photo assignment

I chose to do my photo assignment on the stereotype that girls can’t play sports with or as well as guys.  Many times guys do not let girls play with them because they aren’t good enough, strong enough, or just plainly, they are girls.  A lot of the times when guys let girls play it's out of pity and when they do let them play they treat them as “girls.”  Many guys will not play as hard as they would if they were going against a guy because they are afraid of hurting the girl.  They are also afraid of looking like a jerk if they steal the ball from her or block her shot.  It doesn’t make sense that just because a girl is playing with the guys that they need to take it easier on them.  A lot of guys think that they have to take it easy on the girls because they might cry or get hurt, but if it were a guy in the same situation they wouldn’t be afraid to hurt them, block their shot or steal the ball.  Many guys instantly believe that any girl who plays with them will not be any good and usually don’t want them on their team.  Some guys find it to be an insult if they are the one who has to guard the girl.  Guys shouldn’t think that automatically because they are a woman they won’t be able to stand their ground.  These women should be given a chance to play without judgement just like all the other guys.

I was inspired to take this picture because I go to the gym often and play basketball or soccer with the guys.  I used to not want to play with the guys because I didn’t know many of them and I figured that they would treat me like a girl and not play to their full potential.  When I first started a lot of the guys treated me like a girl but now many of them know me and play against me as if they were playing with the guys.  Sometimes new people will show up and don’t know how to act when playing against me until my friends tell them to not take it easy on me.  A lot of the guys underestimate me.  Many times the newer guys seem to get upset that they have to guard a girl.  This attitude makes me upset because girls can be as good as the guys and they can even be better but the fact the I am a girl makes them not want to play against or with me.  Many times if the girl is choosing to play with the guys then they want to be treated equally.