Decision Rules Softball and Baseball as "Not Comparable"
Do you remember A League of their Own with Tom Hanks and Madonna? Welcome back.
Recently, the Indiana High School Athletics Association ruled that girls are now allowed to try out for baseball, traditionally an males-only sport. The decision, which came to an 18-9 vote, came as a result of a lawsuit filed by a freshman at Bloomington South High School.
Lake Central coach Todd Iwema recently asked the NWI Times "The sports are not exactly the same, I'll be the first to admit that, but how many guys can try out for the (girls) softball team? Will we have to wait until we have a lawsuit to pass that, too?"
The ruling certainly opens a new can of worms for regulating high school sports. Title XI currently requires schools to provide an equal number of opportunities to join athletics for both genders. If baseball becomes a mixed-gender sports, will softball follow? If not, will high schools require an additional all-male sport?
Time will tell, but this is certainly a landmark case for high school athletics.