Posted on 11/16/2010 7:10:13 PM PST by greatdefender
Wyoming Seminary in Forty Fort, Pa., is a traditional field hockey powerhouse, so it's no surprise that it's back in contention for a state title, with a berth in the state championship game on the line Wednesday afternoon in Seminary's faceoff with Crestwood (Pa.) High (the semifinal against Crestwood was originally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon but was postponed by bad weather). What is surprising is how Seminary is advancing through the playoffs, on the back of a male player who is singlehandedly dominating all Seminary's opponents.That player is Cornelius Tietze, a junior and German native who joined the Seminary field hockey team this season and has played as the squad's lone male player ... and the only boy on the field in practically all of 24-2 Seminary's games, for that matter. In his last two outings, Tietze led his team to a 4-3 victory over District 3-AA runner-up Donegal with three goals and an assist, and a 4-2 win against Villa Maria, a game in which he again scored three goals.
The CitizensVoice.com game story of Wyoming Seminary's victory against Villa Maria makes it clear just how dominant the German can be. The junior scored the game's first goal, then helped Seminary rebound after it allowed two goals with both a lone-man breakaway goal and the game-winning score just minutes later.
Tietze's dominance has sparked renewed questions of the fairness in allowing a male athlete to play in a sport traditionally played in America by girls alone. Last week, PennLive.com asked that question and received a largely rancorous attack against male participation, with the exception of the two posters who actually were field hockey players.
The rules regarding contact are substantially different, the last I looked.
Also, the inequality I see in sports now is more based on the girls getting lousy equipment compared to the boys newer equipment, less gym time, etc, They at least now must have an equal number of sports teams. It does not have to do with allowing boys to play girls sports. My husband would never tell either of my daughters they are “inferior” athletes. But our whole family plainly sees the inherent differences among the sexes. We play to our strengths. My husband, I, and our two girls all play sports. I have spoken at board meetings and to coach’s directly about equipment issues and practice times. Having three boys, I can understand how you would want them to have every opportunity, but I don’t think that opportunity should come at the expense of others— in this case girls interested in being part of a team. Your boys will develop in ways my girls never will. With that boy in the article playing field hockey scoring almost all of the goals, what message does that send? Girls can, and will, infer that he is the superior player, hence they are made to feel inferior— who does that help?
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