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Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph

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Hana Maru
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
The only reason to sex-segregate kids' teams is so boys don't feel humiliated when they lose. As adults, women are better at developing lower body strength than men, which is basically what you need for soccer. If girls weren't constantly told how weak and inferior they were, and if they were as encouraged to take athleticism and strength training seriously, if their leagues got money and news coverage and sponsorships, and colleges were recruiting them the way they do men, ten women would be routinely beating men in co-ed games.
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OK_NiceLegs (formerly: thevickinator)
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
I'm TOTALLY PEEVED at those fucking parents (of boy players) yelling that 'just a girl' shit. That is downright nasty. And no wonder we still have misogny run rampant in our culture, because of shit like this: teach your kids that "skill" and "effort" is more important 'right' or 'privileged' and then we'll talk about removing gender from the equation.
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Hana Maru
05/29/09

@thevickinator: And that little boy expects all girls to be inferior too. so sad.
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The Queen of No
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
Oh my gosh! Fuck yeah! Those girls are my heroes! Aaaaaaaaaaaaand those parents (of the boys) can go fuck themselves. I'll "just a girl" them in the face with my imaginary cleat.
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Grim Reaper of the Forest
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
I too played mediocre soccer through mid high school. I mostly dance now, and I miss the contact sports. Definitely an awesome way to gain confidence and view your body as a source of strength rather than something to hate and whittle away.
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RonArtestTableLeg
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
At that age, boys aren't much better anyway, but i feel like since it's soccer and it isn't a physical sport it doesn't matter what gender you are.
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Hana Maru
05/29/09

@RonArtestTableLeg:

You're incredibly wrong about the physicality of soccer, esp at the pro level. Also, whether boys will be better later is not the point, it's the way girls are held back from athletic achievements and how enduring sexist attitudes are.
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Hana Maru
05/29/09

@RonArtestTableLeg: Also, adult women have more lower body strength than men, so, if men catch up it's because of other factors than superior natural talent(more money, attention, news coverage, etc. for men's divisions)
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hfree
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
Anna, you should have played lacrosse or field hockey. Lots of agression being used there (just ask Regina George).
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bleedingmouths
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
I remember doing back to back fighting (jujitsu related) against boys and having gangs of dad cheering their sons on to beat me... really weird. All that, you can beat her, shes just a girl! stuff, but coming from adults, I found it really hurtful when I was a kid. Still I was the toughest girl on the block, and I can still throw practically anyone over my shoulder.
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Hana Maru
05/29/09

@bleedingmouths: That's a shame. It's so acceptable to talk about women as weak and inferior, even when the truth is right in front of people. It's a terrible thing to be teaching their sons, too.
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LaComtesse
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
This makes me wish I weren't such a natural stereotype regarding sports, aggression, and strength.
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LaComtesse
05/29/09

@LaComtesse: Physical strength, anyway.
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Clarissima
05/29/09

@LaComtesse: You can still watch it for strategy, no?
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LaComtesse
05/29/09

@Clarissima: ... ... no. I can appreciate that other people like it, but I am not capable of appreciating it or being interested in it on my own. PLAYING sports is entirely out of the question.
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wednesdayam
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
I'm not big into soccer, but when I have kids, if I end up with girls, I hope little Lizzie's words about not liking pink and girly stuff is uttered often from them. :D
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LaComtesse
05/29/09

@wednesdayam: Aw! We're not all bad! Some of us just really like tutus!
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wednesdayam
05/29/09

@LaComtesse: Well, we need cartoons that have girls with swords again, at least. Because there was nothing I wanted more when I was 5 than a She-Ra sword, so I could fight with the boys who pretended to be He-Man on my street.
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maybeimamazed02
05/29/09

@wednesdayam: My She-Ra sword glowed in the dark. It was AWESOME.

And I knew I loved my high school/college boyfriend when we could have an argument about who was cooler, He-Man or She-Ra.
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Hana Maru
05/29/09

@wednesdayam: That's a shame that you devalue "girly" stuff. Too many parents disparage femininity and encourage masculinity as superior, and that's sexism, not feminism.
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wednesdayam
05/29/09

@Hana Maru is on facebook Friends plz!: I was a tomboy. I didn't do things or want toys because they were "boyish", I wanted to do or have certain things because I thought they would be fun to play with. I knew for a fact that I did not find getting hair done or doing someone else's hair "fun", putting makeup on someone, unless it was facepaints, was not "fun", and playing dress up with a tea party was not "fun" - but all those were 100% adored by my little sis. Running around the woods, finding a giant tree to crawl under and pretend I was living in "The Wind In The Willows" was fun, and finding a nice stick and rock to play "baseball" with my other friends around the neighborhood was fun for me. Or a nice couple small sticks to play Merlin/Madam Mim Duels (from The Sword In The Stone) with.

I just, even to this day, don't see the point of a lot of "girly" stuff, which is why I do tend to hang out with folks that don't put much stock into such things. And I'm assuming that once I have a kid, if it happens to be a girl, this mindset of mine still won't be changing too much. So, I guess if there is a teaparty happening, it's going to be interrupted by a ninja invasion or something, because I can't do dainty for more than 10 minutes.

Sorry I'm a tomboy and don't get girly-girl stuff.
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Hana Maru
05/29/09

@wednesdayam: Sorry, but you didn't grow up in a cave on Mars absent all cultural messages. Girls who engage in masculine pursuits have long been regarded as better, stronger cooler, more interesting. Even as adults, it's a badge of honor to be "one of the boys" It doesn't go the other way, though. Boys and men don't want to explore girly stuff(which is SO much more than hair and tea sets) because it's uncool/gay/humiliating. You have internalized sexism, dearie. Own it. I hope you don't pass that on to your future boys or girls.
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wednesdayam
05/29/09

@Hana Maru is on facebook Friends plz!: And don't you EVER call me "dearie", sweetheart.
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Hana Maru
05/29/09

@wednesdayam: Your having been raised by women makes it impossible for you to have any internalized sexism? You think preferring tomboy behavior is in any way neutral? Are you for real?
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hortense
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
I am now 36, and that opportunity hasn't really presented itself since.

Ok, I'm moving to NYC and we are starting a softball team complete with slides, steals, Jolly Ranchers, and cheers about wanting a single, just a little single, s-i-n-g-l-e, single single single!
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Mmmmkay (gellin' and Jezebelin)
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
This makes me so happy! I've played soccer since I was 5 and loved playing against boys and schooling them, plus we'd get away with more because the refs felt bad for us, pfft whatever! I still play in an adult rec league every Sunday and really enjoy it, its great to get out and run around and just PLAY.
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Steve U
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
others couldn't seem to wrap their heads around the simple fact that their sons had to play girls at all - and that they might actually lose to them.

Wait; I thought Barca won?
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SunburnedCounsel
05/29/09

@Steve U: you know what's awesomely witty? Coming on a post, about girls and sports, and using "playing like a girl" as an insult.

/sarcasm at asshole
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shorty63136
05/29/09

@Steve U: Zing! +1
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Scout
05/29/09

@Steve U: admittedly I had to Google "Barca"....and now I get the joke too!!

i hate feeling left out :)
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happysquid
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
This looks amazing.

I loved playing soccer in 1st grade. I liked to be goalie and would come home with broken glasses and bruises everywhere and i had a great time.

Long story short, I haven't had the chance to kick ass in the same way since. YOU GO GIRLS.
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Mrs. Stephen Fry
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
I started playing soccer when I was 6. I loved the game and played as the only girl on a boys' team when I was 14-16 years old. It was brilliant.

Also, I'd like to adopt the girl in the top video. She is the shit.
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Majrhoulihan
05/29/09

In reply to Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph
This is awesome. I have to say though, when I was on peewee soccer for a year, I hated it. I stood in a corner of the field looking up at the sun and wondering, "when is this going to be over???"
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colormeroutine
05/29/09

@Majrhoulihan: Are you me? I also avoided the ball at all costs and cried if I accidentally bumped into/kicked/knocked someone over
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Majrhoulihan
05/29/09

@colormeroutine: "Can we have an orange wedge yet?"
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Benevolent_Dictatrix (patently absurd)
05/29/09

@Majrhoulihan: Haha, me too. I ran away from the ball whenever it came flying at and yet for some reason I was made goalie? It was then that my mom's dreams of a gender neutral childhood died, and I happily went back to gymnastics and tap dancing.
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