Should Girls Be Allowed to Play on Boys’ Sports Teams?

The other day, I listened to several reporters on NBC’s Today show whining because it appeared that a certain boys’ basketball team was going to be excluded from a national tournament because it had a girl on its roster. This girl who is part of a basketball team for 10-year-old boys is supposedly one of its best players. The tournament directors have since reversed their decision and allowed that team to play in the tournament. However, should girls really be allowed to play on boys’ sports teams? I say the answer the answer is no.

But, first, let’s settle something once and for all. When it comes to sports that require any kind of physical prowess, girls can’t compete with boys, and women can’t compete with men. That’s why there are separate sports teams for boys and girls, and for men and women. If that little girl is indeed one of the best players on that boys’ basketball team, then they surely have no chance of winning that tournament. They will probably be one of the first teams to be eliminated.

As good as the undefeated national champion Connecticut women’s basketball team is, they could not beat the worst team in men’s Division I college basketball. The Connecticut women wouldn’t even able to make the game close. Likewise, the worst team in the NBA would crush the best team in the WNBA. The best female golfer in the world wouldn’t even be able to make the cut at The Masters. And despite the Bobby Riggs-Billie Jean King debacle of the 1970’s, the worst current male tennis pro could easily beat the best current female tennis pro. Keep in mind that Riggs was 55 and had long retired when he lost to King, who was just 29 and still at the height of her career.

So, you see, the whole point of having sports leagues and divisions that are separated by gender and age is to allow women, children, and older people a chance to compete. Otherwise, young adult males would dominate everything. Now, going back to the original question of whether a girl should be allowed to play on boys’ sports teams, I would counter by asking if boys should be allowed to play on girls’ sports teams. Should a WNBA team, for example, be allowed to sign Lebron James? Should a women’s college basketball team able to sign up a top male high school recruit?

Most people would answer no to the above questions. However, many of those same respondents would say it’s okay for a girl to play on a boys’ sports team or a woman to play on a men’s sports team. Advocates for women and girls often want to have it both ways. They want to have their cake and eat it, too. They want to have the best of both worlds. I call this the YMCA-YWCA Syndrome, i.e., what belongs to women and girls belongs exclusively to women and girls, but what belongs to men and boys really belongs to everyone. But I think it’s time to put an end to such politically correct absurdity. If it’s not fair for boys and men to invade what has been set aside for girls and women, then the reverse must also be true – in any fair and logical universe.

Comments

[dalin]

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[sdfafdf]

This is horrible! No matter what people say women are most likely more aggressive than men. Women should not have these kind of steriotypes.

[sdfafdf]

this is the worst articule I have ever read. you say these things about girls but you don't know the truth because you never asked a girl that was on a coed team for a sport. I don't know who you are but you need to respect women just the way we respect men.

[j]

I strongly disagree with this article because this article is very untrue if anything girls should have all of the right to play on boys teams. You should really respect women more because women are just as good as men. Some women are better then some men. I also think you should learn how to treat women right and not be so sexist. Girls run this world, so I don't know who you think you are saying that men are better then women and women don't deserve to be on boys teams because they "can't compete with men". Women deserve to be treated just as equal as men. People like you who have nothing better to do but be sexist and underestimate women are messed up. I know plenty of women and girls that play on boys teams and they are just as good as the men and some of them are even better the the boys. I also used to play on a boys basketball team when I was little and I was just as good as the boys, I was even better then some of the boys. So next time you want to write a article about women not being capable of playing with boys, you should think about it with your non existent brain and realize that women are just as good and should have every right to play on boys teams, because girls and women are capable of it.

Answer from Terry: If what you are saying is right, then why are there no women in the NBA, NFL, NHL, or Major League Baseball? And why have there not been any lawsuits by women's groups against those leagues alleging discrimination? The answer is because it isn't discrimination. If any woman was good enough to play in any of those leagues, they would not be legally allowed to discriminate against her. The bottom line is that has never been a woman good enough to play in those leagues.

[j]

Even though there are no women in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB does not mean women aren't capable of playing with men. Women are just as good as men no matter what you say your just another hater. So keep hating it only makes us girls stronger so in the end and when women prove themselves, all the haters (@you) will realize that they were wrong and women are just as good. One day you'll see that you are wrong, and women have every right to play on men's sports teams. Bottom line is, you have nothing better to do with your time but hate on women and underestimate them.

Terry's reply: You assert that women are just as good at sports as men are, and are capable of playing in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB. But the facts don't lie. The fact that there are no women playing in any of those leagues means they can't. If they could, they would. As I said before, those leagues could not legally keep them out if they had the talent to qualify. The National Organization for Women and other such groups would be filing lawsuits all over the place. But strangely enough, no such suit has ever been brought against any of those leagues. I can only argue the facts. I can't argue against your wishful thinking and ad-hoc negative presumptions about my motivations. Bring some facts next time or I will have no choice but to delete any of your future comments.

[G]

Defending "j", Terry, you are correct, there have not been any lawsuits against the NBA, NFL, NHL, or the MLB (that I know of). Yes there are different leagues for women and men, but Terry, you are very biased and incorrect. You cannot say the best team in WNBA would lose to the worst team in the NBA. You do not know that. These two teams have never met, so you never know the result (however the women's team would most likely beat the worst team in the NBA, they could maybe even beat one of the top teams, such as the Warriors or the Cavaliers). Hopefully women and men do compete in the same league in the future. To be completely honest, I did not see a single fact in your article. Please use evidence next time. You say sport leagues have no lawsuits for discrimination towards women. I am not completely sure this is true or false. However there have been lawsuits against the BSA (Boy Scouts of America) for discriminating women. A woman named "Katrina Yeaw" tried joining the BSA, but her application was declined. Why? Because she was a girl. For this, she sued the BSA. Next time you write an article, please use enough evidence. Thank you for your precious time.

Terry's reply: The bottom line is that if women could play in the NBA, NFL, NHL, or the MLB, they would. The fact that there are no women in any of those leagues means they can't, plain and simple.

[G]

Just because there are no girls in the NBA and other leagues does not mean they can't. Besides, there have been two girls drafted into the NBA. In the 1977 Lusia Harris, a GIRL, was drafted by by the New Orleans Jazz. However she never tried out for the Jazz. So Women in the NBA has already happened. There are no women in leagues today, yes. But there will be someday.

Terry's Response: "Women in the NBA has already has already happened"? Really? Just because some NBA team (likely as a publicity stunt) drafted some woman who didn't try out because she had no chance of making the team? That qualifies as a "woman in the NBA"? Gosh, your standards are awfully low. By those standards, you probably count Hillary Clinton as being president since she won the Democratic nomination. And you likely count Bernie Sanders as president because he ran in the Democratic primaries. And what about Ted Cruz? He ran in the Republican primaries and came in second to Donald Trump. That should count for something, right? You remind me of those people who give their cable or satellite company credit for 500 channels, even though no such thing has ever been proven to exist. You also remind me those people who claim they saw full frontal nudity in a given movie when all they saw was a topless scene or full nudity from behind.

[G]

Let me see...have you provided evidence for any of your claims. No not really. Please stop being so butthurt about everything and face the facts. Girls should be allowed to play on boys teams. It's been proven. Some women are way better than boys. Get over yourself. A woman being drafted into the NBA. Listen, Lucia Harris did not try out for the Jazz. Okay. But Ann Meyers, signed a contract with the Indiana Pacers. You are right, I actually do count Hillary Clinton as president, not because she won the nomination, but because she won the popular vote. However in reality she is not president. I get that. But please, all those things you said were completely off topic and disrespectful.

Terry's response: Yes, Ann Meyers signed a contract but she never played in a single regular season game. Should boys/men be allowed to play on girl's/women's teams? Why or why not?

[josephine wangutusi]

Thank you for sharing this. I believe that what man can do a woman can do better. Women are pilots and i believe they can as well compete with men in sports. Let us try and see if it works or not.