Girl on boys basketball team: Readers take sides

Tampabay.com readers have lots to say about Aliyah Farley, the 13-year-old girl who joined the boys JV basketball team at Westside Christian School.

School officials support her playing on the boys' team. But Rick Preslicka, the head of the Suncoast Christian Conference, declared Westside's recent victory a forfeit because Aliyah played with the boys. The conference's board will vote on the issue Wednesday night (Dec. 10).

The case has roused strong emotions at Westside -- where the administrator and athletic director are women  -- and on tampabay.com.

"If she's good, what's the problem? Are the boys intimidated?" tampabay.com reader Butch asks.

David says: "In the FHSAA, a girl is allowed to play football, so why the ostrich head in the sand for this situation? Let's wake up to the modern age of equality you doofs."

CC says: "Someone needs to let him know the 1950's are over."

But all readers aren't cheering on Aliyah:

A mom writes: "I have a son who plays in this (conference). My son has stated that he does not want to play against her due to the close contact. He says it goes against what he believes as a Christian man."

"Anyone ever met Rick?" asks Robb. "I have. Great guy. Not a pig. Just a guy, doing right, and gettin' heck for it. As usual, eh?"

Your take?

Comments

[Carlos]

How do these christian bible studying people find a way to rub their noses in everything??? When the world wants to move foward, they hold us back saying that its against the bible. Geez, its freakin basketball for crying out loud!!! a game that guys and girls play together outside of school!! LET HER PLAY!!

[JTP]

I don't know what final solution be.
But I do not think this girl's opportunities or talents should be forfieted becuase of what might happen. How hard has the school tried to start a girl's team? If they have really tried and can't do it then I think she should play. If her mom is willing to drive over an hour everyday to this school to make sure she gets a good education then I am sure she would not put her in harms way. Besides future scouts could be there to see her not just the boys.

[JV]

"...He says it goes against what he believes as a Christian man." What Christian beliefs? The one that where you should abstain from having sex before marriage? He shouldn't be having those thoughts in the first place if she makes him uncomfortable.

[Ladyrebecca]

Interesting. As someone who did grow up reading the Bible and, no, not just two verses on Sunday, I studied it deeply, I find this very disturbing. The Bible says it is good for a man to not touch a woman and I think this is where these people are coming from. So I expect there to be a lot less hand shaking with the pastor after service because, after all, it might lead to sin, no matter how innocently it begins.

If you are going to pick and choose what parts of the Bible you are going to follow, choose love, not hate.

And if playing b-ball with a girl leads a boy to sexual sin, the problem is with the uptight upbringing and not the co-ed sport. There is no one more sex obsessed than a Christian. I know, I was there. My friends who did not grow up in the church were not NEARLY as sex obsessed as myself and every other christian kid I knew. The church sexualizes EVERYTHING from holding hands to playing sports to seeing a girl in pants.

Grow up.

And what about homosexuality? I mean, what if all that groping and touching and chest grabbing causes a boy to have homo-erotic feelings for his teammates? I think the answer is to ban all sports completely. Actually, maybe ban fun completely and then you can be sure that no one is every sinner, ever.

If we teach our boys to go all out against the girls, I think we will lose something. However if you want to go this way, why not put them into the boxing ring also.

[David]

Growing up my sister and i played little league baseball together for 5 years. She ran circles around most of the boys on the feild (including myself) and was even selceted as an all-star at SS, one of the more difficult positions. When she turned 13 she was told that she either had to play softball with the girls or give up her childhood past time. She played half a year of softball which she hated and has never played since. There was no girls BASEBALL team so there basically was no option other than to give up. Obviously this girl has some talent at playing basketball or she wouldnt have made the team. Why we are hindering our youth based on loose connections to the great fiction novel ever i will never understand.

[Kara]

It is really about a girl making the guys look bad. Women were banned from the Olympics at one point for the same reason.

Religious nuts - stop cherry picking the Bible. The Bible is a book of child abuse, psychological torture, physical torture, incest and worse. Just what I want my kids to learn. A book you would never let your children read if it were anything else.

[jim]

why not let her play, if she is as good as the boys what difference does it make.the school doesn't have an girls team so let her play on the boys team.it's done in little league why not in schools that have no girls team sports. give her a break, my son started on the varisty base ball team as an eight grader playing ss,3rd base.you know how it is some one always has to crab.

CS Admin and Bill- I think the Taliban has some job openings!

James hyland--your logic escapes me-how would playing with a girl limit the boys' chances of being scouted? If they are any good, the scouts will want them.

[MTR]

Can the boys play on the girls' team? That would have made my stats a whole lot better.

[Mo]

I second that one TechRider. I believe in God and read the bible but I am not silly enough to sit here and expect sane people to believe that it is a sin for boys and girls to play sports together. Your son stated he doesn't want to play against her becuse of the close contact? Seriously? Is it really because she's a girl? Get real folks. Using the bible as a scapegoat is sad and sinful!
Whoever suggested the girls at the school start a team apparently hasn't read much on this story. There are 112 students at school. Not enough girls interested for a girls team. This child's mother drives her over an hour each day to school. She's a good kid being treated like a leper by bible thumpers afraid to breath unless God tells you to directly. God doesn't give you free will then expect you to live in a box wall papered with the bible only.

[TechRider]

Mom--your son sounds like a christian jackass, not a christian man. I love you people can use your bible to back up any discriminatory action that you want to take.

Juice her up with "roids" and she can play for the Boston Redsox.

[james hyland]

me personelly i doent want to subject my boys to some girl and there sue happy parents to sexuel harrrasment law suit and also hinder any collage scouts from looking at my boys for scolerships and it has nothing to do with being in the 50s those of you that think that the narrow minded christen should leave the decision to the school you should read your bible alot better and more then just two verses on sunday.the only ones complaining are the ones with no moral values doent be stupid! protect your children no one else is going to

[Bill]

There is a reason to separate boys and girls during contact sports. What do we do if tomorrow a girl decides she want to play football. Imagine the uproar when she gets grabbed during a tackle. The same thing goes for basketball. There is a lot of physical contact. I'm sure that this girl is tough enough to take the hit and contact, but what would happen if there was an accidental, or, an on purpose, grab at her chest. Happens all of the time in boys basketball, but with a girl out there, things change. The game changes. The officiating changes. Junior sports in middle and high school is simply not the place to experiment and take a stand on gender bias. We certainly can't afford the possible lawsuits stemming from a POSSIBLE sexual harassment incident, or sexual assault incident. The risk from those incidents happening is far greater than the wishes of this one child. Sometimes the rules are there for a reason to benefit the majority and should not be changed to accommodate a single individual's wishes.

[CS Admin]

Please do not make rude remarks about those of us who study the Bible. It is God's Word. Narrow-mindedness is not the goal of a Christian. Following the Bible IS a goal. The 8 schools that voted against it have great reputations and great leadership. I can't expect a non-Christian to understand our view on this issue at all. However, Christians that have studied the Bible should know better. I personally believe the school has chosen to publicize this story for their own benefit and publicity...They sure had a killer volleyball team last year - so why don't they offer girls' basketball? I think the girls in that school need to get together and agree to play ball if they truly care about their classmate.

Let her play. Build her a special locker room and shower. Buy extra insurance to cover the additional liability. And when she tires of it, chalk it up as one big expensive social experiment that people can cluck about.

[Paul]

I just finished reading my bible and could these so called Christians please give me verse And page. Of course I haven't finished the Old Testament but I don't think that would be a point of reference.

Good for the school standing up for it's principles and the team standing up for their team mate.

Maybe these born again narrow minded "Christians" should worry about what is taught at home and let
these matters be handled by the school.

By the way, these kids take phys-ed together.

[Becca]

If her school does not offer a girls team, then she should play. As far as the player that states that the close contact would bother him! Please this is a sport! My daughter plays basketball with her guy friends ALL the time. They are not thinking "bad" things they are thinking about the sport! I think these boys are just upset because she's better then they are!

[Joe]

I love how people use the Bible to their benefit....let her play!

If she plays on the boys team, look out for all girl sports.