Posted on 02/23/2011 10:34:48 AM PST by InvisibleChurch
When my friend posted a link to the story of Joel Northrup — the 16-year-old Iowa wrestler who defaulted rather than wrestle a girl, Cassy Herkelman, in a state tournament last week — I was floored when my athletic, competitive friend said she had “mixed emotions” about his decision. I imagine this friend, had she pursued wrestling and not track and field in high school, would’ve wanted the opportunity to wrestle. Even if it meant competing against the boys.
My reaction to this story was decidedly unmixed. I think Joel should have wrestled Cassy.
Not that I don’t get some of the issues at play here. I understand that teenage boys, as a rule, are stronger than teenage girls. I understand that boys wrestling girls could introduce some sexual awkwardness. I agree that the best-case scenario would be for Cassy to be able to wrestle in an all-girls wrestling conference.
But in this world, best-case scenarios almost never exist. So our job as Christians is to figure out how best to live and behave in these broken scenarios, how to be “salt and light” in every arena.
Which brings me back to Joel, since he cited his Christian faith as reason to default.
In his statement, Joel said, “Wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times. As a matter of conscience and my faith I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner.”...
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.christianitytoday.com ...
Hey we had boy/girl wrestling when I was in High school!
Okay, it was usually after school and the girl was sometimes a reluctant participant.
We called it “dating”!
Do we let males and females directly compete in baseball, softball, basketball, football, soccer, etc? Even in non contact sports such as golf or tennis women have their own teams. Why is wrestling different? Why is it ok to make boys uncomfortable in a sport for the benefit of a few girls who want to participate? If there aren’t enough females interested to form their own conference, too bad.
Skeeter, a loss would be humiliating, period. It matters not that he probably would have won. He had NOTHING to gain, and I frankly think it’s a little weird for any guy to WANT to wrestle a girl. BTW, assuming that her 25 wins were victories over boys, there are 25 boys who will remember their humiliation for a lifetime. Wonder why there are so many men who resent women? It starts when there is not a healthy respect and separation between sexes. Bob
The corollary to that is that either way, she wins.
I've got no problem with boys and girls competing in non-contact sports and there are plenty of them-- softball, tennis, ping-pong, baseball.
But I see no way to take down a girl without there being a sexual connotation.
The article purports to be a Christian rebuttal to the reasoning of the boy for not wrestling the girl. BUT, she offers absolutly no scripture to back up her position. Towards the end she cites a couple of verses but they have noting to do with this issue. She completely fails to address the “weaker vessel” argument which the boy was obviously relying on. All the article covers are the author’s “feelings” about the matter. In the end her argument is that the boy was wrong because she says so.
I agree, I’m just saying I think we should take this kid at his word - it was his understanding of the requirements of his faith that compelled him.
I should add that physical separation is esp. important to boys in their formative years, and much less important in a softball and tennis league in later years. Bob
If we're ever going to “normalize” them, they need to be completely “normalized”.
Enough of all this false modesty and prudery.
After all this isn't the Middle Ages; it's the Century of the Fruit Bat, so let's make them act like it!
I replied to the wrong posting, Bob. LOL Sorry!
Nailed it; and it’s probably also all about Title IX and sports funding so let’s face the truth. If they “mix” the wrestling the boys will do what they almost always do.....walk away and then it’ll be an all girl sport and then, just like “girls” basketball, we know “who” will come out on top of that such that it’ll be “Gay Girls” wrestling, but by way of Title IX, they’ll be able to show some parity thing under a formula. And it may well be driven by the football coaches who are under ever more “dollar” pressure. Who knows.
must be one of those bizzaro womyn wryters.
I have taken the opposing argument on another thread about this. But if the boy defaults based on his religious convictions, that’s fine. But please don’t use the excuse of “fragile egos”. That’s insulting. Those same fagile egos will likely have to compete against women in certain jobs in the future. If these fragile egos can’t handle it, too damn bad.
Not my term. IMO teen male egos are no more fragile than those of their female counterparts.
Shirley, you jest. It made sense even if it wasn’t meant for me. I just thought you were taking a contrary position. Which would be apropo of wrestling. lol
Ox agrees.
By that logic male vs. male wrestling has homosexual connotations.
Understand skeeter. Just picked it up via your comment. Rhetorically, if the girl had won the title in her weight class, these fragile egos who lost wouldn’t be so traumatized. I know how the sport works.
“But please don’t use the excuse of “fragile egos”. That’s insulting. Those same fagile egos will likely have to compete against women in certain jobs in the future. If these fragile egos can’t handle it, too damn bad.”
It’s always the boys that have to sacrifice because females want to intrude on their activity. Why is it never “too damn bad” that girls cant find enough wrestlers to form their own conference?
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