But some argued that small changes could make those sports more inclusive.
I think that this sport is cool. Not only does it allow for coed teams but it was built around that idea and I think that that is pretty revolutionary. The only real reason that teams are separated by gender is because of the different physical traits that people develop because of their biological gender. This does make sense to me on some level, but I feel like changing some rules could make this unnecessary and could be reworked to fit everyone. This could also allow for different techniques, such as how women in Korfball are more agile teammates than men.
— Michael, Julia R. Masterman, Philadelphia PA
I think it depends on the sport, but coed sports is an interesting idea that really hasn’t been explored as much as it should. It’s hard to know whether it’s sustainable when sports like korfball are so few and far between. This article mentions that in some situations women had better agility and accuracy than men, which I think goes to show that gender, while it does have a substantial impact, is not as limiting as some may believe. For example, I am a figure skater. In skating, the men and women are separated in competition because the men can perform much higher level jumps. There is a mentality that men are capable of quadruple and quintuple jumps because of biological advantages, so the women, who mainly compete with triple jumps, must be separated to have a fair chance. However, while men often have higher jumps than women, women usually have better spins, technique, artistry, and edgework. Theoretically, if figure skating were to move towards being coed, a good place to start would be altering the scoring system so that less emphasis is placed on jumps, and more points can be accumulated from other skill areas. Coed figure skating as it is now would be disadvantageous to women not because they are inferior, but because the system is designed to prioritize male bodies and abilities.
Just the topic of men and women’s sports alone is a very controversial topic in our current society. Coming from a woman’s perspective, I have experienced one side of the matter, but believe I can understand where men are coming from. Many men are biologically bigger and taller than women and have certain features that we are unable to replicate, but does that really mean we should be separated? I, for example, play on an indoor girls volleyball team and have no desire to play with men. I am practicing and competing at a challenging level that feels right for me. In the summer, beach volleyball becomes available and many tournaments offer co-ed teams with implemented rules that do not create physical advantages. When I play with my dad in a pool that is called Reverse Co-ed, we play with a women’s height net but men are only allowed to hit the ball from behind a specified line, offsetting advantages. This all makes sense when I think about it, but when I am playing, I am focusing on the game and feel no emotions that signal unfairness or unfair advantages.
With coed sports, the world of sports would be open to various opportunities, which can lead to improvements. It could allow the adversities between women and men in sports to fall and allow a vast audience to enjoy the game.
However, my experience with coed sports like basketball is that the girls were undermined and underestimated by the boys and sometimes by even the coaches. This led to not passing the ball, causing a downfall in the communication aspect of basketball. This factor builds barriers to teamwork and causes a lack of confidence and loss of the love for the game. Overall, it diminishes the fun in not just basketball, but the art of sports in general.
The Learning Network
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