Females and football

Watching the Sunday and Monday football games gets me pumped and ready for football season. As a female who has worked at the IU football games through last year and for this year to come, I can admit that I am very into football. I am someone who feels passionate for all sports, and I look forward to this year’s basketball season as well. But recently when I was at a restaurant, my friend and I sat next to two old-timers who happened to have a different opinion on my love for football.

Both expressed one opinion when commenting on Sunday’s Colts game, and that was: “Women shouldn’t be near or on the football field.”

I was interested in their statement and felt compelled to ask them why. And they both answered, “Because its not their place.”

Rather than being upset or disgruntled, I decided to investigate further, and their reasoning surprised me. According to these older men, women have recently begun to appear at all sorts of sporting events, whether it is with interviewing and commentating or just helping out in general. They noticed it especially at the Beijing Olympics, and I kindly replied, “Well, why wouldn’t they be?”

And they once again responded that it was not our place.

I like to think that in this day and age everyone is becoming more open to gender-neutral “boundaries.” I have been watching football with my father since I was a child, and to hear someone seriously disregard my work or passion for the sport was a bit appalling. Just because I cannot play the sport doesn’t mean I don’t understand it.
I know plenty of guys who are terrible at football, and yet they are allowed to remain present at and near to the sport without reason. This experience asks me to challenge the younger generation and hope that things really have changed in terms of gender differences. I want everyone to feel comfortable participating in things they love, and I hope that we can all just enjoy football for the sport it is without labeling the audience and participants.

Meredith Brown
IU senior