Read
this article about a 14-year-old freshman who was removed from her high school football team. I think
the comments posted on ESPN are particularly interesting. Whose opinion do you agree with? Are you surprised by the range of opinions or the comments people made?
20 comments:
The range of comments left on the page doesn't surprise me at all. Of course I expected to see how the men want to keep football an all male sport, or how some support her. I personally think she should be able to play. Just because she's a girl doesn't mean she can't be just as good as a male at football.
It doesnt make very much sense that they made her leave the team. If there is no law that states a girl cant play on the team then there shouldnt be any question about whether or not she should be able to play. The one comment i pasted below because i feel that this says it all and I agree completly with it! I feel this is a simple case of discrimination and she should be able to play, i mean she even made it through training camp!
ok, here are the facts, kacy tried out for the team. Made it as the best kicker(boy or girl) on the team. Practiced since spring, summer 2 a days, and practice games to include 100% on extra points. No field goals attempted, but in warm ups, 47 yards was her longest on THAT day. Her school doesnt allow a female sport this time of year. And by the way, she was recruited by the coach to kick, due to the fact that none of the guys could make an extra point. All she wants is to play the sport she loves, and was asked top play by a coach. She doesnt want top play basketball, track or any other event, because shes not good at those particular sports. If the school had a better kicker, this story wouldnt even be here. And by the way, let it be noted she was asked to play, and turned out, she was the best.
I believe she was treated unfairly because just because she is a female if she fits all the requirements why should't she be allowed to play.
I like Kirsten's quote. I doesn't matter what sex the player is as long as they are the most qualified player. Also the quote from doughboy_6868 and chicagotrav I think are well stated.
Chicagotrav said "...You can't say men should compete in women's sports leagues, too, because there are men's versions in all those sports. For girls, there is no alternative to football just as there is in basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball/softball, swimming..."
The range of comments doesn't surprise me.
I think that women should be able to try out for any sports that are considered a man’s sport. If any woman is the best qualified for that position then that’s the only fair way to do it. I personally love to watch football and would love to see a female make it to NFL.
I think if Kacy has the ablity to play football among the boys then why not. Instead of diminishing her athletic career as a kicker , she should be getting applauded by her fellow peers and supported by her community because she is doing something that is fairly unheard of. Its apparent that her and her family are aware of the risks , and if they are okay with it , then what is the problem??? There is no rule stating that girls cannot play football !
"There doesn't seem to be anything in the [league] bylaws to prevent a girl from playing," Angie Stuart said. "No one else has a problem with it. The coaches, players and other teams have accepted her. If she can play for a public school, why not a private school?"
I'm surprised they aren't adhering to the bylaws. It's unfortunate that one person can have the veto power to override written rules and force Kacy not to play when EVERYONE else is okay with it. I'm sure she and her family are well aware of the dangers of this contact sport. Let her play.
Girls should be allowed to play football. In fact, there is a Nation Women's Association League, as well as the Women's Profession Football League. The Baltimore Women's Profession Football team is the Baltimore Burn.
If I understood the law of sports in high schools, I was under the impression that a girl could play on a guy’s team as long as there was not a sport offered for the girls that was comparable. For example, when I was in high school there was not a girl’s soccer team, so for a year I played on the boy’s soccer team. However, when a girl’s soccer team was established I was no longer allowed to play on the guy’s team. I believe no matter what the sport or event girls should be equal. Today women are involved in all kinds of sports, including ice hockey and wrestling. I think the school is wrong, however, perhaps that fact that it is a private school and does not get any funding from the government, they may be allowed to play by their own rules. If this is the case, the female students truly suffer and it seems the boys are being taught that discrimination is acceptable.
If this young girl, Kacy, has all that is required to make the football team then by all means she should be allowed to play. It sounds as though she demonstarted all the skills needed to make the team, just because she is a girl doesn't mean she shouldn't be allowed to play. Especially since there is nothing stated in the bi-laws saying females can't play. The only thing that would concern me would be if she got hurt by a big guy, however i'm sure she is fully aware of this and if it doesn't bother her why should it bother anyone else? I think this is just an example of guys thinking girls are not good enough to do what they typically are known to do.
After reading this, I realized how far feminism has come and how far it has to go. Kacy had already practiced and performed in a pre-game. This should have proven to everyone that she is more than capable of playing the game. Saying that she can not play because she is a girl is no reason. Prove to everyone that her physical abilities are not up to par with playing the game. Football is not just for guys anymore!
Its been going on for a long time and its not new thing at all. Eventhough Kacy's mother fights and the fact that she is very good at football nothings going to change. But we cannot just let it happen again and again, there's going to be thousands of more Kacy in future and can't be stopped for doing what they can do just because they were born as women. Its time for change and it will change, and this is just the begining.
I think girl's should be able to play football. whats wrong with it if she is jsut as good, if not better than the other players. To me it's a little sexist to kick her off the team just becsause she was female. And i am definitly not surprised by the rande of the comments!
I was not surprised to see some of the men's reactions, but I was appalled by a few of their comments. Like the comment stated by Jimmy_Hoffa1975, "girls have NO business playing sports vs guys. guys are stronger, faster, smarter, more athletic. it's for this lil girl's own good that she got kicked off the team. heck i bet she actually was a lousy kicker they just said because she's a girl so she wouldn't get her feelings hurt". If she made it throught the try-outs, I definitely believe she should be allowed to play. It's unfair that she is no longer allowed to play just because she is a female.
I don't think the girl should have been kicked off the football team. The girl went through the same tryouts as all the male players did and made it. Football should't be seen just as a guy sport because there are some females out there that will make a good football player.
I believe that girls should be able to play any sport that they want. i have a sister that plays hockey which is also known has a "guys" sport. but brittany my sister is just as good as boys and sometimes even better. if a girl is better then a guy then the girl so get the spot. but as a we grow and our bodies changed the girls might me to small and they can be worried that the girl can get hurt. so they should try to devolped a girls team, or aloud the girl to play on a guys time.
I agree with this opinion by foiblefoible's ESPN post.... "In high school we had a girl kicker that could have easily been the best kicker in our conference. She was a soccer player that got RECRUITED by one of the varsity football coaches to try kicking. She went on to become a kicker at the college level (D-III)..."
Someone needs to find out who that girl is and have her talk to Kacy Stuart. Maybe girl kickers can be a new trend, I know there are tom-girls out there that love football more some boys. But I know this topic has lots of different views, because when I think of football all I think about is drunk fat men. lol
Its kind of a sudden instinct that girls dont play football, its not that they cant but its seen as a mans sport. If a girl has the nerve to try out, and she is actually good, then why not let her play? Shes willing to get roughed up just as much as the boys are. If she has the potential to be excel in football then why stop her. For example, cheerleading is known as a girls sport, but now a days, men do cheerleading and nothing is seen wrong with it. So why is it made out to be such a big deal for a girl to try out for football, when its nothing when a man trys out for cheerleading?
I agree with Christy girls and women should be allowed to try out for whatever sport they want if they are qualified.
It is typical for men to think the women shouldnt play and the women to think she should play, just like the comments. But the reason it is like this is because the guys are the ones who have played with the women. Most of the women posting havent played an extreme contact sport like football, and when a girl is on the other team it makes it, in a way, unfair. I play ice hockey and anytime a chick is on the other team its not far because you feel guilty checking her and your scared your going to hurt her. But, if there is nothing saying she cant play becasue of her gender then they have to let her play, and at her own risk, just like everyone else.
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