“ ‘The opportunities for women continue to lag significantly…’” (Lapchick, 2010, P. 251).
This quote from our recent readings mirrors the problems with this event from the May 9, 2012 article. Reading through the article, Paige Sultzbach, made great efforts to be a part of the team. Having played softball her whole life Sultzbach, lost the opportunity when her school did not have a softball team. Her coach encouraged her to join the baseball team.
Pamela Sultzbach, Paige’s mother reflected upon the season stating, "They're undefeated. They had one game left. At our school, we're taught that when you start something you complete it, and they weren't done." These students worked hard and earned their chance at winning the state title outright.
Our Lady of Sorrows, a fundamentalist Catholic school, who was scheduled to play Mesa Preparatory Academy requests all schools with female athletes to submit rosters prior to playing. If there is a female athlete, they automatically forfeit all games.
"This is not a contact sport, it shouldn't be an issue," Pamela said. "It wasn't that they were afraid they were going to hurt or injure her, it's that (they believe) that a girl's place is not on a field."
Having read this article, originally, the acts of Our Lady of Sorrows, disgrace me. However, examples along these lines help to pave the way for changes, hopefully this is an instance where progress is made.
For original article click here
Carleigh Smith
Kin 577
This is a very interesting and touchy subject. While Our Lady of Sorrows should have played the game against Paige Sultzbach's team, I can't help but think that they had every right to do what they did and who are we to question it. This would be different if the school in question was a public school, but since it is a private Christian school, there isn't much to be done. The school is entitled to mandate certain rules that they subscribe to. These might not be the views that you or I believe in but in order to create an accepting environment they should be allowed to continue using their policy of forfeiting all games in which a girl plays. It is up to the parents of the kids that go to Our Lady of Sorrows where their kids go to school and they have chosen a school in which boys and girls are taught separately. Since it is a spiritual belief and our constitution states that "...shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" we as a society can try to educate the kids on how this is wrong but in the end, there is really nothing that we can do about this.
ReplyDeleteAl Raitt
KIN 577