The 21st century is one where people constantly fight for equality. One of the major issues under consideration is whether girls should be allowed to play on boys sports teams. Due to the differences in physical makeup, sporting tastes, and economic considerations it’s not a good idea to bring teams consisting of both genders together.
To start with, we have to question whether there’s even an appetite for girls being allowed to play on boys’ sports teams. Very few people actually in sports complain about the fact women can’t play on the men’s teams. If there’s no desire to join the teams together, there doesn’t seem like there’s any reason to force this change through.
There’s also a significant difference in what boys play and what girls play. Look in most high schools today and you’ll find most males playing football, basketball, and various contact sports. Girls tend to opt for non-contact sports, such as volleyball, or they only participate in sports as cheerleaders or managers. Again, there’s no appetite for this change from either side.
Take into account the differences biologically. The average male marathon runner will always run faster than the average female marathon runner. A professional female weightlifter will never lift more than a professional male weightlifter. It makes males biologically faster and stronger. Women couldn’t compete on a team with men. Matches in any sport wouldn’t come down to who had the most skill. It would come down to who has the most men and women on their teams.
We also have to take into account the economic considerations. At the highest levels, female sport has little publicity and smaller crowds. The paying public has little to no desire to watch female sport. This isn’t about equality. It’s about what people want and they want to see all-male teams.
Teams could struggle to deal with women in the organisation. For one, they would need to invest in separate changing and shower areas. Smaller clubs and sports clubs couldn’t accommodate this. And at the professional level where players earn millions every year, females might have to leave the sport to tend to a new-born. Unless professional sports placed a ban on women taking time away for the purposes of maternity leave, this could have grave economic problems for a club. It could even perpetuate a major salary gap between the genders.
If we look at the facts about biology, economy, and desire there’s no reason why teams consisting of men and women would be better than having separate teams. It would fulfill the will for equal rights, but we must acknowledge the fundamental deviations which make men and women profoundly different from each other. This is why girls should not be allowed to compete on a male sports team.
