Everyone seems to be talking about the popularity of American football and how it has overtaken baseball as the new American past time. In not only this class have we read that article in Sports Talk, but in my EXS 197 class we have talked about it as well. I still think America will always be represented as the American sport no matter how popular football becomes. But what about in other countries? Football is not really all that popular no matter how much American tend to think it is. No, in other countries they have something like football. Rugby! It is a game with many similartities to the game of American football, and many tend to think that is where the origins for American football started.
Boys tend to start playing football from when they are younger until they reach high school. If they are good sometimes they go on to play in higher education and even the pros. Football is usually the sport to get the most support in high schools, and the kids on the team always seem to be the top of the school. What is so appealing about wearing pounds and pounds of gear, and playing a game with constant stopping after every play? Also why is it that only boys play football? There is not even a girls football league. I remember a girl in my high school had to sue our administration just to get on the team because the coach would not let her play. She won the case, but the coach never put her in. Girls always seem to be underestimated for their sports skills when it comes to "men's sports."
There is also no professional women's rugby team, but they do have club rugby teams in college, and they are starting to have them in high school. The violent game of no pads, full contact and forty minute halves with no times outs. The intensity is so much higher than that of a game of football. Girls atleast have a chance to play on club teams in school and are treated the same as the boys. The same rules are applied to both genders game.
Do you guys think that any guy who plays American football would ever step on to a rugby pitch? Or would women playing rugby finally be able to be looked at as an equal to the guys?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm all for women having the same opportunities as women whether its politics, education, or sports. However, the way I'm reading your piece it seems boys start rugby at a young age whereas girls don't have the opportunity to play until later. If girls want to be considered serious competitors there has to be a foundation for them. I love watching 4-5 yr old "Mia Hamm's" on the soccer field. This would not have been a reality 15-20 years ago. Either way, nice post Melissa!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this post. But i felt like you were focused more on dissing the men because they have more advantages and showing that women are seen as less equal. This may be true that women are not given certain opportunities, but what are they given that men can't have? I enjoyed your piece however, and i almost wished that you would have written more. I am doing some research on rugby still for our final piece and this kinda of helped with where i want to go. Nice!
ReplyDelete