All Athletes Matter

by Adina Brenner ’20

The enthusiastic and supportive cheers of family and friends almost every weeknight at the varsity boys’ basketball games can be heard from miles away. Other weeknights, the gym belongs to the varsity girls’ who demonstrate just as much determination and talent in their games as their male counterparts however the only difference between them is the size of their audience. Unlike the boys’, the number of fans at the girls’ games is so small that a student section isn’t even provided. There is nothing less exciting about the girls’ events, so why choose to support males over females?

For decades, our society has had the perception that men have more athletic ability than women which is a contributing factor as to why women’s teams are frequently less supported than men’s teams. Due to these attitudes, people are inclined to believe that women’s sports teams shouldn’t be taken as seriously as men’s. These beliefs couldn’t be farther from the truth. Women athletes possess the same skills and competitiveness as men, so they should be taken seriously and equally supported. Recognition and respect should be displayed to every athlete despite their gender, for they all share the same love for their sport.