SURPRISE! There exists a rare population in the world that most people seem to be very unaware of: girls who actually know a thing or two about sports. Boys act like we are as common as an amphibious unicorn but, believe it or not, we're growing in numbers every day. As much as you think you are so manly and you, and only you, can be all-knowing in the sports world, you are very wrong.
Girls like me grew up with older brothers in a "rub some dirt on it" household which made us just as tough as you. We learned how to take a slap shot to the chest and not cry. We learned how to handle being perpetually considered the underdog and to surprise every boy in the neighborhood with our athletic abilities. We are scrappy, overly competitive, and ready to kick your butt any day of the week. Our dads knew how to raise a tough kid who could trash talk with the boys just like you and then back it up.
Boys, we get it. You think sports are reserved for guys only, but we broke down that gender wall years ago. Don’t come up to me wearing my baseball jersey and ask me to name five players on the team thinking I can’t, because you’ll regret it when I name the entire roster including numbers, middle names, and their favorite zoo animal. Don’t ask me if “I even know where that jersey is from” because 1) I am not stupid and can read that it says Philadelphia Phillies on the jersey so context clues will lead right towards Philadelphia if I didn’t know and 2) it’s Hall-of-Famer Mike Schmidt so this jersey is gold and way better than your garbage “jersey” shirt. We know what icing is in hockey and you can be assured that if you try us you will be checked into the boards. You won’t hear me ask why there hasn’t been a hit the whole game and why no one has said anything about it yet. You won’t hear me cheer “my favorite football player got sent to the penalty box but Go 76ers!” However, you will hear me brag I was just left of home plate at Roy Halladay’s perfect game against Miami in 2010.
For me, my dad had me in an all-boys basketball league starting in second grade. I’m sure tutus and leotards would have been fun, but I was happily wearing shorts to my knees and boys’ basketball high tops. Thirteen years later, I have a list a mile long of boys who have trash talked me for weeks just to lose a one-on-one pickup game… while I was barefoot and wearing a dress.
I know that there are definitely girls out there that pretend to know everything about your favorite sports team to get your attention, but don’t let the rest of us suffer on their behalf. We know when the next game is and exactly how far we are out of the play-offs. Yes, I said “we.” Any die-hard sports fan is as invested as the players on the field. We can make the tailgate snacks AND win the Fantasy Football League for the third year in a row. Instead of sports shaming us just accept that you know a gem of a girl who can hang with the guys while rocking a masterfully done smoky eye and a jersey.
