Girls talk about PE with boys

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/09/2008 - 3:13pm.

This panel discussion was an impromptu talk given by six 6th grade girls in response to the prompt: Talk about what PE is like with boys. This video talk was the final piece to a project assignment that ended a six-week unit on gender. We have been studying gender issues in class during this time, working primarily in same-sex class groupings. Girls have talked and written openly and freely about what it's like to be a girl in school with other girls and with boys. Boys have discussed and written about being boys. Students have also read two books over the past six weeks, looking closely at the representations of masculinities and femininities in the books. The students have also looked at portrayals of heterosexual and homosexual characters—specifically looking for moments of courage and heroism. It is our hope that other classes of 6th, 7th, or 8th grade students will watch this and the three other companion videos, then respond to them during a class activity in school. We would like to hear the opinions of other middle school students and open up a dialogue with them around issues of gender, courage, and heroism. Thank you.
—Mr. Carter Latendresse, 6th Grade Language Arts, Catlin Gabel School, Portland, Oregon

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I think that some guys don't

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 9:13am.

I think that some guys don't pass to girls; and it was good that you didn't say all guys. Some guys do pass to girls. You didn't say that all guys are the same in only passing to other guys which I think is really good. I think that some guys might just be more motivated to win so they don't pass to girls because they don't know that the girls will have as much wanting to win. - Devon, 8th Grade

I toataly agree. It really

Submitted by Ally (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 2:03pm.

I toataly agree. It really depends on the guy. If he really wants to win he will only pass to people that are good and sometimes they think that girls aren't good at sports, but I know plenty of boys that pass to girls. I think that some boys are afraid to pass to girls because they are embarassed because they think their friends will laugh at them but from my expirence I dont think that that happens a lot. -Ally 6th

I agree with the majority of

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 11:18pm.

I agree with the majority of what the girls said, especially the part about some boys (definitely not all of them, though) only passing to other guys because they might think all guys are better at sports than girls. Even if a guy was better than a girl at a given sport, I think he should still pass to her because the whole purpose of P.E. is to learn how to play new games and improve skills in sports. ~Hannah R., 8th grade

it kinda seems to me that

Submitted by Simon M, 6th grade (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 2:03pm.

it kinda seems to me that whenever a girl doesn't get passed to they automatically say they think all boy think all girls are bad at sports. but sometimes, not always, a girl just isn't that good at a sport, and since i'm a pretty competitive person, i pass to the person that's gonna score. it just happens to be a boy sometimes, and a girl other. men and women are physically born with different physical functions, so boys are better at some things, and girls others

I agree,in P.E. a lot of

Submitted by Kallan (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 12:45pm.

I agree,in P.E. a lot of guys (again, not all guys) are always acting like I'm not even trying. One time when I was playing a game, the P.E. teacher told us that it was time to stop, and the guy I was playing against said, "Hold on, let me just finish this one off", I was extremely offended. Also, I get s worried that guys will get mad at me for messing up the game, that I don't even want to play. Like the girls in the video said, not all girls are bad. And not all boys don't pass to girls. We can't look at people as boys or girls, we have to look at everyone as individuals. In closing, no one has a chance to improve unless they are given an opportunity. -Kallan, 6th grade

I pretty much try to pass to

Submitted by Casey Currey-Wilson (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 10:39pm.

I pretty much try to pass to whoever is open, whatever their gender. However, the girls are right that some boys won't pass to girls under most circumstances. Look at the discussion in the boys video for example; they are saying things like "the girls have to prove themselves" and "we'll only pass to them if they show that they have earned it." These types of quotes show that the gender stereotypes definitely still exist. Moreover, some boys won't even pass the ball at all, as they want all the action for themselves. This no longer has to do with gender stereotypes, and just has to do with a competitive desire to win even if it means excluding others, which is probably where the gender conflicts came from in the first place. Casey- 8th grade

Yeah I think some boys just

Submitted by Andrew L. (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 12:45pm.

Yeah I think some boys just want to be the star like soccer for example. When boys have the ball they try to drive it all the way up from end to end to score and be the star even though someone is open and if it is a girl, most boys will definitely won't pass it. But not all boys because some boys pass it even though the person is not as skilled as them or if they're a girl. Most boys will most likely not pass because they think that girls have to "prove themselves" just like what Joseph said. Obviously if these are true then gender stereotypes still exist. -Andrew L., 6th grade

I think the same, I know I

Submitted by Finn (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 10:52am.

I think the same, I know I try to pass to whoever is open, but I know some people in my class don't. Pretty much everyone in my PE class is competitive. I have to admit, I am too, but some of the most competitive boys don't pass to anyone including boys. I notice this the most in basketball. I am not very good at basketball and I don't get passed to a lot in basketball so I know how it feels. Finn, 6th

What the girls said were

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 10:29pm.

What the girls said were true. They were right when they said that generalizations are bad. They were smart by not using them during this discussion. We are in middle school and the purpose of P.E. at this stage is to help establish teamwork throughout the class. Winning is not was is important at this age. Part of the reason why we have sports teams after school is to give the people who are athletic to play with other kids around their same skill level. In that instance, the people with more athleticism get more playing time, but that is not the purpose that P.E. class is meant to serve. -Jeremy Howard, 8th grade

Although some boys do pass

Submitted by Evan C (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 10:52am.

Although some boys do pass to girls, other boys are so competitive that they don't pass to anybody, and some girls take this as not passing to them only. Some boys may be good at sports, but they don't get that they still need a team to get anywhere. Evan-6th grade

I agree with him. I mean I

Submitted by jordi (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 10:49am.

I agree with him. I mean I dont usally notice but I have been watching for a couple of days now and I am trying to pass to girls more often. I don't now if it is just an instinct for boys that they pass to girls less, but I am trying to pass more to girls now.

I agree with you on the fact

Submitted by Cody Hoyt (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 10:28pm.

I agree with you on the fact that girls should not be victims of prejudice when it comes to P.E. However, I think that there may be a slight misunderstanding when this prejudice occurs. I think that guys can just be overly frustrated by the few girls (and less knowtised guys) who don't participate, so they just start defaulting to their friends or people whom they KNOW can make plays (which for them are always guys). -Cody Hoyt 8th

In my opinion, the girls are

Submitted by Ellie (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 10:14pm.

In my opinion, the girls are pretty dead on. But the mane issue with your argument, is that you generalized. Some boys only pass to boys, and some boys only pass to the good girls. But then there are always those people who don't really try, and then they wounder why no one is passing to them. Boys do tend to take P.E. too seriously and get too competitive, but that isn't all boys. So if you do actually try, then the boys will actually pass to you. Other than that though, I agree with you on most of the things.

I agree with you and what

Submitted by Victoria (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 2:04pm.

I agree with you and what you said about some girls not really trying and all that stuff. I think that sometimes when girls are passed to they get too conceited and then only pass to girls, so it goes both ways. I think that it's also important that I do think boys need to pass to girls more so that eve the girls who are bad at PE have a chance to improve, because without that they will never have a chance to get better. I think the teachers should teach PE more for the physical and fun side of it more than the competitive side, because sometimes everything gets so competitive it's hard to do anything right. That's what I think Victoria, 6th grade

What you are talking about

Submitted by Emma R-D (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 10:06pm.

What you are talking about does happen sometimes but I think you exaggerated it a little, at least going along with my experiences, most boys do pass to girls in my P.E. class there are only like one or two that keep the ball to themselves or pass to another guy.

I definitely agree with the

Submitted by Layla Entrikin (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 9:57pm.

I definitely agree with the girls. Although not ALL the boys only pass to the "really good players" that's the case more often than not. Another thing that they bring up, the fact that guys don't think we "try". I think that a reason girls tend to come off as "bad" players is because the boys are intimidating; it makes girls more nervous. That added pressure is enough to make a lot of girls who aren't as confident in their athletic abilities back off when it come to team sports. -- Layla, 8th Grade

I would have to partially

Submitted by Conner (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 2:24pm.

I would have to partially disagree with that. In my opinion, yes some boys do really only pass to other boys, or in some cases only really athletic boys, but I would have to say that boys who pass to every one are more common than boys who only pass to other boys. I always pass to who ever is open, and even, sometimes to the person who would not do the most with the ball (not that its always girls, it can be just as much a boy as a girl,) even if somebody else who was better at sports was open if I thought that the worse person wasn't getting the ball much. I'm not saying that this never happens, I'm just saying that not all boys, (and even some boys who do think that,) only pass to boys.

I thought what they said was

Submitted by zach lewis-8th grade (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 9:53pm.

I thought what they said was mostly true, but i know lots of guys and girls who don't try their hardest in P.E. all of the time. I think it is sometimes reasonable if these people (sometimes including myself), don't get passed to as much.

I sort of disagree. I think

Submitted by Tucker Gordon (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 9:24pm.

I sort of disagree. I think that guys are just really competitive and it doesn't matter if your a girl or a boy, if they think that your gonna give the ball up, they're not going to pass to you. However, I do agree that you try and that counts. -Dr. Tucker Gordon, 8th Grade :p

I think you should have

Submitted by David (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 9:04pm.

I think you should have added that there are boys that pass to everybody not just the best players on the team, boy or girl.

Some guys don't try either

Submitted by Will S. (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 8:46pm.

Some guys don't try either so basically the really competitive people only pass to other really good people. This doesn't have to do with gender as much as who is the most skillful.

I think you right it not

Submitted by Collin M (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 12:45pm.

I think you right it not about gender. I know when I Get into a game that I get really competitive and don't want to lose so when its tied I don't want to give the ball to someone I don't think will be able to make the shot or shoot a goal. On the other hand If the games out of reach weather I'm losing or winning I'll pass the ball to everyone Collin M 6th Grade

I think you right it not

Submitted by Collin M (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 12:42pm.

I think that this is a very

Submitted by Peter Beatty (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 8:44pm.

I think that this is a very good discussion. I it has a lot of important points in it. Some of it was very true like saying that boys don't pass to girls as often as the pass to other boys. But I think that some of it is over exaggerated. I think that the main reason that guys don't pass to girls that much is because of the skill level not over if your a girl or not and not to say that boys are better then girls because I know a bunch of girls that can beat me at tennis. Over all I think that it is a very good discussion.

Girls seem to develop sports

Submitted by Kenny Woods, Grade 8 (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 8:17pm.

Girls seem to develop sports skills slower than guys, causing guys to think they are not as good. Almost every world and Olympic records are held by men, so statistically speaking men are the best athletes in the world. Guys think that they are the best at sports because male sports are HUGE in America, while women sports struggle to make ends meet. In sports environments you have to think quickly when you pass the ball, so there is not much thought in who there are passing the ball to. Guys do not just want the ball, we demand the ball, so we get it more often. More girls than guys do not care about sports. Guys bodies are incredibly different, especially in middle school, because they are building a large amount of muscle. Kenny Woods---8th

I think that for the most

Submitted by Rahul (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 8:07pm.

I think that for the most part they are right. I do think that everyone that thinks they should be aaccepted, even guys need to show they want to participate. Then if you bring up those points that is right. But when that does happen and it does not become clear you still cannot say all boys. --Rahul, 8th Grade, Catlin Gabel

You guys had great points!

Submitted by Ben Kiyasu (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 7:57pm.

You guys had great points! While i agreed on most of your views, I disagreed on your view that most guys have an attitude problem. I think this is just a result of friendly competition. I think one of the major problems is communication. Great video! Ben Kiyasu 8th grade

One of the girls (well...all

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 6:38pm.

One of the girls (well...all of them in general) said, "boys think they're better at sports and are more aggressive." In a way, it can be true. I know i guy in my class who, whenever, receives the ball, NEVER passes. Even to the guys! I think he's so focused on trying to score a point that he doesn't realize that most sports are about teamwork. I think he's trying to be the best but the really good players out in the world become good players because they pass to team-mates Susie N.-8th grade, 2013

I really think that girls

Submitted by Madeleine (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 2:05pm.

I really think that girls nomatter how good or bad at sports, have to prove themselves to the boys, do the boys have to do that to us? NO! I don't think so. Some people don't like the game, dont think that there good at it,Whatever! I think that To prove ourselves we have to score half of the score a team gets. It is kind of maddining!!! We have our rights! We should change -Maddy -6th grade!

I don't know, I am pretty

Submitted by Annika (not verified) on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 10:51am.

I don't know, I am pretty aggressive. and I think I definitetly show that when we are in P.E. and I get passed to, well sometimes. But I definitely see girls who are not aggressive not getting passed to. I don't think that girls get a chance to say hey I can do this and sometimes girls don't try even if they are really good at sports. Girls who try will get passed to and be a lot happier with the game. Ani, 6th grade

I think the girls did a

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 6:38pm.

I think the girls did a really good job. They were mostly saying how the boys don't interact with the girls in P.E. because boys think they are better than girls but I think that in our P.E. lass anyway t's more skill related than gender. -Flora, 8th Grade

I definitely agree with some

Submitted by Mira (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 5:59pm.

I definitely agree with some of the things y'all said, and I know that some people are very competitive. This also goes for girls, but I think guys are more obvious about it. I was kind of surprised that a guy actually came up to someone, and was saying that they were stupid, and bad at sports just because they were a girl. That seems a little bit extreme to me. I think it also would have been interesting to include a girl who really doesn't enjoy sports, and doesn't particularly want to be passed to, and get her perspective. It was good though! -Mira, 8th

I think that There isn't a

Submitted by Isabelle (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 5:30pm.

I think that There isn't a problem, and that talking about it makes a problem. I think that it is the persons fault if they don't get passed to, and that there are both boys and girls who have that problem, not just girls. Also I think that Girls and boys, at this age should be able to be at the same fitness level. I know that I try very hard, and I'm faster, and more athletic than many of the boys in my grade. If you don't work out after school, and sweat in PE then I don't think that it is fair to complain about not being passed to. It is all about winning, and if you will make the team loose, then why pass to you. Also if you don't want to win, then why play? It is the same thing as working as an adult. If you're not the best, then why would you expect to be hired? Should you get special privaliges, because you don't try as hard? I think that girls should be much more athletic. Isabelle Berry

I totally agree! Some boys

Submitted by Maggie Boyd (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 4:58pm.

I totally agree! Some boys are so competitive, and I think they need to chill a little bit. Its just P.E class. I think that if boys just calmed down a little bit, remembered that its P.E class and whether or not you annihilate the other team has no meaning whatsoever, they could pass to girls because it doesn't really matter if a girl, or someone of less skill messes up.

I think they caught the fact

Submitted by Zahara Muhammed (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 4:58pm.

I think they caught the fact that boys think they have more skill and that girls are automatically inferior. But I DID sense of hypocrisy when they were saying that boys referred to them as a group and didnt notice the ones that DID try. At the same time they are saying themselves the word "boys" over and over again when not all boys are that way. In the other video it even points out how not ALL boys are passed to. Overall I think their argument needed some help. - Zahara Muhammed

You guys made it seem as

Submitted by Tyler Quatraro (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 4:34pm.

You guys made it seem as though most of the boys would not pass to girls but in reality it is probably only 2 or 3. I think that their are a fair amount of girls who do not try or even want to play and when a boys does all of that work to get to the place were he needs to score a goal or something it is really annoying when you pass it for the finish up and the person does not try and just lets it go away. Eventually it gets to the point were so many girls don't participate when your thinking about everything else and their is a chance that you can be one of the girls that does not try the boy might not want to even bother. Tyler Quatraro 8th grade

Some boys only pass to the

Submitted by latendressec on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 6:13pm.

Some boys only pass to the "really good players," which are some girls and some boys. --Elliot, 6th Grade, Catlin Gabel

Girls are just as good at

Submitted by latendressec on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 6:11pm.

Girls are just as good at sports as boys. --Dylan, 6th Grade, Catlin Gabel

I think that some boys are

Submitted by latendressec on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 6:08pm.

I think that some boys are too competitive and sometimes get frustrated when someone lowers the level of play or messes up. These boys sometimes retaliate by excluding others. --Evan , 6th Grade, Catlin Gabel

When girls play sports the

Submitted by latendressec on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 6:05pm.

When girls play sports the boys sometimes exclude them unless a girl has proven that she is good enough. I find that unfair because you can't prove yourself if no one gives you a chance. --Aaron , 6th Grade, Catlin Gabel

In sports different girls do

Submitted by latendressec on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 6:03pm.

In sports different girls do different things. Some girls pass to anyone just to get the ball away. Some girls pass only to other girls because they think boys won't pass back to them. Some girls only pass to boys because they think boys are better than them at sports. --Sanders , 6th Grade, Catlin Gabel

Girls tend to stay away and

Submitted by latendressec on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 6:00pm.

Girls tend to stay away and then get angry at boys for not passing the ball to them in sports. --Collin , 6th Grade, Catlin Gabel

The girls had some good

Submitted by Hermione Granger (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 10:44pm.

The girls had some good points, but I think that when I play sports I play for myself. So when I want the ball, I go get it. It doesnt matter to me if some guy wont pass to me because im a girl, I can always prove to him that I know what I'm doing.

I think the girls are right.

Submitted by latendressec on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 5:59pm.

I think the girls are right. I am making an effort to pass to both genders, but the girls are right in what they said. --Jarod , 6th Grade, Catlin Gabel

Personally I think the girls

Submitted by Chris Reimann 8th grader (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 9:28pm.

Personally I think the girls are being a little sexist and that is not just because I am a guy. I’ve watched the boy’s video too I just think that the girls are making broad comments about all boys when maybe just a few boys don't pass to girls. There are also a lot of boys who I know that don't get passes at all from other boys too. Also about the comment that one of the girls made about how some boys don't think that you try just because you aren't as good as other boys, I don't think that is fair to say that unless you have heard some guy say that to you personally or something like that.

Personally I think the girls

Submitted by Chris Reimann 8th grader (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 9:28pm.

This video was better said

Submitted by Koby Yudkin (not verified) on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 8:25pm.

This video was better said than the boys one. But guys and girls are measured on two different scales. Guys are usually physically stronger than girls so if you want the ball you should just tell them you want it. The boys should acknowledge your request and give you the ball. - Koby Yudkin 8th Grage

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Girls talk about PE with boys