Last night JT and I went to the school gym to watch the girls' basketball team play for the state championship in their division. It was a close game in the first half and a good game throughout. Our team won. But most impressive to me was the number of boys who came to cheer on the girls. When I was in high school, the boys just didn't come to the girls' games. The girls played at crummy times and in the least desirable locations. And their fan base wasn't huge.
I went to high school in California in the mid-80s, so we're not talking about the feminist dark ages. But things were different. Last night, the boys basketball team, whose season is already over, sat in the front row and cheered loudly, along with many of their classmates. And I realize that things have truly changed. There's a lot of complaining about Title IX, but if last night was any indication, it has successfully delivered opportunities to girls. And, just as importantly, it's created a generation of boys (my son included), who think that girls sports is just as important as boys sports.
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