Awesome! Wow, parents take themselves and their children's "sports careers" far too seriously. In junior high, we had a girl on the boys' team, who was one of the starting five and top scorers on the team. I think the boys were actually happy to have her on the team, since the rest of them sucked.
Jane Know | Homepage | 05.28.08 - 9:55 am | #

"They'd been taught to not push a girl, so they weren't fouling her hard"

That is pretty lame.

I don't understand basketball. Can anyone tell me what difference does it make whether they foul her hard or soft, as long as they foul her?
John | 05.28.08 - 10:20 am | #

"Can anyone tell me what difference does it make whether they foul her hard or soft, as long as they foul her?"

Good point. And, also good basketball means playing good defense, not fouling people "hard" and flailing away at someone. Not that I believe the parents' lame excuse in the first place...
fannie | 05.28.08 - 10:31 am | #

I've played many a game with only men/boys, where their lame excuses were "I just don't know how to play against a girl." When I suspect they were really just scared I would school them.

However, I remember one street tournament (I was the only female in the division), a male I played against (about the same size as me) was unnecessarily rough... knocking me down a couple times, playing dirty, lazy, grabbing-at-my-arms defense in the post, in order to (as he put it) 'teach me how the boys play.'

When really, that sloppy style is merely indicative of lack of skill and training.
Jane Know | Homepage | 05.28.08 - 11:05 am | #

Jane,

I've faced that sort of attitude from men I've competed against as well.
It's like some of these guys are so distracted by not wanting to get shown up by a woman that they are completely incapable of focusing on the game at hand.
fannie | 05.28.08 - 11:47 am | #