Boys playing girls' sports could cause future problems
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share thisThe idea of boys playing girls' volleyball has become a topic of conversation throughout the region this year.
Everyone seems to have an opinion. Some believe it's okay because girls are allowed to play boys' sports. Others point to the fact that boys' volleyball is played on an 8-foot net, while girls play on a net at 7-feet, 4-inches, giving boys playing on a shorter net a big advantage.
When we picked our All-Region team, we did not choose either of the NTL's two boys for our squad. We left them off, not because we have a problem with them as players, or people, but because we have a problem with the PIAA allowing boys to play girls' volleyball.
With the rule the way it is, there is going to come a day when someone is going to try and take advantage of the situation. Some school, somewhere in the state, is going to find the biggest, strongest boy in school and convince them to play volleyball.
Some school is going to build a team around boys, it's going to take opportunities away from girls, and it's going to increase the risk of injuries in the sport.
With the rule the way it is, someone is going to go out and ruin girls' volleyball; the thing people in this region need to realize is no one around here is doing that.
All the talk about boys playing in the NTL is centered around the abstract - what boys playing girls' volleyball can mean, and how boys could take opportunities from girls.
No one wants to look at the specifics. No one wants to see that neither Towanda's Cornell Dougal nor Canton's Tom Price did anything wrong.
As long as the rules are what they are, neither boy is breaking any rule. On top of that, neither Dougal or Price took opportunities away from their teams, and neither one of them caused problems on their team.
It's easy to look and see that both players were among their team leaders in kills and say they hurt other players chances. The reality is both players were on teams that used a lot of players throughout a match.
In NTL East play, Dougal had more than 50 blocks and more than 100 kills this year. Big numbers, but no different than teammates Kylee Sutton and Alison Wickire, who also went more than 50 blocks and 100 kills on the year.
And not only did the three key players at the net have big numbers, but Dougal wasn't keeping the younger players off the court as Tori Welliver was able to earn our Rookie of the Year honors also playing at the net like Dougal, Sutton and Wickwire.
As well as he fit in on the court, Dougal fit in just as well off it. When on the bench he was always one of the first people up to cheer and he was never one to try and draw attention away from any of his teammates' play. After the Black Knights won the district title, Dougal talked about how excited he was to be part of the team, and it was easy to hear in his voice that he meant it.
The one thing people haven't mentioned much is that boys playing girls' volleyball is not a new thing in the NTL. In fact, just last year Price was playing for the Canton Warriors.
Why then did no one question the rule at that time? Perhaps because they never even realized Price was on the team.
You see, a year ago Price was on the Warriors team, but often he did not play much for Canton.
Like many players new to playing varsity volleyball, Price sat, watched, and learned. This year he came back and with last year's experience was able to take on a bigger role for Canton.
By spending a year on the bench, and still coming back this season, Price showed this meant something to him. It showed he wanted to be a part of the team, and was willing to do whatever it took, even if that meant watching, and cheering, for his teammates.
Canton coach Sheila Wesneski points out that Price put in extra practices during the year, often working out with the junior varsity team as well, and started this year on the bench, only earning a starting spot this year when Rachel Shanley went down with an injury.
The reality is neither Dougal or Price are the problem. The truth is both deserve spots on any league all-star team based on their play on the court, but both are hurt by a flawed system.
If we were guaranteed only boys like Dougal and Price were going to play girls' volleyball, then I would have no problem with boys playing with the girls.
Both kids approached things the right way. Both schools fit them into the lineups, without hurting the opportunities for everyone else on the team.
The problem is someday there will be a boy nothing like these two who decides to play, and a coach and school determined to win a state title.
One day a team will build their roster around a boy, or a number of boys, taking spots away from girls.
One day a team will set up a player at the net who will finish a kill so hard he severely injures an opposing player.
Because Title IX gives boys the right to play with girls if there is no boys' alternative, just like it gives girls the right to compete in sports like football and wrestling where there is no girls' league, one day this very likely will become a reality.
The thing is, Title IX is flawed. The idea is sound in giving every kid a chance to play every sport, but instead it could wind up costing girls a chance to play their own sports.
Both Price and Dougal were new to the sport; they were learning as they went, and while the shorter net worked to their advantage, they were still learning the game all season long.
The fear is someday a player with even more height will come along. They will have played volleyball since junior high, learning the fundamentals, and they will take over the game. And once they begin to dominate, what's to stop fellow boys at the school from joining them and turning a girls' volleyball team into a roster full of boys?
Eventually someone needs to step up. Perhaps the PIAA needs to take a stand and challenge the Title IX rule. Perhaps eventually even more boys will show an interest in the sport and a boys' league can be formed in the league and the district.
Hopefully someday things will change. Until they do, lets just hope that every boy who decides to play a girl's sport treats it with the respect and effort that Price and Dougal did.
10 posted comments
Basically it's just another example of Feminists being upset that boys are given equal rights.
All the players should be treated equal, male or female. Title IX says there must be alternatives for males and females per sport. If a there is no female sport, they can play the male sport. No common sense, if there is no male sport, the male can play the female sport.
Is it fair for a female who was has a god given talent of an extremely high vertical jump to be over dominated by a man who has "genetically" a higher vertical no matter what? A man who against other men would be average? Think about it. If a women (1) were compared to 4 different women and women (1) out jumped those other 4 women would she be considered a star athlete going against a man who could jump higher than she could, but was only average among men? That just does not make any sense. No matter which way you slice it....whether the male athletes this year in the NTL were hard workers and did the right thing or not. THERE SHOULD NOT BE MEN PLAYING ON A WOMENS NET AGAINST WOMEN.
I think one of the big problems is that the many people who don't have a problem with men playing with women is that these people have not played volleyball themselves. You ask any man who has played on a womens net, not one of them would say that it is legitement to hit front row on a 7'4" net.
If the interest is in MENS volleyball, then why aren't there petitions going around or SOMETHING that gives these men an opportunity to play volleyball in high school. I, along with many other people I'm sure, would love to see opportunities for young men to get involved in a life long sport like volleyball.
You look around in the state of Pennsylvania and there is volleyball ALMOST everywhere. Why don't we have it here? And why isn't anyone doing anything about it? TUNKHANNOCK HAS IT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! Only 40 minutes down the way!!!!!!!!!!!!! I played college volleyball and was friends with 3 men that excelled in college volleyball that were from Tunkhannock high school. Can someone answer this questions for me? Why isn't anyone pushing for mens volleyball in our NTL if the interest is there?
Cornell Dougal played for one year and his athleticism ( and coaching )allowed him to be one of the better players in the area. I havent seen a female player that has come out for the first time her senior year and play at that level. if he had 2 years under his belt, it would have been ugly!
Yes, those fellows played and worked hard. BUT, they did indeed take spots away from other GIRLS that have played longer and that were playing WITH NO NET ADVANTAGE!! I dont think people understand the gravity of that. Both schools have very storied and competitive programs and there were many GIRLS sitting on the bench that could have played. Those guys werent the 6th or 7th kids on that team--needed to make a legal team on the court. They WERE better, no doubt about it, but they were better because they played on a LOWER NET!!!
Ask ANY male pleyer that has played at a competitve level how much easier it is to hit on a net that is 8 inches lower.
And, a few people did indeed see Tom Price play last year and made mention of how it will lead to a new problem. I for one recognized that it would open up a really bad can of worms. He turned into a much bettr player for sure. he hit over top of many girl blockers.
I dont know what the future of this will lead to, but if it remains the same, it wontbe good for the sport of GIRLS volleyball.