Cheering on the Boys

Dear Diary,

I was captain of the cheer leading squad in junior high school and at the end of my freshman year I tried out for the high school squad and I made it!  I had a wonderful sophomore year but I didn't make the cut for the next year...why?  I was too tall!  That's what I was told by the coach.  This year there was another girl as tall as me, kneeling in front of me in the photo, but she was a senior.  When she graduated I would , um, stick out like a sore thumb as they say. LOL!  I was terribly disappointed of course but I understood, uniformity was important on the squad.

I played girl's basketball too but we had different rules than the boys.  It would be many years before there would be parody in women's sports.  In gym class the girls weren't allowed to use some of the equipment, it was only "appropriate" for boys.  A teacher once told me, "horses sweat, boys perspire and girls should only glow".  Jeesh!  I grew up in such a misogynistic society but we didn't know any other way.  I am sure glad all that has changed now...we've come a long way baby!