Comments on: Girls Competing Against Boys: Part II

By: tennis fan

tennis fan — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:09:01 +0000

I think MN tennis dude brings up some good points. He is not saying that the boy who doesn’t make the team should feel bad because a female beat him for the spot on the team but the gender does make a difference as that boy can not play on the girls team -consequently if we are looking at equal opportunity shouldn’t boys be allowed to play on the girls volleyball team -seeing as there is no boys volleyball offered? I think this sets a bad precedent for a couple reasons as in tennis Ingrid would not be allowed to play in boys local or national tournaments so why then should she play :boys: high school tennis. If her aspiration is to be a pro it would be to play on the wta tour not the ATP so shouln’t she focus on being able to beat girls first? Also I think if there is not an equivalent sports for girls they absolutely should be allowed to play with the boys but if the boys can not play on the girls team -then shouldn’t all sports simply be open in which case in the majority of them most girls would be beaten out and it would have an adverse effect as you wouldn’t get as many girls going out for sports. Just some thoughts to consider.

By: nmlavoi

nmlavoi — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:31:13 +0000

MNTennisDude, Thank you for your post! This is really insightful and you offer other perspectives around this issue that aren’t covered in the media. While I don’t know if what you say is true or just your opinion as I haven’t seen Neel or her mother in action, it brings up some additional things for us all to think about. I did find it odd that Neel wasn’t the best 12 and Under player in the Northern Section or not ranked more highly at the national level.

However, I do want to argue that if a boy were to be cut due to Neel EARNING a spot, then he should have nothing to feel badly about. He would have been beaten out by a better opponent…gender of the opponent shouldn’t matter. Again, if this were to happen I think how the adults handle it determines how the boy who is cut will feel and react. Conversely, to play devil’s advocate–why would or should the girls and their families care if Neel played on the girl’s team or not?

Thanks again for posting! -nml

By: nmlavoi

nmlavoi — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:20:14 +0000

Thanks Dr. Maxwell. I’ll see what I can do about the “like” button. Feel free to comment anytime!

By: HMaxwell

HMaxwell — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:17:37 +0000

I wish there was a way to “like” your blog posts. Often I read them and I just like that they make me think differently but I don’t want to leave a comment. Can you work on that? Thanks.

By: MNtennisdude

MNtennisdude — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:59:15 +0000

What is not being reported is what is (in my mind) at the center of the Neel family’s decision. Earlier this year, a chief rival of Neel’s (also from Rochester, also 12) received Sports Illustrated’s national “Sportskid of the Year” award. In our little Minnesota tennis community, these two (Neel and her rival) are frequently compared. The Neel family just couldn’t stomach the fact that Ingrid was all of a sudden viewed as playing second fiddle. This is a publicity stunt more than anything else, as Neel does have adequate competition in girls’ tennis. She is a clear cut top 3 or 4 player in our fair state, but does not dominate her competition, and should not have the audacity to shun the rest of her female adversaries as ‘unworthy.’ As many may have assumed, Mom is calling the shots here. Anyone who has seen Ingrid compete has no doubt seen the somewhat maniacal gaze cast by her mother upon the little phenom. As a tennis coach and enthusiast, I would hate to see such a talented kid be pushed too hard at a young age and end up ‘burning out’ by the time she’s 16.

This is hugely detrimental to the boys team at Mayo. How is the last boy cut from the varsity team going to feel when his potential spot is taken by Neel? How does the girls’ team feel knowing that their team is ‘beneath’ the Neel family? Ingrid is a tremendous athelete, and seems to have a very healthy disposition while on court competing, at least for now. I aggressively question however, the motivation behind this decision and the consequences that will arise in its aftermath.