Boy swimmers race against girls in Mass. People not happy

The Times had a couple interesting pieces on high school swimming in Massachusetts. Now there's a sentence I didn't think I'd ever type.

Anyway, boys are allowed to compete on the girls teams because of the "open access amendment."

Here's the original piece.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/19/sports/boys-swimming-on-girls-teams-find-success-then-draw-ire.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=sports

And then a girl did beat a boy for a title.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/sports/broderick-wins-massachusetts-girls-swim-title-against-field-including-boys.html

 

this is another example where, the facts of the case are so simple, yet people will stick boys' names on girls records because, well, RULES ARE RULES!

People will look at this story in 50 years and say, "Man, those people were stupid".

 

What douches these boys' parents must be.

 

It is a d-bag move. I mean, I assume that these are pretty mediocre boys swimmers. To be on a high school team does promote self-esteem, etc.

But setting girls' records? Really?

Are there not swimming clubs these boys could join?

 

Sounds like an issue the state organization can eliminate by making the boys and girls swim seasons overlap. I'm sure there are some hurdles or it would have been like that already, but this sounds like a bigger headache.

 

As a former Massachusetts high school swim coach, I find this interesting because in Winter swimming, at least in our league, coed competition is not allowed.

 

Ah ok, it's a league rule, not an MIAA rule. Doesn't seem to be an MIAA guideline regarding mixed gender. Had to look it up because out in the western part of the state, there is no fall swimming, just the winter.
In any rate, this is the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference bylaw re: gender.

"5. Each meet that is scheduled will consist of a boys’ meet and a girls’ meet, to be held at the

same location, at the same scheduled time, with boys’ and girls’ events alternating (except

for diving, which will be held as a combined event, but scored separately). Each meet will

be scored. However, if one team (boys or girls) has less than four participants on their roster

as of the first day of scheduled competition, that team will not have scores reported to the

media nor will the meet results be counted in the record of either competitor. Boys will

swim against boys and girls will swim against girls. If a team adds or loses members after

the first day of competition, the team results will still be based on the original roster size, as

of the first day of competition. There will be no mixed gender competition."

 

Why can't they solve the problem by having the seasons at the same time and close the loophole by not allowing boys on girls teams?

 

Some douchey parent will sue, saying that if girls can play on boys teams like football, boys can play on girls teams. That douchey parent will then continue to raise a douchey kid who grows up and forever laments that he would have gotten that job except the company had to hire a chick or a black guy, and the white man just can't get a fair shake in the world today.

 

I live in Georgia, where the swimming season is in the winter and the boys and girls have separate teams. If a school has like one or two guys who swim, they're the boys team, period. I can't imagine something like a guy swimming on a girls team down here. The parents and kid would probably get sent out to the city limits on a rail.

 

LMAO.

 

That tells you all you need to know right there.