This week in class there was a lot of discussion on how to make sports equal for both males and females. We also discussed if sports should be seperated by skill rather than gender. I disagree with this statement for many reasons which will be explained below.
As a kid, i first realized that sport was different for males and females when kid pitch started. This is when the girls went and played softball. This was weird for me because I had girls on my T-ball and coach- pitch teams. These girls were also very good players. Along with baseball, i had girls on my soccer team until I started playing for a travel team. Back when we were young, girls and boys had about the same skill level in sports. It was not until about fourth grade in gym class playing dodgeball til I realized there was a difference. The throwing strength of the average girl was not the same of the average boy. I am not saying that there were acceptions, but this was usually the case.
Going along with what I just stated about realizing the physical differences in males and females, I do not think that sport should be seperated by skill. This would make it nearly impossible for females to be in the olympics or even participate collegiately. For example, Jennie Finch is one of the best softball pitchers to ever live, but I highly doubt she would make it in college baseball at any level. Same thing with Brittany Griner, She is the most dominant Women's Basketball player of all time, but she would not make it in Men's Basketball. I feel like seperating sport would cause less equality because there would be so little female athletes.
As kids, I think that sports should be seperated by skill, but they should switch to gender a couple years before adolescence. This will teach males and females to work in teams together as well as all the great things sports teach. If sport was indeed seperated by skill alone, female athletes would go way down.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTad,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you here. As I stated in my blog I feel that this would almost me a step backwards for gender equity. I feel that this will lead to less dominant female athletes and this would in turn make it harder for famous female athletes to emerge. In the current state I think that sport environment allows for women to compete at an appropriate physical level, while giving them the same opportunities as men. Women can go pro, and even go to the Olympics. If we were to combine the genders I feel women would feel the effect down the road.
-Hunter Haas
Tad,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. I think that the physical stature of males and females is just too opposite for them to compete with each other as they get older. The mass and strength of a man becomes way greater than that of a women. I think the best examples to use in this case are sports such as football, basketball and baseball. The reason being because the size and strength of men as they get older becomes a lot greater than that of a women so in football a woman would just get trampled, in basketball a woman would be easily boxed out and in baseball the arm strength of a woman would not be good enough to compete at a high level. I agree that as males and females grow older that sport should be separated by gender.
-Logan Walker
Tad,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have stated. I do not think I noticed a differece in physical ability until recess and gym class. The main reason for this is because during actual games my attention wasnt focused on how well a girl was playing, my attention was on the game and winning. However in gym class and at recess your attention isnt on the game as much and that is when you start to notice skill level. I do believe that the physical nature and ability is to far aprt for men and women to play together at the highest level, but in younger ages I believe that it is okay for the two genders to play together.
-John Ruppert