Letter: Female athletes are young, proud women
In response to Yvonne Levardi’s April 5 letter about girls needing to ditch a stereotype in sports and in life, I found it quite over the top.
I, too, have seen many team photos where the girls are in the stance that she portrays as too “girly.” I’m sure when the photographer gathered the girls, they were not told to look “cute, girly or perky.” Rather, I would assume the girls took a stance with which they were comfortable and proud.
In no way does a ball under the arm, feet together, hand on hip or knee popped, mean that these girls are not strong, aggressive, bold players. They’re young women! And proud to be! They were not trying to be sexy or provocative. Several of my grand girls play numerous sports (both school and club) with great passion and aggression. Some of their group photos are much like those of Ms. Levardi’s team which “took her aback.”
When did our young athletic women need to take a stance that looked more like aggressive male athletes? Again, they’re young, proud women! Men are men, women are women … both equal, proud and bold. That’s what all of our athletes need to embrace.
Barbara Stark, Kennewick
This story was originally published April 9, 2017 at 4:56 AM with the headline "Letter: Female athletes are young, proud women."