially by his teammates. It can happen; I suppose it just depends upon where, when, how, why and whom?
I do agree in your 'no win' description regarding girls wrestling with boys. Some kids actually have forfeited rather than wrestle; not because of any aspect of competition, but because they feel immodest coming into such close physical contact with a girl. The picture of one of the boys made me think that either the boy or girl would have an equal shot at winning, so it seemed very plausible that it was more about how the boy felt. The idea of winning and being dismissed as having 'beaten a girl,' or losing with the stigma of the 'male sports mentality' would be very hard for most kids. Too bad for everyone. Thanks for the reference!
Love, Andrea Lena
I saw a quick blurb on this
I saw a quick blurb on this at a customer site. (on their TV)
My personal opinion is that if you do not have an equivalent gender sport team, then you MUST allow both genders to play. If a 5'11" girl wants to play football, let her play. If a boy wants to play field hockey, let him play. It's not like the whole team is mobbed by the opposite gender - if that was the case, then they'd have two teams :)
Especially in something like field hockey, or hockey in general, upper body strength (the strong point of men) becomes much less of a benefit. Lower body strength and balance is more important.
Thus, he'd be at a disadvantage, more than an advantage.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
The reverse has also happened!
I recall a few years ago there was a story about a girl banned from competing in a tournament as the FA only allow mixed teams up to under-11 level - once they hit 11 they're only allowed to compete in and against single sex teams.
Link (Daily Telegraph)
Searching for it, I came across something similar from Scotland - a 13 year old banned from a British football tournament because the Scottish FA, which held the qualifying tournament, allow U13s but not the English FA, which have jurisdiction over British tournaments.
Link (Daily Record)
I also turned up this non-gender-related case - an 11 year old American Footballer banned from scoring touchdowns... because he was too good!
Link (USA Today)
-oOo-
Personally, I think that if someone's good enough to be on a team and are within the approximate height / weight range boundaries for the team, they should be allowed on it regardless of what's between their legs. Banning mixed teams both at school level and beyond seems stupid, besides which even at adult level I'm sure teams would ensure all players were up to the same standard, rather than having a 'token' member, as otherwise fans and commentators would quickly shout "foul!" Yes, men and women do tend to be built slightly differently and have different average strength / stamina / speed etc. levels, but as with everything in biology, it's not black / white and there's bound to be a fair amount of overlap between male and female Normal distributions.
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Real life LadyBug
A very funny movie
May Your Light Forever Shine
Sense.
If sense was so common why is there not more of it. As a race humans have a problem, at this time, making decisions according to common sense decisions. It has become common place where the tail wags the dog AKA a small group lords there problems over others just so they can be dominate. When will we just think things through and let it be, stop making knee jerk decisions then hide behind rules and procedures.
Just let kids play and be themselves, and the world will be a better place. Or is that what the sticks in the mud are afraid of.
Misha Nova
The only bad question is the one not asked.
The short of it is that we
The short of it is that we insist on believing that 'equality' means that everyone should be held down to the lowest common denominator; we also insist on retaining our defective young.
No, super intelligent people aren't 'better' than morons, but they sure can be more intelligent. That said, intelligent people often have a hard time keeping their heads out of the clouds enough to keep from falling in the mud :)
BW
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
a succesful crossgender sport
here's a succesful crossgender sport: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korfball
Both my sis and brother play it and thogh it's not as popular as soccer, it's gaining more fame lately :--) (I played for a year, but I'm not competitive enough to enjoy most sports).
Looks like Korfball is more sexist than football
Yes, team is bigendered. But role in the team seems to be defined by gender...
So I can't see much difference from tennis or badminton mixed couples. Whatever players levels are, it cannot be two girls or two boys in the same "team".
PS. wiki claims that it's a popular sport in Taiwan...
...but.... I've never seen anything resembling korfball game or field in Taipei.
how is it sexist? I've seen
how is it sexist? I've seen games and played myself. The only rule that could be considered sexist is that girls only defend girlms and boys only boys. I don't see that as really sexist.(In the lower ranks it is allowed for a boy to play as a girl or vice versa, if they're short on one gender). Also if everyone could defend everyone, the game wouldn't work. And there really isn't a role in the team. both sides have two boys and two girls of every team and they work together to try and score. It would also be very confusing to remember who you're allowed to defend if you're appointed two randomly. Go to a korfbal team and dare say the'yre being sexist...
sorry that I ranted like this, but it's the only sport Ive actually seen boys and girls play together without it being sexist.
grtz & hugs,
Sarah xxx
Sorry... but...
1. Article on Wikipedia is really confusing.
2. Never seen this game played before. Spent several minutes on YouTube, extremely strange game. More confusing than wiki description :-)
Looks like rough construct for the sake of allowing mixed teams to work. In case this sport turn into something professional - mixed teams will die out. Or will need additional rules like "every female team member should receive ball at least once in the game and have to make at least one shot at the basket"
3. Problem is - any sport involving running around with a ball will be male dominated. It's just basic mind wiring and body chemistry. It's just that male brain is wired to take in loads of information and act right away and damn the torpedoes. Female brain is wired to take little bits of information and overanalize them into oblivion ;-) and to find one perfect solution. But in couple of days.
That's the main reason woman's football (not that American rugby) is nowhere as popular or interesting as mans version. It's not funding or wages issue.
So, I'm sorry if I offended you, it was not intention. My belief is that this whole business is just a feminism taken a couple of steps too far. And obviously it leads to outbursts of usage of feminists weapons against feminism and women in general.
sorry if I sounded angry. The
sorry if I sounded angry.
The team has 4 players on each side of the field (2 which are female), It's impossible to be male dominated if you want to win the game. Because if you don't pass to the women, the opposite team will just overblock the men and let the women do the job.
Yes it's a confusing game if you've never watched it, but it's been around since 1902 and it's quite popular in the netherlands, while here in belgium it's gaining popularity. It's still not well known in the rest of the world but enough to have a world competition (61 countries)(Though they don't get payed like soccerplayers,...).
This sport isn't going to die out, It might never be as popular as soccer or football, but it is still growing. :--)
Since it's been around since 1902 it wasn't constructed by feminism, it was by a teacher.
But I agree that mixing non-bigendered sports is asking for problems, though I'll always support equality both ways. Even in sports.
grtz & hugs,
Sarah xxx
Game becomes even more confusing...
As far as wiki and YouTube videos show it's strictly one player blocking one opposition player. It's not possible to over block someone.
:-)
Feminism started in XIX century so by 1902 suffrage movements were in full swing.
BTW, when I was in school, we had a game like volleyball in every respect apart of that players were required to catch ball and were not allowed to move legs until throwing a ball at opposing team. That was like move based strategy version of volleyball. Quite a good fun and absolutely unisex as only prerequesite was ability to catch the ball and ability to throw it over the net.
Similar Mass Case
Here is a similar case from Massacusetts in 2010 involving two brothers.
http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/09/south_hadle...
And here is a blog on a Title 9 site about the same case:
http://title-ix.blogspot.com/2010/11/boys-playing-field-hock...
By the way I didn't care for the scene at the end of Lady Bugs where a bus full of boys were disguised as girls to play softball. I thought the blatant cheating depicted in that scene tarnished the rest of the movie.
Michelle B
the whole movie was about blatant cheating
The whole movie revolved around cheating. Rodney dangerfield cheated to keep a winning program. The boy cheated because he wasn't allowed to compete on the boys' soccer team (I think because of grades, but I forget the reason). So the end of the movie showed that Rodney didn't learn his lesson.
I liked the skinny dipping scene, also the scene in the dressing room was pretty fun, but back then you could laugh at something pedophelic and not have a lynch mob, oh wait, there's still family guy (which I hate with a passion).
Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)
Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life