The ‘glass ceiling’ was broken when the first ever woman was able to play in a Division I college baseball game on March 17.
Olivia Pichardo became the first woman to play in a Division I college baseball game for Brown University. Out of the 17 games that Brown University has played so far, Pichardo has played in one game at bat.
While The Equinox believes that Pichardo playing in the Division I game is a terrific leap forward in inclusivity in sports, we also do not want her to be treated as a token.
Baseball is known as a male-dominated sport and softball is known as a female dominated sport. Softball is typically seen as the female version of baseball, when in reality they are two different games. It is amazing that Pichardo was able to prove to people that sports are not just for one gender, but that everyone should be included.
Pichardo has not played a lot, but it is unclear if she is not playing much because she is a first-year student or if she is not getting the same treatment as her male teammates. The Equinox hopes that Pichardo joining the team is not an empty gesture, and that she is treated the same as the rest of her team.
The Equinox thinks that it is ridiculous that a sport like baseball is even separated by gender. The common expression is “let the kids play” — anyone should be able to enjoy sports regardless of their gender.
There are often different rules between male and female sports. Men’s lacrosse, for example, is a lot more lenient on the rules that will allow players to play more aggressively than women’s lacrosse. Gender bias in sports is unfair and should be left in the past.
Additionally, there are some disparities between men’s and women’s sports that could be closed by mixing rosters, like payment gaps and a history of women’s sports seeing less attendance. Getting rid of the unnecessary gender separation in sports will allow women to get the same views that men get and be treated like superstars just like male athletes.
The Equinox thinks that Pichardo playing in Division I is a great start and would like to see her and more women begin to play in these games. This is not only great for female players, but also for female sports fans as well. The fans get to see more diversity on the field.
This goes both ways. Not only should women be joining more male-dominated sports, but men should also be joining more female-dominated sports. Your gender should not matter when it comes to playing sports. The only thing that should matter is your willpower and how much fun you are ready to have while playing a sport.
While women are just as good at sports as men, that should not even matter. A player’s ability to play is irrelevant to them being allowed to play it. A player might not start out well, but if you do not allow them to play, they cannot get better and they will lose out on any fun to be had.
The Equinox sees this as a great first step in what is hoped to be a continuing trend.
