Emily Nash is a junior at Lunenburg High School in Massachusetts. She plays golf on the boys team because there aren’t enough girls to field a girl’s team. So, she plays on the boy’s golf team. She is apparently pretty good. She plays from the same tees as all of the boys and plays by the same rules. She won the Division 3 boys’ golf tournament by shooting a 75, beating the second place competitor by 4 strokes. Despite winning, she could not receive the first place trophy and she could not continue on to the state championship. Why? According to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), “Girls playing on a fall boys’ team cannot be entered in the Boys Fall Individual Tournament. Girls can only play in the Boys Team Tournament, if their team qualifies.” Since Lunenburg High School finished 4th as a team, she is not allowed to play in the state championship.
Joe’s Perspective: I like this story. It forces everyone to think. On the one hand, she knew the rules. She knew by rule that she couldn’t receive the trophy and that she couldn’t advance to the state championship as an individual. She understood it and she chose to play anyway. When the ruling came down, she didn’t complain about the rules or the decision provided by the MIAA. This shows class. I respect Emily for her stance. She doesn’t need a trophy to feel better about herself. She knows that she won and she has that satisfaction. I also think it shows class that the second place boy offered her the trophy, which was only trumped by Emily, who did not accept the trophy.
On the other hand, one has to question the reason for the rule in the first place. Should the MIAA or any state have such a rule? If so, why? What is the rationale? If a girl is good enough to compete, should she be allowed to compete against the boys? There is no inherent advantage that a girl has over a boy, so what’s the beef? What’s fair? I say, change the rule. Let Emily compete. It’s a great story and I would applaud her all the way to the state finals.
Your Turn: If you were a board member on the MIAA, how would you have voted to handle this situation?
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I would have voted to let her go to the state championship because she deserves to because she did what she had to do a she did it. Also she deserves a trophy because she won she be the boys fare and square.
Same rules for both sexes. I was a tomboy mainly influenced by a year older brother and living in the country without other playmates. I learned so much from “boy” games and sports. But the major influence in learning I CAN DO! This is what my brother taught me and enabled throughout my life. Nbobbitt
Achievement trumps gender .
Author
Do you feel the same if it was the other way around? What if a boy was allowed to play in the girl’s tournament and won? A member from the MIAA called me this morning to say that if we allowed the girl to play, it wouldn’t be long before a lawyer would sue and win, saying that precedent had been set. Title 9 would then come into play, allowing boys to play on the girl’s team. Hmmm… something to think about.
I would have voted to handle the situation by giving the girl at least some type of award for placing well and playing by all the rules and following them too. I also would have voted that if a school doesn’t have enough students to make up a certain gender team then the oppositie gender should be able to join that team and compete and win the games and tournaments and go on as far as the season will take them because they want to play that sport too.
I would’ve voted to let her go to the state championships. Obviously she is skilled enough and gender shouldn’t matter.
If I were a board member I would have voted to let her go to the state championship because for this occasion I don’t think that her gender gave her any type of unfair advantage, especially because she played by the same rules as all of the other players and still won.
I would let her go because she is that good and she can win it. History has to be made somewhere down the road and she would be the first girl ever.
I would have voted to keep the situation how it is because she knows the rules and handled it very well. Plus this is the boys tournament that she plays in and just because she beat them doesn’t mean she had to go play in the state tournament. It’s fine for her to play but she shouldn’t get special treatment just because she is a girl. It would be different if there were no girls tournament or team like no girls football team but there is a girls golf team just not in the fall. She even said that she was able to play in the girls tournament in the spring and she would be able to go to state then.
I would vote for her to play because if she wants to play boys golf let her. And I feal she is underestimated because of her gender.
If I was on the MIAA board I would have definitely voted to remove this archaic rule. There’s no reason for this rule to still be in effect and to have even been created in the first place. Good job by Ms. Nash in her reaction as I know I personally would have been extremely upset.
I would allow her to play in the state championship if she was willing to put her focus on golf and was able to win the boys tournament I think it’s fair for her to play in states as well because if it wasn’t for her points the team wouldn’t be able to qualify for states without her playing.
If I were a board member I would make it fair for her team to advance especially because she is using the same equipment as the guys and doing the same practices as well. Her options are just as open as theirs if not more closed because she’s female.
This is a great story of a girl who knew that she would have to follow the rules and still decided to do it.
If I was a board member I would vote to let her continue on to the state championships. Being a girl high school golfer, I know what it feels like to do good at a hard sport like golf. She deserves to continue and do her best. Even if it was the other way around and it was a boy playing with girls. My vote would still be the same.
Emily Nash should’ve been able to play because she is on the team and has been playing on the team, so she should’ve been able to play in the boys fall tournament.
If i was a board memeber i would let her get yhe trophy for first place and let her advance to states.
If i was a board memeber i would let her get the trophy for first place and let her advance to states.
If I were a board member I would make it fair for her team to advance especially because she is using the same equipment as the guys and doing the same practices as well. Her options are just as open as theirs if not more closed because she’s female.
She handled the situation very well and is clearly somebody to look up to. If anything, what should be debated is over the fact that her school doesn’t have a girls’ golf program. Some requirements should be changed so that they can have a girls’ golf team even though there are not a lot of people. Also, the rule that girls can only play in the state team tournament and not the state individual tournament should be changed as well. It should be both or none. I don’t think it is fair for girls to only be able to compete in the team tournament and not the individual. If you’re going to let them compete in one, I think that it is only fair to include the other as well.
If i was on the board i would allow her to play and move foward because if she competed with all the same tees as the boys she should be given a chance. I admire the amount of class she had to know the rules and understand that she can’t go to the state tournament and still be proud of her playing skills. I would vote in her favor Because i feel like she deserves a chance to complete.
I would let her go to states since shes already good enough to go to state and shes being a good role model for all.of tbose other girls out there and she’s competed with all the same tees as the boys she’s good enough to move on forward.
If I had to choose I would let her go on to state because I don’t believe there was an unfair advantage. She’s a girl and if she can beat boys good for her.
I would of chose to let her play against the boys since she is good enough and has earned the right.