During my coverage of sports during the high school season, I watch both boys and girls perform. One of the things that’s always in the back of my mind as I watch female athletes is that in many countries throughout the world, I would not be able to do this. The players I watch would not have the opportunity to compete.
It’s something I simply can’t imagine, denying a fellow human being the chance to realize her full potential because of some religious or social doctrine that discriminates between the sexes. I watch my little grandnieces grow up knowing they’ll have opportunities that are denied to millions of girls and women around the world. That makes me very thankful.
Don’t get me wrong, things still aren’t necessarily equal when it comes to boys’ and girls’ sports. I’m reminded of that every time I go to a boys’ basketball game in Española, and then attend a girls game. The difference in the size of the crowds is overwhelming. It’s pretty much the same at the other schools I cover, but since Española is the biggest school, it’s where I notice it the most.
I’m guilty of it too. For the past several seasons the Española boys’ basketball team has been doing great, so they get more attention and become my top priority. If I had to choose between an Española boys’ game and other games, the Sundevils always won out.
Covering girls’ teams has provided me plenty of exciting moments to write about, as well as some sad ones. There have been bitter losses in big games and heart-breaking injuries that cut careers short. Female athletes work just as hard as their male counterparts and are just as deserving of recognition.
In fact, there have been more state championships won by girls’ teams (seven) than boys’ teams (four) among the schools I’ve covered the last eight years.
The biggest reason I support girls’ and women’s sports, however, is the ongoing discrimination I mentioned at the beginning. In our society and culture, being born a boy or a girl doesn’t limit your freedom. That’s quite different from foreign leaders who say they are our enemies, call the United States the “Great Satan” and in whose culture women are not allowed to learn, develop and grow. It astonishes me that any culture can believe that this is the way things should be. Such a culture denies itself so many contributions from those it chooses to persecute.
This is such a fundamental difference that I don’t see how it can ever be reconciled. By supporting our children’s sports — boys and girls — we are showing people that in our culture, you can be whatever you want to be and that this makes us stronger, not weaker.