Last week was the week for basketball tryouts. The girls had many people try out, but only about half the girls who tried out made the team. The boys team had many people try out also, but many more people were kept for the boys. Why, you may ask? This is because the ninth grade boys basketball program has two teams. While the ninth grade girls program only gets one, single team.

 How this is fair? The girls’ program does get two teams, but for seventh and eighth grade, not for ninth grade. The boys get two teams throughout their middle school experience. So they can have more experience when it comes for the important, high school tryouts next year. The team goes down to one team starting at the high school. There is no good reason for this to happen. Both boys and girls should have equal opportunities.

 Then because the boys have “more people” they get the A gym. The gym which in most opinions, is the better gym. This gym is proven to be bigger, and using this gym will come in handy when season starts. They get to practice on the hoops they use for the games, one of the opportunities of having home court advantage. The girls can’t have that advantage of the A gym if  it’s always in use.

Both guys and girls need to have equal opportunities. This needs to change. The school needs to establish two basketball team for the ninth grade girls, just like they have for the seventh and eighth grade boys and girls, and just like they have for the ninth grade boys.  This was the practice when the school opened and numbers change yearly.  The number of teams should be decided on a yearly basis.