I hate the 'we can't push change, people aren't ready argument.' Many people weren't ready for civil rights, for female suffrage, for an end to child labour!
It's not an easy pill to make the public swallow but change cannot be dictated by popular opinion 100% of the time. #girlssports
@TheBeamishSnark: It reminds me of that speech MLK gave that called "moderates" out for the damage they caused to the movements for civil rights. I for one agree. There is no better way to show one's privilege - and to abuse one's privilege - than by saying that the public can't handle change, that the time is not right for it. You might as well cast your lot in with those you profess to disagree with. #girlssports
@whynotshesaid: Exactly! How do you measure at what rate change should take place? That's the most curious part of these arguments that 'we must take it slow'. How slow? Why? Only the privileged can dictate this pace, people who are negatively effected don't get that say.
If something needs to change then change it or STFU. #girlssports
In my hometown, Little League didn't start until age 8; you had to play T-ball until then. Softball, however, started at age 6, and I was ALL OVER THAT, as were most of the other athletic-minded girls -- no tees for us! Thus, we played softball from the very beginning, and a lot of those girls went on to kick a ton of ass in high school and college.
My dad was my softball coach for eight years, until I hit high school and realized I made a much better scorekeeper than anything else; my mom was our assistant coach, and we played catch in the backyard almost every night. I am short and round and slow on the basepaths, so it was never about winning... it was about holding the bat in your hands and feeling this awesome power that someday, you might just smash that ball farther than you ever had before. It was about having fun and getting to know girls who weren't in your class, and it was about being outside and running around and feeling like you were part of a team. And none of the boys ever even TRIED to play the "softball isn't as hard as baseball" card, because the girls? Were just plain better.
Even though we rarely won, my parents' team was always the one that filled up the fastest at selection time -- all the other parents wanted their kids on our team since my parents weren't obsessed with winning, and all the girls who (like me) kind of sucked at sports wanted to be there, too. On the other teams, you only got McDonalds soft serve ice cream if you won. On our team, you got ice cream no matter what -- but if we won, we got to go to the ice cream shop and get BETTER ice cream, with toppings and whipped cream and french fries if we wanted.
Moral of the story: My parents are awesome.
Moral of the story, #2: Now I want some damn ice cream. #girlssports
My dad was an executive secretary of HEW under Ford, so he sent out the Title IX letters. At my mom's 20-year college reunion, the college's longtime president was convinced he knew my dad's name from somewhere. My dad demurred. After the reunion was over, the president was like, "seriously, where do I know you from?" and my dad said "Title IX." And the president was like, "Oh holy shit! I knew I knew you!" Because that college ([jezebel.com]) was the only school in the country that sent Title IX back to HEW and refused government funding. #girlssports
One of my co-workers is a Deep South, Republican, Conservative, White Male; backs Bush, can justify Guantanamo, the whole bit...but he is a rampant Feminist. He's so into his girls being able to achieve, and he's Very Sensitive to women's issues and race issues, it seriously throws me off when we talk, because he really is all for making sure his girls are empowered and smart and respected and know how to fight back.
We went to lunch the other day, and he brought up the Richmond rape case, and went on to talk about how his showed his girls self defense moves and how he became aware of the need nowadays to really tell his boys how to act... I was blown away. #girlssports
@RStewie: That's awesome. And it reminds me of, how for so many men, the thing that seems to wake them up to the importance of feminism is having daughters. #girlssports
In the 1970s my dad sued the state of Illinois on behalf of a group of women college athletes right before Title IX was established at the federal level, and won. There are still people in town who won't speak to him. But he later had two daughters who participated in multiple sports. So there, haters. #girlssports
Ugh. I was a tee-ball player in the early/mid 80s, and when I came back for my second season I was the only girl on the ostensibly co-ed team. The boys were hideous to me, spitting at me and stomping on my hands (with cleats) when I grabbed for a ball. The worst part was that the coaches (all dads) did nothing about it. My own dad came to practice, saw what was up, talked to the coaches and told me I could quit with my head held high if I wanted to, because they weren't playing fair. My town also didn't allow girls in Little League - they weren't officially part of Little League of America because of the restriction. They were shunted off to softball - which is badass in its own way, but it meant playing on an unlighted field, foregoing uniforms, not being allowed to slide (not that anyone would want to when they didn't even have uniform pants, and played in shorts instead) and a host of other ick.
Title IX was and is a great idea - although at the high school and college level women's teams continue to play in inferior facilities, with lower-quality equipment and uniforms and less institutional support, even at major NCAA Division 1 schools. At my high schools the girls' softball team wasn't even allowed to play on the school field - they had to go to the city park where little kids played in rec leagues.
To this day I wonder if I would have become more athletic and physically confident had some of my early coaches just told a bunch of little boys it was not cool to spit on and try to hurt me because I was a girl. As it was, I found the entire scene pretty hostile and retreated. 8 year olds can't fight battles when adults aren't brave enough to help them. #girlssports
This only works until they get to a certain age then boys and girls can't mix on the playfield due to the differences in physical strength. #girlssports
I was a wrestler - technique is much more important than strength, and since everyone is divided out by weight, it makes things more even. #girlssports
@Cimorene: As much as I love seeing wrestling (coed or women's or men's) getting attention, it makes me sad how much is wrong on TV.
Everyone standing that close during the match? Streetshoes on the mat? Full nelson I'll let slide because I was not wrestling when this show was on the air, so it may have been legal then, but... man.
I'm sure other sports get the same treatment, but I just don't know about it. #girlssports
That and the fact that we had a school radio person and anyone other than our parents and the wrestlers' girlfriends at the matches. Totally true. #girlssports
I'm just older than the millenials, and my parents are were teens in the 60s. Dad made sure I played softball, soccer (on a co-ed team), skied and could throw a spiral. Mom took me to swimming (her sport), piano and ballet. It never occurred to me that this was particularly progressive. I'm very glad it was my normal. #girlssports
It occurred to me not long ago how much my father made it a point during my childhood to remind me I could do anything. I hiked, rock-climbed, skied, ran, played soccer, basketball and t-ball, and swam just as much as my brother. My brother and I were true equals in everything. My mother encouraged a lot in me, but it was my father that made it a point to make sure I grew up with a can-do/try-anything attitude. When he coached my soccer team he proudly wore a shirt that said "Kick like a girl" on one side and then "Doesn't mean what it used to" on the other. He's got many flaws but his ardent feminist attitude is something I love and value in him. #girlssports
Rarely has American culture moved towards progress in a majority. It's usually a small minority dragging the rest, kicking and screaming. I don't know why we keep being surprised that it hasn't changed yet. #girlssports
11/06/09
It's not an easy pill to make the public swallow but change cannot be dictated by popular opinion 100% of the time. #girlssports
11/06/09
11/06/09
If something needs to change then change it or STFU. #girlssports
11/05/09
My dad was my softball coach for eight years, until I hit high school and realized I made a much better scorekeeper than anything else; my mom was our assistant coach, and we played catch in the backyard almost every night. I am short and round and slow on the basepaths, so it was never about winning... it was about holding the bat in your hands and feeling this awesome power that someday, you might just smash that ball farther than you ever had before. It was about having fun and getting to know girls who weren't in your class, and it was about being outside and running around and feeling like you were part of a team. And none of the boys ever even TRIED to play the "softball isn't as hard as baseball" card, because the girls? Were just plain better.
Even though we rarely won, my parents' team was always the one that filled up the fastest at selection time -- all the other parents wanted their kids on our team since my parents weren't obsessed with winning, and all the girls who (like me) kind of sucked at sports wanted to be there, too. On the other teams, you only got McDonalds soft serve ice cream if you won. On our team, you got ice cream no matter what -- but if we won, we got to go to the ice cream shop and get BETTER ice cream, with toppings and whipped cream and french fries if we wanted.
Moral of the story: My parents are awesome.
Moral of the story, #2: Now I want some damn ice cream. #girlssports
11/05/09
11/05/09
Then again, he also thought women shouldn't have the vote. #girlssports
11/05/09
11/05/09
We went to lunch the other day, and he brought up the Richmond rape case, and went on to talk about how his showed his girls self defense moves and how he became aware of the need nowadays to really tell his boys how to act... I was blown away. #girlssports
11/06/09
11/06/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
Title IX was and is a great idea - although at the high school and college level women's teams continue to play in inferior facilities, with lower-quality equipment and uniforms and less institutional support, even at major NCAA Division 1 schools. At my high schools the girls' softball team wasn't even allowed to play on the school field - they had to go to the city park where little kids played in rec leagues.
To this day I wonder if I would have become more athletic and physically confident had some of my early coaches just told a bunch of little boys it was not cool to spit on and try to hurt me because I was a girl. As it was, I found the entire scene pretty hostile and retreated. 8 year olds can't fight battles when adults aren't brave enough to help them. #girlssports
11/05/09
11/05/09
I was a wrestler - technique is much more important than strength, and since everyone is divided out by weight, it makes things more even. #girlssports
11/05/09
11/05/09
Everyone standing that close during the match? Streetshoes on the mat? Full nelson I'll let slide because I was not wrestling when this show was on the air, so it may have been legal then, but... man.
I'm sure other sports get the same treatment, but I just don't know about it. #girlssports
11/05/09
11/05/09
That and the fact that we had a school radio person and anyone other than our parents and the wrestlers' girlfriends at the matches. Totally true. #girlssports
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09