Walk into any gymnasium during a girls basketball game and it’s obvious that the number of spectators is not equal to that of boys basketball games. The males’ athleticism outweigh females’ athleticism, and this is one of the reasons for the contrast in numbers.
“I feel that there is a disparity and it’s because of just a natural consequence of the environment of boys when it comes to basketball,” girls varsity coach Willie Riley said. “They do a lot of dunking because they’re physically stronger and that adds a lot of excitement to the game, so then people naturally come from that excitement to watch it.”
When playing sports for a school, all athletes should support each other, and the entire school’s population should come out to cheer on the females too.
“It should be as equal as the boys basketball games,” guard and senior Makiaya Griffin said. “I know we don’t dunk and all, and it's not as hype, but we have talent too, in our own way. Some of us may be a little better than them. We support them and I feel that we should get the same support in return.”
The dynamics of female versus male basketball isn’t only about who shows up to see the games. It’s also about financial resources available to the teams.
“The financial backing from some of the shoe companies is not as prevalent for the girls games, so that eliminates some of the sponsorships,” boys varsity coach George Ward said. “Some of the sponsorships that the boys receive, the girls don’t receive that.
“If you look at the crowds at the girls games in high school, it’s a microcosm of what’s going on in our world. College (women) games are attended a little bit more than the high school games, but it’s not as many as the men’s games.”
The members of the girls basketball team acknowledge that boys are more athletic but still want the support from the school, parents and community.
“Boys get more support because basketball is not a feminine sport,” shooting guard and junior Marche Borden said. “Parents support their boys more already. They expect boys to go pro over females. I agree that boys can dunk, but it’s still wrong to support boys more than girls because girls still have the same heart. We’re all human, and we all try.”
