Can we have a sports revolution, Miss?

 

We're going through the summer splurge of sports with the Commonwealth Games currently taking place here in the West Midlands and of course we have had the Final of the Women's Uefa championships in which England did actually win.

Sports and girls has a mixed connection as every sooften we have reports saying how girls drop out of sports in their teens with various things such as a preoccupation with hair, not wanting to sweat, body image issues (but there's a massive problem around sexual images sent by girls to boys!) and lack of role models.

Then consider girls (and women's) football which has risen in popularity over the last five years and in which as I recall officially younger next no girl ever got the ball in the school playground which so binary divided it was bloomin' unreal with approved/unapproved activities for boys and girls just on grounds of gender.

That was often compounded by rigid gender division in team games which meant for many boys had to play cricket and even now in a good number of secondary schools football isn't an option even as girls only team sport.

That was picked on by a number of commentators on Monday, will schools see the success and following by teen girls of the game, their involvement in the game outside of school and make that change.

It wasn't so long a go their was a vogue for pushing personal exercise plans rather than the games element in school sports suggesting all girls wanted to do was excercises.

Apart from seeing improvements within the game, I hope school sports departments grasp the nettle and make participation in P.E. and Games more fun for every child with opportunities for all whatever they're interested in.

Keeping warm

For a long time a staple of my more Tomboy look were lined tracksuit bottoms of the sort that was less overtly masculine with a very sporty feel to them but plainer fleece lined ones that for a period I wore a lot with baseball jackets.

 Just to annoy the brand loyalists I'm not simply because they tend to made from similar materials in the usual factory locations despite attempts to use 'sports science' to build up a strong sense of individual identity and unless you truly are using them in a professional sports context, you generally don't need that stuff anyway.
These area navy blue pair I recently  bought as I usually prefer to avoid baby pinks or white as they tend to show up marks and draw rather more attention to them than I'm comfortable with.
While non-brands can be cheap, I find the finish doesn't last as much.

Sports

Miss Kitty and I go back quite a long time actually not that I was much good at tennis or badminton on few times I did play it at high school preferring ball games or swimming which is an equalizer when you're disabled which was why I went for a period to a disabled swimming club apart from understanding company.
The instructors were super good at understanding you, your needs encouraging you to try swimming different ways to your fullest abilities and unlike regular pools our water was warmer.
When I hurt my upper right arm in my mid teens, physical therapy in the water was part of how I was helped to regain strength and confidence in using it.

Elizabeth in Joanne?

This post has be coming to me this morning where I'm poorly laying across my Hello Kitty bed attire and new Duvet in my school uniform, so do bear with me.
Off and on, I've made reference to the books I read during my chronological childhood some of which I owned, some borrowed off friends or via the library of the boarding school I attended.
Indeed you may of spotted a few entries here about books by Enid Blyton that come in that category and how I've gotten new copies not least the second but last entry around St Clare's that with this rotten cold I'm reading, something that is a direct echo of my childhood in times when I read books in my dorm or the sick bay.
I recently got though a most interesting addition again an older edition with original illustrations that has taken me back with some startling observations.
With the final three in one volume of St Clare's (Back to St Clare's) was another three in one book.

This was a 1992 edition of first three The Naughtiest Girl stories (Naughtiest girl again, Naughtiest girl is a monitor and Naughtiest girl in the school)

The stories are set in Whyteleafe, a progressive co-ed boarding school that some feel has a striking resemblance to Summerhill school in Suffolk, England.
The main character is Elizabeth who you could say is a very spoilt child used to getting her own way often running with unchallenged ideas so much so she resolves to behave so badly she can't avoid being expelled from the school she never wanted to go to. The secondary character is her best friend, Joan Townsend, who tries to get her to behave which by the time Elizabeth realizes how lonesome she was as a only girl, she gets more onside with the other children and  is less of a problem to the staff.
Here's an earlier cover from one of the separate books:

Now the first think upon quickly skimming the book was I saw my reflection in in how she dressed in the original illustrations, not least the fully pleated skirt, the modern version of which I'm actually wearing. She's around nine or ten years of age so the first thing I am thinking is, *Something* around this age is lodged in me as I'm not a senior. The second  is that smile as she's doing thinks like flirting ink about - it comes to me that around this age I did some similar things with ink and it's her awkwardness is causing this lashing out as oddly enough it did for me.

E.A stood there on the left of this original illustration is the image of that era of my life, meeting together with satchel, sports kit and naturally full uniform.
One interesting aspect of the Whyteleafe school is that the children have meetings where they dole out pocket money (everyone has a certain minimum  because it is pooled and the case for more has to be accepted by the others first) and also they deal with infractions dishing out punishments which the Monitors have the power to as Elizabeth is reminded of when she acted silly.
In practise, in my school head boys and girls also did although it wasn't formally set up - effectively they stepped in and if didn't accept whatever the outcome was, it was reported to the staff.
On one  particular day I did do something really silly like get going calling one girl rotten names and it got a bit out of hand, as does some of Elizabeth's silly things but unlike it being raised at a Meeting I was called to see the Headgirl in private who wanted answers, insisted on an apology to the girl in question and used her hairbrush on me (which was as far as I was concerned better than some poxy letter from the Head to my folks who'd just send me to child welfare person dragging the whole thing out. At least it's all over with in one go.).
Like Elizabeth I got better after that as I learned to fit in better with people, having my rough edges smoothed and even became a year rep, greeting very important people which does help when as now I have to do groan up things.
Having this book has reminded me of the distance I've travelled emotionally, the difficulties I've overcome in the past through learning to be more mature in how I deal with situations. As well, it affirms what Joanne remains deep down - a little girl only just in double digits - and no one least of me should ever forget it.

Sports day

One essential ritual of my school life was the annual Summer school Sports day where like it or not you were entered into the various sporting competitions for your school year group and house (cos we had operated a 'House' system).
There were  a number of them that stick in my mind and this is one of them.

That's the Egg and Spoon race that every junior school I went to always had  with the point being to fast walk with the egg balanced on a spoon not dropping or breaking, a feat that require much co-ordination the likes of which I never had!

Often there would be running races along a predetermined distance  with the first to reach the winning post getting a prize. Okay I could kinda run but staying in lane was hard going!
The other  common race was the Sack Race where you'd stand up wearing a sack over your PE kit holding the edges and have to run with the itchy material not tripping up over yourself which usually happened.
Usually some teacher or helper had the first aid kit at hand!
Although I was rubbish at it, I enjoyed taking part although we'd have to walk to the local park where it was held and was the 'Mascot' for our House.

Winter sports

I've always loved the Winter as cold as it often gets  not just for natural beauty but also for the many things you can do both inside and out on a Winters day.
One of my favourite sports to watch is Winter Skiing which is shown on the BBC as well as British Eurosport and it is sport many girls do take up although it is an expensive hobby to get into.

Off on the snow you really can move fast but it also requires good co-ordination too.

Here they are enjoying themselves in lovely girlish coloured attire, Who said girls can't ski or it's not feminine?

Baseball

Ball games are something I'm very interested in and I'd of loved to have played baseball as a kid like Ryo Hayakawa seen in this image in an all girls team

This was from the 1998 anime series Princess Nine which is hard to find new of which my copy has a rather awkward segmented box to get the discs out.

Team Games

One sport I liked at school was Netball

Going on with the ball under pursuit.

 She goes to score!

 Ready to throw the ball!

I love ball games running around as part of a team.