Beaten by a girl - in the New York Times

what about boys not good enough to make their teams ? can they try out for girls' teams in the spirit of equality ? shouldn't they have the chance to continue playing if they're better than a girl on a girl's team ?

 

there's a difference between girls not having the chance to play at all, and wanting to play with boys. can you clarify that situation you described ?

 

Years ago, I covered a team that had two wresters on it -- 119 and 130.
The 119 pounder went to a small D1 to play soccer, the other became a stripper.
Both were about .500 as wrestlers.
And has been said here, don't like it, don't lose to them.

 

Congratulations Cadet for being the first person to respond to the initial intent of the post.

As far as little league, I played with several girls in tee-ball more than 20 years ago ... no one, including me, had a problem with it.

 

During my last year in the industry, there were three girls that were outside my coverage area but close enough that I saw them in a tourney here or there.

One didn't wrestler varsity much of the year, but did in this tourney, and I saw her win a match 26-25. It was surreal. She was so much faster and more talented, and he was so much stronger (I think it was 130). Just reverse after reverse... I thought she had him stuck on about four different occassions, but he was just too strong and was able to get off his back each time.

In that same tourney, there was another girl that I know finished above .500 (wrestling for a metro big-school division team). I saw her wrestle two matches at the tourney, and she won both by pin.

But the third was just straight bad ass. I know she qualified for state multiple times, and as a senior lost in the championship match (at 103) and finished, I believe, 47-6. She was all muscle. Anyone that didn't give 100 percent against her would get torn apart. Then again, most guys that did still got torn apart.

 

I've seen stories about girls wrestling on boys teams for more than a decade now.
Is it still news?

 

Tee ball is a little different, because kids that age are still physically similar. After age 10, it starts to get tricky. I was playing in late elementary/early middle school years.

And before someone asks, no, softball was not an option where I was.

I'm glad to hear it's less of an issue in baseball, but it's not completely dead. I attended a "Little League Night at Minor League Game" last summer and was sitting with a few of the league leaders/dads. One imbibed a few too many and started bitching about the girl on his 11-yr-old son's team. Didn't stop when I gave him the evil eye, but when he sobered up the next day tried to apologize profusely to me. The kids, of course, weren't the problem.

 

I don't think it's sexist to acknowledge women are "the weaker sex." It's a biological fact. There are exceptions for sure, but men generally are bigger, stronger and faster. No need to ignore that truth in the name of women's rights.

I respect girls/women who want to test themselves against the fellas. Go for it. As I mentioned, we have a couple who play hoops with us sometimes and it's cool. There's one I'd pick over a couple dudes every time.

That said, I have no respect for boys/men who complain that they can't play on female teams or in female fields (golf, tennis, etc.). That's weaker than wet toilet tissue.

If you can't cut it against other guys, leave the gals alone. Otherwise you're just a big wuss who needs to grow a pair.

 

Bruhman, I understand your point, but the problem is with the sweeping generalization. Is every man on the planet stronger than every woman? There will always be exceptions to the norm. And with the advances in female athletic participation, there are becoming more and more exceptions. I cover a girls basketball player who could kick the ass of half her school, because she is that well conditioned and spends that much time in the weight room.

 

Junkie, either you're on crack, or just a fucking idiot.

Comparing boys-girls is ABSOLUTELY NOT the same as comparing black people to white people. Not even close. Apples and oranges.

When you compare black SAT scores to white SAT scores, you have to take NUMEROUS factors into account. Upbringing. school district. whether the parents were around. etc. etc.

None of that matters in the man-woman debate.
There are biological differences between boys and girls.

Guess we're lucky that I'm no AD/principal. Because no female wrestler is competing against the boys. Not on my watch. Join a club team or find another sport to play. Ditto for a guy who wants to play field hockey like that dude in Boston. It's just wrong to have the two facing off.

Female wants to be a college football kicker? join the soccer team. Or play co-ed intramurals.

I'm pretty adament about this.

 

There were three girls wrestling this weekend in the Missouri state championships. None of them medalled but one of them did last year. One of them lost in the first round, but one her first two wrestlebacks. Apparently the men were giving 100 percent against these chicks.

More interesting, though: A guy was wrestling in the championships (low 100's but don't remember which weight class) who had been amputated just above the knees. He walked on his thighs and had like 112 pounds of upper body strength. A friend who was there said he was so hard to take down and lost in the championship round 1-0. That's impressive.

 

And you're wrong.