Females Less Active in Athletic Participation
2015 Freshman Teams to be Discontinued.
The school fields basketball, lacrosse and soccer teams are for men, yet it has no women’s teams for these sports.
“There are many different factors that go into whether or not there’s a freshman team,” Athletic Director Chris Bennett said.
Bennett mentioned that men get more freshman teams because more men sign up for sports than women.
“Last year we had 377 female athletes participate in GHSA sports and 511 males participate in GHSA sports,” he said.
That gives Cambridge 137 more male athletes than female athletes.
Female students were asked their opinions about why guys play more sports than girls.
Freshman Ashleigh Hobbs said women’s games don’t receive an audience like men’s games.
“Women’s games aren’t taken as seriously. I play basketball and I’ve never seen even one third the crowd that shows up for our games that go to watch men’s basketball,” said Hobbs.
Strong stereotypes are another possible factor behind whether girls choose to participate in school sports.
“Girls like to watch guys play so they don’t try it out themselves,” said freshman Kayla Barbee. “We’ve always seen girls being the supportive ones on the sidelines, not the ones getting our hands dirty, you know?”
Barbee said female students have grown up watching men participate in physical activity, so they don’t feel as motivated to try it out themselves.
“Yeah, society imposes stereotypes that encourages guys to play sports. I’ve never watched a movie or show where it was the girl killing it on the field and the guy cheering her on,” freshman Ashley Lombres said.
Barbee also said that pop culture has a big impact on what decisions they make. Not seeing girls participate in athletics in movies and television has an effect on girls, in reality, she said.
Several female students said they aren’t as motivated as male athletes since they don’t get as much attention.
Students at Cambridge believe fewer females play sports than males for different reasons. The fact remains that fewer females teams will exist this year.