Women's basketball: NCAA rethinks battle of sexes

MPLS (Red) Star Tribune ^ | 1/.2/07 | Jerry Zgoda

[Valin]

For years, women's teams have been honing their game by practicing against men. A panel says the custom violates the spirit of gender equity.

Practicing against men has been a women's basketball tradition for more than a quarter century, designed to allow women to push themselves against bigger, stronger opponents. "It's good for us because it makes us better," Gophers freshman Ashley Ellis-Milan said. But last month, the NCAA's Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) called for a ban on male practice players. It concluded the custom violates the spirit of gender equity and Title IX, the 1972 federal law banning sex discrimination in sports.

On Monday, Division III administrators at the NCAA annual convention in Florida will consider two proposals to limit the use of male practice players, action that could influence both Division I and Division II athletics.

College coaches uniformly denounce the proposed ban. Michigan State coach Joanne McCallie called the committee recommendation -- which states "this approach implies an archaic notion of male preeminence that continues to impede progress toward gender equity and inclusion" -- political correctness gone awry.

[amchugh]

I agree its a committee run amock, but there's no real downside for them. The athletes are getting the stick.

[Maynerd]

First of all, it's not a sport if the scoring is subjective. And secondly, men perform in those same events.

Your second statement proves my point. What gets higher television ratings and is therefore more popular, women or men's figure skating ? Same for gymnastics. People want to see the best. Women excel at those "sports."

[MovementConservative]

Let the dang women coaches run their practices how they want. They have to find a way to get their team to win or their contract isn't renewed. If that's what they think is best, don't interfere.

[PAR35]

I recall reading something about womans football a couple of years ago.

I knew a woman who tried out for a team a few years ago. She made the team, but decided she could make more as a lawyer.

[Jaysun]

Yes, but how do you really feel? :-)

I can't find words to justify the subject.

[oldenuff2no]

My son plays on a U12 soccer team for boys 11 and 12 years old. The will practice against any team they can find including the girls high school team. These girls are not a good high school team, they are a championship high school team.
The girls are bigger, faster, and more aggressive than the younger boys. The boys work their butts off in these scrimmages to stay in the game and score a few goals. Two different time late this fall the boys managed to outscore the older girls.
This boys team went to the Ca state finals in December. They didn't win but for small town club team to make it to the state finals was huge. Being able to play against the better team all fall made these kids play way above themselves. We are already making plans to repeat the process next year.
There was another much appreciated outcome to this local competition. These 11 and 12 year old boys started attending the high school girls games and cheering them on. the boys became loud and radical fans of the girls team. The girls were always on the sideline screaming, (and coaching) for the boys even at out of town games. Both of these teams are multi racial. This situation has broken so many prejudices and stereotypes that it isn't even funny. We commonly have white girls teaching Hispanic boys ball handling tactics. We have a great Mexican goalie working with a black honor student who happens to be the girls goalie. We have great athletes as role models for our younger children. I'm a certified coach in 3 different sports, and my wife is a teacher and certified coach. The competition between these teams has induced a learning and playing interaction that is far and above any positive coaching situation I have ever been involved in. For a coach it does not get any better than this. They need to take their new rules and stuff them where the sun don't shine. The coaches know exactly what they are doing.

[Caipirabob]

Anyone ever watch this stuff? I mean other than their parents?

[Enterprise]

Batboy: "I just read that they don't want the college women practicing with the men in basketball anymore."

Batman: "Holy moth-eaten whores batshit, Batboy, what's the world coming to?"

[carumba]

"Womens Sports" - An oxymoron if there ever was one!...

Ice skating during the winter Olympics, Gymnastics during the Summer games, I reach for the remote and never let my wife or daughters get it back. Hell hath no punishment like the WNBA.

[Adder]

Just a question....

Do they let men reporters into women's locker rooms? They sure forced men to accept women in theirs.

Just from a gender equity angle, of course.....

[Recon Dad]

Not to be offensive to other folks on the site, but Women's basketball should change it's name because it ain't "basketball". Let's call it "turn over".

The only women's team sport worth watching is Volleyball.

[Recon Dad]

I agree with your take on the NBA, feel exactly the same way. But women's basketball is fundamental because they are so bad. Let's call it what it is "Turnover Ball".

[7thson]

Some years ago, while attending a CC in California, I took a basketball course. Did not have to but wanted something to help me lose weight and I like the game. During one class, the coach/instructor wanted some volunteers to go play/practice against the school's women team - who conducted practice the same time as the class. I volunteered, smugly thinking it's a bunch of girls, how hard can it be. Well, let me tell you, it was damn hard! Those women could play and with the teammates I had, we lost big time.

A couple weeks later about a half hour before the class started, one of those women challenged us again. This time I had better teammates and a better mind set. Point being, if you go against an group of organized and team-oriented women thinking they are slouches because they are women, get ready to have your arse handed to you!

[longtermmemmory]

Old UGLY women wanting to keep up the lesbian basketball league.

Those homosexuals don't like it when THEIR womyn interact with men.

[longtermmemmory]

Those old bitter women would tryin and ban basket balls in basket ball because the are described as "balls".

[ShadowDancer]

It forces them to play more aggressive ball and I think it's a great idea. The JV girls scrimmage the JV boys at my daughter's school all the time.

[Mark-in-Kentucky]

"The only women's team sport worth watching is Volleyball."

I enjoy watching women's tennis, both singles and doubles. But I agree with most others on this thread who find watching women participate in traditionally brawn-based sports less-than-thrilling, if not outright strange.

[Valin]

The only women's team sport worth watching is Volleyball.

Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that it has young ladies in Bikini's.

[r9etb]

I just cannot put it into words correctly.

I think there are a few things here.

1. These battle-axes are really in it for the fight ... not what the fight was about.

2. They hate that there's no desire among the younger girls to be fighting for something they've already got. They can't understand why "the fight" is not attractive in and of itself.

3. Instances like this drive home the blindingly obvious fact that "the fight" as they saw it, was irrational. They cannot accept that their ideals are contrary to the laws of nature.

[Jaysun]

LOL! That's pretty good.