Graphic by Sesame Gaetsaloe/The Choate News
On February 3, Choate celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Created in 1987, this national holiday honors the achievements and contributions of female athletes in the United States, while also recognizing the progress still needed to achieve equality for women in sports. In accordance, this article highlights some aspects of gender disparity that exist within the Choate community.
One of the main differences between male and female athletics at Choate is the disparity in crowd turnout at games. Often, the stands of the boys’ hockey and basketball games are packed with a rowdy student section loudly cheering for the teams. For female athletes at Choate, though, this rarely, if ever, happens. When asked about the importance of having fans at games, Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse Captain and Cross Country runner Dylan Allen ’22 said, “It’s definitely a motivator. You have people you don’t even know cheering for you on the sidelines, and that gives you support and an audience to play for, which is always exciting.”
The lack of support at games can be discouraging for female athletes who work equally hard in practice but do not receive the same attention as their male counterparts. While clearly an issue, it is difficult for the School, or the Athletic Department, to remedy the situation. “I think the difference in support at games is perpetuated by the student body, and if only students were excited by women’s sports as much as men’s sports, the gap would diminish,” said Claire Gavin ’21, a Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey Captain and Girls’ Varsity Ice Hockey player.
Another noticeable difference between the male and female athletic experiences at Choate arises in the facilities provided. This issue is apparent in the softball and baseball facilities: “Baseball has two fields that are much newer and nicer than the varsity softball field, and the JV softball field in the middle of Memorial circle isn’t even really a field,” said Alyssa Jaster ’23, a member of Varsity Softball. She added that “the School almost tore down the softball field in favor of another hockey rink.”
In addition to the different facilities accessible to boys’ and girls’ teams, space usage between the teams is also unbalanced. “Boys’ teams often take up field space when we have a clear-cut balance between the two teams. We have a schedule, but they violate it and say it is because they need it more,” said Ava Gizzie ’23, a member of Girls’ Varsity Soccer.
Sarah Stern ’21, a Varsity Girls’ Basketball player and Cross Country runner, emphasized that if Choate wants to improve the female athletic experience, it is important that female athletes feel respected and appreciated by the School, which begins with providing women’s sports teams with the same opportunities and resources as men’s sports teams.
Furthermore, female athletes often encounter snide remarks regarding their athletic abilities or the abilities of their teams. “In each of the three sports I have consistently played at Choate, I have heard numerous jokes or chirps either about me or the team. Most of the time, the joke is based on a comparison of the male opposing team, and how they would ‘crush us.’ Or for field hockey, especially, how any male athlete would be better than me or any one person on the team,” Gavin said. “It is very belittling, and I wish that the male athletes realized that there is no difference between male and female passion for sports.”
Every Choate athlete wants to compete and push themselves to be the best player they can be, including female athletes, who feel it is time to give them the long overdue respect they deserve.
