On the intro page, the Suncoast Christian Conference says the organization
“provides small Christian Schools a means to participate in athletic competition. We accomplish this by developing and stimulating an understanding of the place of interscholastic athletics in the education of our youth; promoting unity and cooperation on the part of all member schools in regard to Christian fellowship, true sportsmanship, and wholesome competition while maintaining a standard of Christian conduct. The conference consists of 11 member schools located in West Central Florida. Please take a few moments and see what is happening in the area of Christian Athletics in the Suncoast Christian Conference.”
Well, we have taken a few moments to see what is happening, and it’s not pretty.
Of those eleven member schools, eight of them voted to disqualify a young girl from playing on the boys’ basketball team at Westside Christian in Largo.
See, Westside is a small school, and there’s just not enough interest to support a girls’ team, so Aliyah Farley joined the boys’ team. Not so fast, intimated Conference president Rick Preslicka. Although there were no rules against it, the conference would have to take a vote on allowing a girl to play.
Preslicka pulled out that tired ’slippery slope’ argument:
“We see a problem occurring if next year our conference doesn’t have a boys volleyball team (and) some boys would want to play on the girls volleyball team.”
The vote was 8-2 in opposition, with one team abstaining. The reason they voted to encourage discrimination?
He apparently thinks the kids are gonna screw right there on the basketball court. More from Rick Preslicka:
He said parents and school officials worry about the physical contact. Even innocently, it could lead to sin.
They picture kids scrambling under the net, hands flying.
And we certainly want to keep the doors shut to women, don’t we?
So much for “understanding of the place of interscholastic athletics in the education of our youth.”
So much for “promoting unity and cooperation.”
So much for “true sportsmanship and wholesome competition.”
However, it does seem they are successful in “maintaining a standard of Christian conduct” – in discriminating against girls.
Listen, if you can’t properly explain the expected behavior of your students, then perhaps you shouldn’t be in the business of education.
As for Westside Christian? They immediately quit the league.
If you know of any diverse, tolerant, and understanding schools that are interested in forming an athletic conference, please contact Westside Christian.
Also, if you know of a school that has a problem letting girls playing with boys, it looks like the SCC has an opening.
Rob
1 year ago
Good for them for standing up for their student. Maybe I’m a cynic, but I think most schools would just say “sorry, you’re out of luck”.
clark_brooks
1 year ago
Nothing inspires thoughts of romantic lust like boxing out for rebounds. That’s why Charles Barkley is an international sex symbol.
John
1 year ago
Wait, wait, didn’t I see this in a movie once?
Where’s Kevin Bacon?! Where’s Steve Spears for that matter… Stuck in the 80’s should be all over this one.
Upp N. Adam
1 year ago
You’d think they’d WANT a member of the opposite sex present for gropey, sweaty activity that “opens doors” to other gropey, sweaty activity.
Clyde
1 year ago
I think it has to do with what the Old Testament has to say about women’s position in society.
And Adam, getting females involved in all that gropey, sweaty activity scares the hell out of the men…
Ladyrebecca
1 year ago
It’s funny. I’m sure they think they make sense and yet to the rest of the world they sound like idiots. “Opens doors?” Come on! These are 13 year old boys, raised in a culture that frowns upon holding hands. They are already so sexually repressed and screwed up that bumping into a girl’s breast with their elbow will probably have them kneeling in prayer and fasting for deliverance, not diving into the backseat of their mom’s minivan.
Playing basketball linked to sexual sin! Next on wacky news! « Ladyrebecca’s Musings and Ramblings
1 year ago
[...] also commented at Sticks of Fire, where Tommy has also blogged about this situation. (Thank you, Tommy, for suggesting I add some [...]