Bridging the gender disparity in sports

Lia Yereslove Staff Writer

Across the nation, football games are popular events for high school students to attend—and the school is no exception. At each game, boys play aggressively on the field, crashing into each other and sprinting across the pitch. Meanwhile, girls are confined to the sidelines, dancing and cheering. This stereotypical structure may sound unequal, but is rarely questioned.

As per the National Federation of State High School Associations, 2,404 girls participated in high school football in the U.S. during the 2020 to 2021 school year, representing approximately 0.1% of all high school football participants. The low participation can be attributed to the fact that very few schools offer female football teams—undoubtedly connected to the lack of demand for such teams. The school has not created a female football team due to a lack of requests. However, in February, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) approved flag football as a girls’ high school sport amid the soaring popularity of the game, as reported by NBC Bay Area. The new sport will give many high school girls in California the opportunity to participate in the sport.

The idea that girls cannot play football can perpetuate the stereotype that boys are physically stronger and therefore more qualified to play on the field.

According to the Washington University School of Law, sex segregation reinforces a binary view of sex and gender unsupported by science, communicating that women are physically unable to compete against men. However, research reveals that attributes other than sex are often more important determinants of athletic ability. As such, there is much lost potential for female athletes if they are not allowed access to the full range of sports.

To combat inequality in opportunity between genders, Title IX was established in 1972 to prohibit sex-based discrimination at public schools and programs across the nation. Thus, both cheerleading and football teams are now co-ed sports. While tradition may establish the opposite, these views have not deterred those who wish to participate— over the years, the school has had multiple male cheerleaders and female football players. Last year, Aurora Giammona the junior varsity football team as a wide receiver, defense back, safety and kicker.

“I have received immense support from the guys on my team and my tryouts and practices have been equal with the boys. Having the opportunity to play with guys on the team has been a great experience,” Giammona said.

Although it may seem that some sports receive more funding than others, the school’s sports teams are fully self-funded according to Mike Sparrer, Athletic Director. The only school funding each team receives is coaching stipends for the varsity and junior varsity head coaches. The rest of the needs of each team vary; thus, events are planned accordingly to obtain the funds for equipment and transportation through fundraisers, donations and parent club contributions, similar to clubs.

“At the beginning of the year, we anticipate the needs of each team and come up with a budget. We try to predict what the parent contribution is—which varies from sport to sport—and attempt to make that cover the bulk of their needs for the year,” Sparrer

Research has shown that the separation of sexes within sports can be illogical and may take away opportunities for many. According to The Atlantic, though biological differences in sports may show advantages for men, researchers today are still unable to determine whether to attribute these differences to gender or the lack of support provided to women athletes. On the other hand, CIF has set guidelines that the school follows on which sports and events are separated by gender due to the differences in physicality between the sports.

“It is good that boys and girls don’t compete together because guys have a different set of skills compared to girls. I am going to be a kicker in varsity next year, and even though I will be on a guy’s team, it keeps us both safer in games when I am in my position as a kicker because I lack certain skills guys have due to biological differences,” Giammona said.

Although there are many instances of gender disparity throughout high school sports across the nation, gender inclusivity in sports such as flag football can offer more opportunities in sports and combat the set standards of which sports boys and girls can participate in. More awareness about sports being co-ed can also encourage boys and girls to join sports that they may typically avoid such as football or cheerleading, helping to combat gender stereotypes.

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