Janelle’s father was concerned, too, but a bit more philosophical. Title IX, the federal law enacted in 1972 mandating equal opportunity in sports, has helped to shape a couple of generations of girls who believe they are as capable and as tough as any boy. With a mix of resignation and pride, Rich Pierson said to me: “We’ve raised these girls to be headstrong and independent. That’s Janelle.” -"The Uneven Playing Field," New York Times Magazine, May 11, 2008.
(Tim, w/thanks to Lucas & Jeff) If you don't love motherhood, how will you raise your daughter? Will she be a doctor? Lawyer? Do neuroscience research? Take over your family business? Go to seminary? Be a vet?
If you don't protect your daughter, how many of her little babies will she murder before she decides childbirth won't intrude on her career?
If you want your daughter to be aggressive and physical, how many ACL repairs will she have before she finds out she's got a woman's joints--not a man's? And that still, at this late date, sex makes all the difference...
Read the book,Warrior Girls: Protecting Our Daughters Against the Injury Epidemic in Women's Sports
We're a nation of fools, calling man "woman" and woman "man."
Girls and boys diverge in their physical abilities as they enter puberty and move through adolescence. Higher levels of testosterone allow boys to add muscle and, even without much effort on their part, get stronger. In turn, they become less flexible. Girls, as their estrogen levels increase, tend to add fat rather than muscle. They must train rigorously to get significantly stronger. The influence of estrogen makes girls’ ligaments lax, and they outperform boys in tests of overall body flexibility — a performance advantage in many sports, but also an injury risk when not accompanied by sufficient muscle to keep joints in stable, safe positions. Girls tend to run differently than boys — in a less-flexed, more-upright posture — which may put them at greater risk when changing directions and landing from jumps. Because of their wider hips, they are more likely to be knock-kneed — yet another suspected risk factor.
