My name is Sarah Ruck.
I am 15 years old. I’ve played softball since I was 7 years old. I go to Trinity Christian School and this year for softball we won the ICGSA title. We got first, but now our athletic director wants to move every sport up to GISA.
If he moves softball up to GISA there will be no team. I went and talked to him myself because I thought that might help. I asked him if he needed to up every sport or if he could just move football. He said we don’t have enough money to pay for two different leagues but I’m pretty sure we do because tuition is so high and we have to pay a book fee when we don’t even get to keep the books.
If softball moves up to GISA we will not have a team or a coach because in GISA softball plays in the fall and so does volleyball and our softball coach is also the volleyball coach and half of our team is home schooled and GISA does not allow home schoolers to play.
I have arguments at my school with my guy friends everyday all day long because they think that guy sports are more important than womens sports. I don’t understand why guys think they are so much better than us. Our baseball team won all of three games and they were in ICGSA just like us but they thought they were better than us and that we would lose every game against GISA teams, but so would they because if they lose almost all their games in ICGSA then that just shows how bad they would be in GISA.
Our athletic director and our principal came to only one of our games and that was the championship game in Loganville. But they weren’t even watching us they were too busy watching the GISA baseball teams playing beside us and they just wanted to see what that baseball field looked like because they are turning our softball field in to a baseball field. It makes no sense why they are getting rid of a state winning team and our field but keeping baseball but they lost almost all their games.
I used to have the dream that I wanted to be the first female third baseman for the braves but every guy except my daddy granddaddy and uncle told me I couldn’t because I was girl and men dominate the sports world. Men kind of do dominate because womens professional softball didn’t make it because no one went to see them play and no one supported it. And they took softball out of the olympics because america was dominating every other nation and they didn’t like it.
Softball is the one thing I love and I want to do it for the rest of my life but I can’t because no one wants women to have a future in the sports industry because they take away from men sports. I want to do something about all the sexist men in this world but I don’t know what to do. Men control women’s lives so there’s not much we can do. I just wish there was and I really need some advice on how to keep softball at my school.
4 comments
Becca
I forgot one more thing – Ask to speak at the next school board meeting. Your coach can’t make decisions like this on his own. I assure you that he will need approval of AT LEAST the principal. It doesn’t sound like you are a public school so I’m not sure if you actually have a school board but there is certainly SOME group in charge of making decisions about the school. Find out what that group is and present your case. Don’t be afraid to point out the gender inequality part either!
gretchen
Agreed – excellent advice Becca!
Becca
Sarah,
First of all, don’t give up on your dream! Secondly, you need a plan. Here are my thoughts:
1) Form a group that wants to keep your softball team.
– Get a Facebook page for your group so you can communicate with the people that support your cause.
– Get adults, players, friends, community members, etc. to LIKE your page to show that you have support
2) Fundraise! Find out how much money it will cost to have your team. True…you should not HAVE to pay for it since it is obvious that the boys football team sure won’t have to, but if this is the only way it will work it will take away the excuse that “we don’t have the money to pay for two leagues”
– Car washes
– Chineese auction (with all the baskets and prizes donated by local merchants)
3) Get your story in the paper.
– Write your story like a newspaper article. Put the words “PRESS RELEASE” on the top in the middle. Be sure to put the date, your name and the details (name of team, school, your address and phone #) on the bottom of the release so that the people at your local papers can check the facts.
– Call the papers and ask how to submit your story.
– Sometimes local papers are easier to submit stories to than big city papers
– Have someone edit your story a bit who is really good with grammar. The story you wrote above is pretty darn good, especially for your age, but even when grown-ups write we can all benefit from having a good editor!
4) Get your story on TV
– Call or email your story to NBC, ABC and CBS in your local area.
– GO BIG – Send your story to Good Morning America, The Early Show and Jay Lenno. You never know, right?
5) Get the pros to help you. I’m not terribly knowledgable about softball, but if there is a women’s professional league write to them and tell them your story. Ask them if they would donate, make an appearance at a fundraiser or even just LIKE your facebook page. You could also ask some local college women’s softball players to help back you.
6) Delegate! You will not have time to do all of this yourself so once you form your committee decide which members can help with each task. Try to give other people as many tasks as possible so that you have time to coordinate the whole thing. NEVER be afraid to delegate or ask for help.
This will take a lot of work, commitment and determination, but you sound like a strong young woman and you CAN do this! Plus, pulling off something like this looks fantastic on your college applications. They will be fighting to have you come to their college and play softball!
Good luck and please keep me posted. You can even email me if you need any tips. My email is tupperwarestuff@hotmail.com. Just remember…YOU CAN DO THIS!
gretchen
Sarah – you’re right that men dominate the sports world and it’s unfortunate that it affects your school teams.
Here is a thought that might help you out… think outside of your school for a moment. Is there a community center or a travel league in your area for softball? Being that you’re 15, you may be able to look into some adult summer leagues. They frequently allow players as young as 16 so you’re almost there.
You can keep trying to bring the sport into your school, but don’t let that be your only focus. Look around and see what else might be available. Let us know what you find out. :)