By Audrey Yoshimura, Staff Writer
Girls softball doesn’t receive as much recognition as boys baseball, yet
they won while scoring a run at the last inning, also known as a walk-off.
TCHS treats girls and boys sports equally for the most part. Nevertheless, I notice a discrepancy in treatment between girls and boys basketball, and between girls softball and boys baseball.
Our school’s founders designed the school around outdated sexist principles. For example, boys basketball have their own locker room on the second floor of the gym, while girls basketball alternatively use the cramped gym bathroom or crowded PE locker rooms.
The school also favored the boys varsity most recent senior night with band, the pep team and an announcer, while the girls did not have the same support. Senior night communication is handled by team moms and there was a miscommunication for the girls game. It’s my understanding that a boys basketball team mom arranged to have pep perform and the only reason pep did not perform at the girls game is that no team mom made similar arrangements. To prevent future problems, coordination should include more admin presence in decision making to ensure every action for boys includes an equal measure for the girls teams.
Girls softball also comes across problems similar to basketball with locker rooms. The boys baseball team have their own lockers whereas the girls softball team is limited to a shed. The construction of the softball shed was a result of the district’s plan to mitigate the locker room problem, yet the softball team actively requests for bigger locker rooms.
It’s unrealistic to request the district for an immediate structural change, but until the time and budget are available to build new locker rooms there is still room for improvement elsewhere, which could equally help raise morale and spirit.
The responsibility of senior night does not fall on any individual’s shoulder it was a result of disconnect. Increased communication among spirit advisers, the athletic director and the ASB renaissance committee could prevent these future problems for next season.
Band and pep should make every effort to support girls and boys games equally, added support could make all the difference in generating more traction and fans for the girls program.
I understand that girls and boys sports are different. I am aware that the majority would rather watch boys sports, since they are generally considered more exciting.
However, the school can play a part in changing these attitudes. Increased school spirit could draw a bigger crowd and ultimately more funding to the girls sports programs.
Girls and boys sports are fundamentally different which means even more effort should be put into elevating not only girls basketball and softball, but other girls sports that don’t draw in crowds compared to their male counterparts.
I look forward to the day where new girls locker rooms are within TCHS’s budget, but until then, we can actively try to raise the prestige for girls sports.