Entering the gymnasium at Gretna East during a game, the cheers from the fans and students roar from the bleachers. The boys’ varsity basketball team is playing and the gym is packed with parents, fans and students. The next day, the girls’ varsity team will play their rivals. The girls’ game is unmatched and they lead the game by an astonishing amount. The difference: the crowd isn’t half of what it is at the boys’ game.
The debate about male sports being better or more popular than female sports has sparked discussions surrounding fairness and representation, not just in school, but worldwide for years. And while the imbalance of support male athletics get compared to female athletics is as old as time, it is still ridiculous. The girls at this school are talented and deserve more support from all of their peers, not just a select few. This imbalance raises questions about equity and fairness in sports culture, especially within the Gretna Public Schools
Despite their hard work and dedication, the girls’ sports programs are heavily overlooked by students and sometimes parents, leaving a gap in recognition and support. People seem to ignore that the Griffins have multiple State appearances, including the Class B State Soccer title last year, and two other State competition appearances from the girls’ volleyball and basketball teams. However, I’ve heard students, especially guys, publicly expressing that men’s sports are more interesting to watch or overall better. To close out their seasons last year, the boys’ soccer team lost to Elkhorn North, 2-0 in their District Final leveling out their season with a record of 9-9. As for the boys’ basketball team, they finished with a season record of 7-17, cutting their season short in a loss to the Norris Titans in their District Championship game.
Representation and school culture help strengthen and unite our student body. However, when students choose to support only one gender in certain sports, this sparks a division that undermines the spirit of teamwork and inclusivity that sports are meant to promote. When physical proof of support is lacking, it causes a rift and promotes stereotypes.
The importance of showing up for both sides hasn’t always been understood, but it needs to be recognized. Showing up for one side and not the other can affect the morale of the team and athletes alone and not only that, but the lack of support and negative public opinion can affect self image of these athletes.
“During the game, we’re focused on each other,” basketball player, junior Heather Wadsworth said. “But when there’s a big play, it helps to have 50 to 100 people cheering for you, rather than just your teammates that are there with you. So having a big crowd definitely helps bring the energy when we’re so focused on the game, sometimes we forget to cheer.”
To improve our school’s culture and environment, the student body needs to show up for both sides of the sport and show support no matter what, win or lose. If the student body wants stronger comradery along with team and student unity we must actively choose to celebrate and support all athletes equally, creating an environment where both girls’ and boys’ sports teams can thrive under the same level of encouragement and enthusiasm.
DISCLOSURE: This is an opinion article. Please note that unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of The Wingspan student news staff and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the adviser or Gretna East High School. Columns represent the opinion of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the adviser, the Wingspan staff or Gretna East High School.
