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pilight
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 Posted: 09/20/22 10:02 am ::: Girls Are Leaving High School Basketball, and Here’s Why |
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/girls-high-school-basketball-11663645280
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| Several forces are driving the decline. More athletes are sticking to one sport nearly year-round. Schools have added other sports for girls, which have lured athletes away from basketball. Some girls see basketball as too difficult to play, or even not “girly” enough, coaches say. |
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summertime blues
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| Posted: 09/20/22 1:17 pm ::: |
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| Please give us a link that doesn't have a paywall. Thanks.
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FrozenLVFan
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| Posted: 09/20/22 1:20 pm ::: |
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| There are a bunch of comments on there from parents saying they don't want their daughters playing basketball because it's too physical and has too high a risk of injuries, esp. ACL tears, compared to other sports.
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summertime blues
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| Posted: 09/20/22 1:27 pm ::: |
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| If they think basketball is too physical they apparently haven't watched a lot of soccer games. I've seen quite a few girls blow out their knees and ankles and get some nasty concussions in those. And shall we talk about games in which the young ladies run and wield sticks, like lacrosse and field hockey? Every single sport has risk of injury. Every single one.
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pilight
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Howee
Joined: 27 Nov 2009
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| Posted: 09/20/22 2:16 pm ::: |
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I can't help but believe that a BIG reason for this trend is the uptick in pro wbb on the sports scene. I know *we* still think of it as a niche sport, but think about it: if a young girl is not committed to any sport at, say 11 or 14, AND she'd like something where she could be a star/on TV/Olympics/NIL, etc.....what sport is most *visible* to her, moreso than basketball?
Assuming that theory is valid, then we have a situation where the competition for a varsity spot has become far more intense cuz so many more kids are amping up for it. Any kid who REALLY wants it is going to put in the extra effort to get that much better, etc.....*our* game benefits, as prep sports become more a case of Quality over Quantity.
Certainly many layers beyond all of this, but....it may be a factor. Just my 2 cents....keep the change. 
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FrozenLVFan
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| Posted: 09/20/22 2:33 pm ::: |
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| Howee wrote: |
I can't help but believe that a BIG reason for this trend is the uptick in pro wbb on the sports scene. I know *we* still think of it as a niche sport, but think about it: if a young girl is not committed to any sport at, say 11 or 14, AND she'd like something where she could be a star/on TV/Olympics/NIL, etc.....what sport is most *visible* to her, moreso than basketball?
Assuming that theory is valid, then we have a situation where the competition for a varsity spot has become far more intense cuz so many more kids are amping up for it. Any kid who REALLY wants it is going to put in the extra effort to get that much better, etc.....*our* game benefits, as prep sports become more a case of Quality over Quantity.
Certainly many layers beyond all of this, but....it may be a factor. Just my 2 cents....keep the change. |
That was brought up in the article and comments, suggesting that the WNBA was demonstrating how much work was required to be really good in this sport, followed by girls didn't want to run, or work that hard, or make that commitment. The article also mentioned several times that basketball wasn't "girly" enough and potential players would rather wear cute uniforms in volleyball or tennis.
I'm sure there are a myriad of reasons, but I think most kids aren't interested in doing things that involve physical activity or work anymore.
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FrozenLVFan
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| Posted: 09/20/22 2:37 pm ::: |
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| summertime blues wrote: |
| If they think basketball is too physical they apparently haven't watched a lot of soccer games. I've seen quite a few girls blow out their knees and ankles and get some nasty concussions in those. And shall we talk about games in which the young ladies run and wield sticks, like lacrosse and field hockey? Every single sport has risk of injury. Every single one. |
I played basketball and softball and had my fair share of injuries, but one of my college roommates played rugby and ice hockey, and holy hell, the injuries she had were just brutal.
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summertime blues
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| Posted: 09/20/22 3:31 pm ::: |
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| My oldest granddaughter never played sports at all until she was in college. Now she plays club rugby at Tennessee and loves it! Her injuries are mostly bruises and the like. She is a fairly big girl and I never knew how fast she was until she started playing. I also used to work with a nurse who played league rugby in Knoxville.
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pilight
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| Posted: 09/20/22 4:42 pm ::: |
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| Lots of parents pushing their girls into sports that are perceived as being less gay. Nobody wants to say that, but it's the truth.
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Howee
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| Posted: 09/20/22 4:52 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| Lots of parents pushing their girls into sports that are perceived as being less gay. Nobody wants to say that, but it's the truth. |
Does it even need to BE said?  "Girly" is implication enough, imo.
There's been a positive (as we see it) trend in lgbtq openness, especially among our stars: Courtney, EDD, Candace, Breanna, etc., being featured as positive role models for the next generation is awesome, but there is still the onus of *that* association, for any young girl in a particular __________ background. This may turn her opinion of the sport for that singular reason - especially in this heightened, hyper-political climate of culture wars. Not all that new, and it'll be around a while yet.
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PG4ever
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| Posted: 09/20/22 6:20 pm ::: Re: Girls Are Leaving High School Basketball, and Here’s W |
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| pilight wrote: |
https://www.wsj.com/articles/girls-high-school-basketball-11663645280
| Quote: |
| Several forces are driving the decline. More athletes are sticking to one sport nearly year-round. Schools have added other sports for girls, which have lured athletes away from basketball. Some girls see basketball as too difficult to play, or even not “girly” enough, coaches say. |
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“I think that’s the biggest reason girls don’t participate in basketball, and I know it’s silly: It’s not a ‘cute’ sport,” said Glibe in the skirts she wore in tennis and volleyball and running. Said referring to the spandex shorts that were worn. He said he hopes the practice of WNBA players wearing glamorous outfits to the arena will help add to the sport’s appeal to teenagers."
I wonder what the coach is basing his opinion on. It would be interesting to hear from girls themselves about whether "cuteness" is a big factor.
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FrozenLVFan
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| Posted: 09/20/22 8:14 pm ::: Re: Girls Are Leaving High School Basketball, and Here’s W |
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| PG4ever wrote: |
| pilight wrote: |
https://www.wsj.com/articles/girls-high-school-basketball-11663645280
| Quote: |
| Several forces are driving the decline. More athletes are sticking to one sport nearly year-round. Schools have added other sports for girls, which have lured athletes away from basketball. Some girls see basketball as too difficult to play, or even not “girly” enough, coaches say. |
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“I think that’s the biggest reason girls don’t participate in basketball, and I know it’s silly: It’s not a ‘cute’ sport,” said Glibe in the skirts she wore in tennis and volleyball and running. Said referring to the spandex shorts that were worn. He said he hopes the practice of WNBA players wearing glamorous outfits to the arena will help add to the sport’s appeal to teenagers."
I wonder what the coach is basing his opinion on. It would be interesting to hear from girls themselves about whether "cuteness" is a big factor. |
I would think cuteness is a big factor for girls age 10-12, which is when a lot of them join organized sports. One of the comments following that WSJ article was from a man with 3 daughters who said cute uniforms were the biggest consideration for all 3 of them.
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tfan
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| Posted: 09/21/22 12:45 am ::: |
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| Even Iowa, where girls have played high school basketball for more than a century before packed crowds, has half as many players as it did during the late 1990s |
The late 1990s being when the ABL and WNBA started.
But the way the game has evolved per referee nullification (not the rulebook being rewritten) with regard to post pushing and dribbling into defenders to throw them off balance and the like has changed basketball in a way girls probably don't like as much.
Last edited by tfan on 09/21/22 10:15 am; edited 2 times in total |
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tfan
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| Posted: 09/21/22 12:49 am ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| Lots of parents pushing their girls into sports that are perceived as being less gay. Nobody wants to say that, but it's the truth. |
If basketball is considered a more lesbian (or butch?) sport than it used to be, I would bet the WNBA being on TV every week has a lot, if not everything to do with that (college WBB may also be a factor, particularly now that it is shown all the time on the college and sports networks). Even back in 2000 when the league was entirely in the closet, SNL had a Weekend Update joke where it was announced that "Normal, Ohio" was canceled, a show where John Goodman played a gay man. Then the punchline: "That leaves only two shows on TV with gay characters, Will and Grace and the WNBA".
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DivaORcat16
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| Posted: 09/21/22 9:50 am ::: |
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I played basketball all through high school. I also ran cross-country and track. I even had a few years of cheerleading even though I wasn't a girly-girl. Basketball has completely changed for me rule wise, too much contact. When my daughter quit, I was fine with it.
My daughter played soccer from 5-years old and basketball into her freshman year. She was bullied out of it by girls who called her a Lesbian because she played basketball. Facebook and in-person bullying. She starred on the Lacrosse team all 4-years, Varsity even as a freshman. She is a girly-girl and hated the skirts that were part of the Lacrosse required uniform.
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pilight
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| Posted: 09/21/22 3:06 pm ::: |
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| tfan wrote: |
| If basketball is considered a more lesbian (or butch?) sport than it used to be |
The perception of basketball hasn't changed, there is more presence of alternatives
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tfan
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| Posted: 09/24/22 3:27 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| tfan wrote: |
| If basketball is considered a more lesbian (or butch?) sport than it used to be |
The perception of basketball hasn't changed, there is more presence of alternatives |
| pilight wrote: |
Lots of parents pushing their girls into sports that are perceived as being less gay. Nobody wants to say that, but it's the truth |
Why do you feel it is the parents pushing rather than the girls choosing what they prefer or what they may have a better chance of participating (deep bench basketball players)?
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Rock Hard
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| Posted: 09/24/22 9:27 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| Lots of parents pushing their girls into sports that are perceived as being less gay. Nobody wants to say that, but it's the truth. |
THIS is main reason why young high school girls are not playing basketball. Basketball has the negative stigma of being a sport for lesbian women. Many parents don't want their girls to associate with that group of people.
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Lillian Hidgepork
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| Posted: 10/04/22 7:31 pm ::: |
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| Rock Hard wrote: |
| pilight wrote: |
| Lots of parents pushing their girls into sports that are perceived as being less gay. Nobody wants to say that, but it's the truth. |
THIS is main reason why young high school girls are not playing basketball. Basketball has the negative stigma of being a sport for lesbian women. Many parents don't want their girls to associate with that group of people. |
These people speak facts.......just nobody wants to speak facts or talk about the real reason parents push their kids to other sports. But this is the #1 reason.
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