puttinonthefOIL
Registered User
The thing about making these kinds of comparisons to boys sports is the assumption that boys sports and girls sports are equal, which they are not. There are far more options for boys than girls, as well as far more funding. Generally speaking in high school, there are fewer sports for girls to choose from, fewer levels of play, and fewer outside options beyond the school system. As such, it's far easier to exhaust one's options.
Perhaps I'm thinking too much about my own HS, but in my case opportunities to participate in HS sports was about equal for both boys and girls. While the level of competition wasn't always as great in all the girls sports, the opportunity to play was there. Some sports for girls were very competitive and played at a high level (volleyball, basketball, soccer) and some were not, just like some of the boys sports.
These girls were given the opportunity to play hockey, in my mind the school has done what it can. I don't know all the specifics of their situation, but I find it hard to believe these girls didn't have an avenue to pursure their athletic goals. Someone else here posted that they were able to make their provincial mens lacrosse team (which by the way, I think is great for them... a provincial team's only goal should be fielding the best possible team... which is not necessarily the case for school teams). So if they could do that, could they not try-out for a provincial girls hockey team or some other higher-level league outside the school system?
As many have said here, the separation of boys and girls sports is done for the benefit of girls overall (to ensure high levels of participation). While allowing talented girls to play on boys teams is better for those individuals, it is worse for girls sports overall. The overall goal a public school system's sports program should be increasing participation, not necesarily providing individuals with the "best" situation for their own development.
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