TUNNEY-SIDE-OF-THE-STREET

#49 December 5, 2005

Welcome to this week's message from the Tunney-Side-Of-The-Street. You are encouraged to share this with fellow workers, family and friends.

During my tenure as Headmaster at York School in Monterey, I was approached by a senior male student requesting that he be allowed to play as a member of our girls' field hockey team.

Hmm! I thought, what was his motive? Just to be around girls? To compete against others where he knew he could be dominant? Or did he really want to be on that team just for the enjoyment of competing? My gut instinct was, "Come on, he can't be serious?" After all, was it "proper"? Could I deny his request based on my "gut" feelings? Or was he just testing my sense of justice?

Searching the Scholastic Athletic rules, I found that if a sport did not offer an opportunity for participation for each gender, there was no restriction that would deny him from playing on the girls' field hockey team. As a traditionalist, it was personally difficult for me to accept this change. However, I had to put my personal opinion aside in favor of what the law was saying. Change isn't always comfortable.

As educators we must be aware of possibilities that could bring physical injury, if there is an imbalance in size, strength, speed and maturity of the players. I would stand tall and strong against girls being on teams where there is physical contact, e.g. football, basketball, wrestling. But what if a boy wanted to compete on a girls' swim team, volleyball team, golf team because there were no boys' team in that sport, would that be fair? Or how about a girl on the boys' swim, volleyball or golf teams if no girls' team exists? If she can compete on equal footing on a boys' team, should she be denied that opportunity?

While the law deals with generalities, it seems that the best procedure may be to deal with each case on its own merits. My father taught me to approach these issues with three questions:
1. What is best for the individual?
2. What is best for the group?
3. What would I do if it were my child?

Will you look at issues of this nature with these thoughts in mind?

 

Look for my new book
It's the Will, Not the Skill
Principles and philosophies of success

For more information about Jim Tunney, go to www.jimtunney.com

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