Because girls rock:
Jaime Nared, a 12-year-old girl who stands 6-foot-1, has been told she can no longer play on the boys team of which she has been a member since the second grade, according to a report on the Web site of The Oregonian. Curiously, the timing of her ban came in the wake of a 30-point effort against an all-boys team.
"She scored 30 points," Jaime's mom, Reiko Williams, told The Oregonian. "I remember one play. She stole the ball, dribbled up court and made a behind-the-back pass to a teammate. He missed the lay-in, and she grabbed the rebound and put it in. I think it was just too much for some of those parents.
"The next day, she came home and said they wouldn't let her play with the boys anymore."
There was a parents effort to get her kicked off the team she's been playing on for years after she embarrassed an all boys team. More on that after the jump.
Here's the organization's reasoning:
Neal Franzer, The Hoop's director of operations, told the paper that parents were "adamant" their complaints had nothing to do with Jaime's skills.
"They said the problem was the boys were playing differently against her because she was a girl," Franzer said, according to the paper. "They'd been taught to not push a girl, so they weren't fouling her hard, and the focus had shifted from playing basketball to noticing a girl was on the floor with them.
Because, of course, the fact that girls exist is a distraction to mindless boys. Gee, thanks.
And why is the league director of operations complaining that a player isn't being fouled hard enough? I'll leave it to the people who actually understand basketball to comment on that, though, since I have no idea what the rules are. But "foul" sounds like something that should be discouraged. (OK, thanks Wikipedia! Turns out a foul is something bad. Sometimes I'm too gay to function.)
Either way, the parents are pissed that their boys are getting their asses handed to them by a girl, and they're using sexism to get her kicked off the team. Here's her coach:
I can't think of one boy that we've played against that's had a problem with her," he said. "Maybe their dads do. Teach the boys how to handle her. Front her, deny her the ball. You sure as hell don't complain. Listen, she's a girl's girl, but she plays tough. She's no cupcake. She gets knocked down and takes a charge."
Here's a TV report that shows video of Jaime Nared playing basketball.
Comment on this entry
I like it when a girl kicks a guy's ass. Or multiple guys' asses for that matter. Looks like we have a future WNBA champion on our hands.
Serena Freewomyn | May 30, 2008 4:56 PM
Ahh, the fragile male ego. ;)
To quote Faye Butler in the Omar Tyree novel A Do Right Man, "Umm, just like a man. If you can't beat her, fire her."
Sounds like the next Candace Parker is growing up in Oregon.
Monica Roberts | May 30, 2008 5:10 PM
If this child is twelve years old and six foot one inches in height there is something going on. The hip, knee, elbow and shoulder joints would be under a lot of strain for her to run around. It may be a blessing in disguise, for her, that her heavy activity is curtailed even if it is for the wrong reason(s).
(He said as he reached for an elastic ankle support)
Some of us, because of size or speed (or a desire to butch us up) were pressured by parents to play and excel at sports when our bodies were not ready for it.
(He said as he reached for his knee brace)
Robert Ganshorn | May 31, 2008 4:06 AM
The sad thing is that a woman's top salary in the WNBA is most likely lower than a men's rookie salary in the NBA.
tobyhannabill | May 31, 2008 4:45 AM
Jesus Christ. Stupidity in action.
Bil Browning | May 31, 2008 10:33 AM
The explanation as to why the parents complained, was, in itself, sexist. I don't think the boys were back off her at all - you could see that she towered over the other kids in maturity, height, and skills.
She looked like a 16 year old playing with 12 year olds. It was very stupid of that league to kick her off that league, and I hope the public outrage forces the league to let her play again.
You can sure see where she gets her height from - her father is probably 6'6", and her mother is no shrunken violet, either.
I hope she makes the NBA.
Polar | May 31, 2008 1:16 PM
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