Sunday, February 1, 2009

A Higher Standard

My children are very involved in sports, so recently (this being the season) we have attended many basketball games. One thing I have noticed, among the many, is the different standards that boys and girls baketball are held to. What might be considered a pushing foul in girl's basketball , seems to be accepted as normal play in boy's basketball.

I watched the boys pushing, shoving, and throwing elbows without a foul called. The only time a foul was called was if any of those occurred during a shot, or shot attempt.

On the girl's side, if they started pushing and jockeying for position like the boys do, they got called for a foul.

Maybe it is because the girl's aren't supposed to be as aggressive, Although play one game with them and you'll know that's not true. Maybe we just want them to be more ladylike. Whatever it is, the disparity still exists, at least at the high school level. If anyone can explain it, let me know.

Confused, but not confounded. Stick.

2 comments:

Delirious said...

I guess I should ask if the refs were women or men. Women do tend to set higher standards. Also, women coaches set higher standards for the refs.

Stick said...

One woman and two men, and three men in four different games.