There are a plethora of sports opportunities given at Woodhaven High School. Even obscure ones like equestrian. However, something that interests a large majority of the students is opportunities for the girls. The girls get their separate teams for things like tennis and basketball but are also lumped in with the boys for others. One of these sports is football, however, most of the time they won’t be able to play much as the boys usually start over them. A simple solution to this is to just simply form a girls football team, right? Well, the answer is complicated but, it is yes and no.
Of course, the simple answer would be to form a women’s football team however it is more complicated than that. First of all, in order for it to be formed it would have to be approved by the board of education and the MHSAA (Michigan High School Sports Association). While I don’t believe they would say no to forming one as equality is something that matters to both boards of direction, it doesn’t only lie on their shoulders if it is green-lit. If for instance the team was formed for Woodhaven, great the girls have their football team, but what if no other schools in the Downriver area want to make one or can’t make one? The Woodhaven girls would only be able to practice together. If there aren’t any other teams in the area they wouldn’t have any teams to compete against. This would be a problem for not only the girls but the school as well. The school would have pretty much wasted an investment in a sports team that can only practice with each other. Another problem would be staffing. If the team was made, there would be teams in the Downriver area to compete against each other, but Woodhaven’s team didn’t have a coach they wouldn’t be able to compete. While it is possible a student can do it as in the past there has been powder puff where the different grades compete and have football players coach the girls, this would be harder because if it was later on it could cut into time needed for the students to study or catch up on their work.
In my opinion, it would be awesome for the girls to have their own football team. I personally love football, whether I’m playing or watching it is always a blast. That’s why I would be all for a girls team. I think they should also be able to enjoy themselves on a football team. But as I have explained there are barriers the board has to get through in order to get the team made. However, if they were able to get past all the issues in order to make the team, I would be all for it. I appreciate when sports offer equal opportunities and I can see everyone having fun with the sport they love. That’s why I believe if they can get past the obstacles in the way of creating a girls football team, they should absolutely go for it, as I’m sure the students would appreciate the opportunity.
