Thursday, December 06, 2007

Don't worry, she still primps

I was excited to find out that a Massachusetts girl was playing in the Pop Warner Superbowl this week down in Florida. She didn't make it to the Today Show like Holly Mangold (high school player) or Katie Hnida (DI collegiate player) but her story made The Boston Herald. The short story tells us that 15-year old Jane Peters has been playing football---just like her brothers--for 6 years. She plays both offensive and defensive end and her favorite part of the game is "hitting the boys."
This kind of information makes one feel good. But then this kind of information makes me cringe: According to mother, Trish, "her daughter still primps off the field, wearing make-up and doing her hair." Yes, don't worry, folks, she is still a girl. Because god forbid a female football player not care about her hair and lip gloss.
Peters may be younger than Mangold and Hnida but there are similarities in the way the stories are presented; mainly that there is attention paid--required almost--to their feminine sides. When Hnida was playing in high school there was much attention paid to her place on the Homecoming Court. Mangold's appearance on television featured pictures of her in a formal dress.
If Peters keeps playing football (she ages out of Pop Warner this year) I am sure there will be plenty of pics of her in gowns and glitter eye shadow.

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