Girls in football

I think there are much better alternatives for a young girl than to be playing football with the boys. I will say that I agree that any girl who feels a pressing need to play is probably going to perform as well or better than her male counterparts based on sheer drive and will to measure up.

But I think there are some sociological concerns with a girl playing in a 99% boys league. I would have to consider her motivation. Why does she want to play?

Is it because her father is sending her signals that the only way she can gain his approval is by being the "boy he never had"? If so, the father needs to affirm her importance by becoming interested in a more blended sport like soccer where she could excel in a more appropriate setting.

He should also be spending more of his free time in general on quality time with his daughter so that she doesn't get the message: "Football is all I care about. If you can't play football, I won't show you any attention or spend any time with you."

Also, I would look at how she interacts with other girls her age. I would be wondering why she doesn't want to do what the other girls are doing, perhaps cheerleading. Why is she so motivated to stand out in a tom-boyish fashion?

If there were such a thing as an all girls team, maybe it would be acceptable. But even then, a girl is being groomed, by the nature of the game, for a "road construction" mindset rather than the softer, more feminine roles appreciated by society.

It's unhealthy pschyologically for a girl to be on an all boys team and trying to be, in effect, "one of the guys" rather than learning the ins and outs of interacting in her own peer group.

I would try to steer my daughter into a more blended sport, or into an all girls sport, especially cheerleading. I think she would appreciate it in the long run and that it would help her more in life.