Pasternaks Fail To Make The Cut

[Darth Sidious]

My first article on this drama

Twins off the team

In the end, they didn't make the cut.

After a very public battle for the right to play on a boys' hockey team, identical twins Amy and Jesse Pasternak privately mourned their loss yesterday.

I do not care what anyone else says; girls playing on boys teams is not a right.

If they had made the team, I am certain they would not be celebrating privately.

Their father Wally spoke for them.

"I applaud their courage for even going and trying out," he said from the doorstep of his family's home last night.

They were not shy about speaking publicly before. Not so surprisingly, this changed.

Courage? They really had nothing to lose. If they make the cut, I am sure they would have been gloating about it. If they did not make the cut, they have a ready excuse-"We are just girls."

"West Kildonan Collegiate and Seven Oaks School Division salute Amy and Jesse Pasternak for the strength and courage they displayed in asserting their right to try out for the team," said the written statement.

"They should not have been denied that opportunity on the basis of their gender."

There was no further comment from the division.

Now they have the division lauding their "courage" for "asserting" a non-existent right. I am sure they would not wax lyrical about any boy who fails to make the cut.

Wally Pasternak said his daughters figured they basically had "no hope in hell" of making the team, but were still upset they didn't make it.

If they did not have any real hope of making the team, one might wonder why they would cause such a fuss about being denied the opportunity.

The controversial ruling captured the attention of a hockey-loving nation.

No need to wonder. They wanted attention.

The twins did not play hockey in the two years since the MHSAA first rejected their attempt to join the boys' school team in Grade 10.

If they were at all serious about playing for the boys team, they would have been playing hockey the past two years. Of course, it would not have been on the boys team, but they had opportunities elsewhere. The only thing they were serious about was being considered "trailblazers" and "inspirations for girls everywhere." What does this have to do with the sport? Nothing at all.

Pasternaks' saga comes to abrupt end

Wake, who coaches St. James Collegiate's girls hockey team, said he's never seen the Pasternak sisters skate but their time away from hockey couldn't have helped their chances of making the team.

"It's too bad they hadn't played hockey while awaiting this decision because it probably would have helped them in the long run," he said.

"I don't care whether you're Wayne Gretzky or these girls, you're going to be one or two steps behind."

Exactly. Surely they would not be dumb enough to think being out of practice for a couple of years would not torpedo their chances.

Manitoba Human Rights Commission lawyer Sarah Lugtig said the ruling only affects girls who want to play boys' hockey.

It doesn't allow boys to try out for girls' teams and won't necessarily have an impact on other high school sports, like volleyball and basketball, she said.

"Female hockey is a very different sport than boys' hockey and very few women are able to play on men's teams," said Lugtig.

Based on those two reasons, the adjudicator ordered the rules be changed for boys' hockey only and simply advised the Manitoba High School Athletics Association (MHSAA) to examine their gender rules for other sports.

She said the adjudicator was very clear about protecting girls-only teams.

"You need girls-only teams to ensure girls have equal access to sport."

[sarcasm]Of course, the double standard must be maintained. Girls will not have equal access otherwise.[/sarcasm] If girls and boys are supposedly equals, why the double standard?

If girls want to play sports, let them play with other girls. If boys want to play sports, let them play with other boys. Giving girls the opportunity to play with the boys is a recipe for a nauseating amount of drama and litigation much like this case.

Someone might ask me, "Lord Feverstone, what if there is no girls team in a sport a girl wants to play?" If she wants to play it badly enough, she should try to form a girls team. It would be about an actual love of the game, not about trying to "show up" the boys for instant fame.

The angry father then took a swipe at the media for incessantly covering the case and not always favourably towards his daughters.

"They bashed the shit out of two little 17-year-old girls without knowing all the facts," he said.

Are they entitled to favourable coverage, especially when they choose to insult the girls team they refused to play for? Besides, from the sources I have read, the media seems to be on their side.

Do not want unfavourable media coverage? Keep out of the public eye. Problem solved.


More...

[Darth Sidious]

My first article on this drama

Twins off the team

In the end, they didn't make the cut.

After a very public battle for the right to play on a boys' hockey team, identical twins Amy and Jesse Pasternak privately mourned their loss yesterday.

I do not care what anyone else says; girls playing on boys teams is not a right.

If they had made the team, I am certain they would not be celebrating privately.

Their father Wally spoke for them.

"I applaud their courage for even going and trying out," he said from the doorstep of his family's home last night.

They were not shy about speaking publicly before. Not so surprisingly, this changed.

Courage? They really had nothing to lose. If they make the cut, I am sure they would have been gloating about it. If they did not make the cut, they have a ready excuse-"We are just girls."

"West Kildonan Collegiate and Seven Oaks School Division salute Amy and Jesse Pasternak for the strength and courage they displayed in asserting their right to try out for the team," said the written statement.

"They should not have been denied that opportunity on the basis of their gender."

There was no further comment from the division.

Now they have the division lauding their "courage" for "asserting" a non-existent right. I am sure they would not wax lyrical about any boy who fails to make the cut.

Wally Pasternak said his daughters figured they basically had "no hope in hell" of making the team, but were still upset they didn't make it.

If they did not have any real hope of making the team, one might wonder why they would cause such a fuss about being denied the opportunity.

The controversial ruling captured the attention of a hockey-loving nation.

No need to wonder. They wanted attention.

The twins did not play hockey in the two years since the MHSAA first rejected their attempt to join the boys' school team in Grade 10.

If they were at all serious about playing for the boys team, they would have been playing hockey the past two years. Of course, it would not have been on the boys team, but they had opportunities elsewhere. The only thing they were serious about was being considered "trailblazers" and "inspirations for girls everywhere." What does this have to do with the sport? Nothing at all.

Pasternaks' saga comes to abrupt end

Wake, who coaches St. James Collegiate's girls hockey team, said he's never seen the Pasternak sisters skate but their time away from hockey couldn't have helped their chances of making the team.

"It's too bad they hadn't played hockey while awaiting this decision because it probably would have helped them in the long run," he said.

"I don't care whether you're Wayne Gretzky or these girls, you're going to be one or two steps behind."

Exactly. Surely they would not be dumb enough to think being out of practice for a couple of years would not torpedo their chances.

Manitoba Human Rights Commission lawyer Sarah Lugtig said the ruling only affects girls who want to play boys' hockey.

It doesn't allow boys to try out for girls' teams and won't necessarily have an impact on other high school sports, like volleyball and basketball, she said.

"Female hockey is a very different sport than boys' hockey and very few women are able to play on men's teams," said Lugtig.

Based on those two reasons, the adjudicator ordered the rules be changed for boys' hockey only and simply advised the Manitoba High School Athletics Association (MHSAA) to examine their gender rules for other sports.

She said the adjudicator was very clear about protecting girls-only teams.

"You need girls-only teams to ensure girls have equal access to sport."

[sarcasm]Of course, the double standard must be maintained. Girls will not have equal access otherwise.[/sarcasm] If girls and boys are supposedly equals, why the double standard?

If girls want to play sports, let them play with other girls. If boys want to play sports, let them play with other boys. Giving girls the opportunity to play with the boys is a recipe for a nauseating amount of drama and litigation much like this case.

Someone might ask me, "Lord Feverstone, what if there is no girls team in a sport a girl wants to play?" If she wants to play it badly enough, she should try to form a girls team. It would be about an actual love of the game, not about trying to "show up" the boys for instant fame.

The angry father then took a swipe at the media for incessantly covering the case and not always favourably towards his daughters.

"They bashed the shit out of two little 17-year-old girls without knowing all the facts," he said.

Are they entitled to favourable coverage, especially when they choose to insult the girls team they refused to play for? Besides, from the sources I have read, the media seems to be on their side.

Do not want unfavourable media coverage? Keep out of the public eye. Problem solved.


More...

[Darth Sidious]

My first article on this drama

Twins off the team

In the end, they didn't make the cut.

After a very public battle for the right to play on a boys' hockey team, identical twins Amy and Jesse Pasternak privately mourned their loss yesterday.

I do not care what anyone else says; girls playing on boys teams is not a right.

If they had made the team, I am certain they would not be celebrating privately.

Their father Wally spoke for them.

"I applaud their courage for even going and trying out," he said from the doorstep of his family's home last night.

They were not shy about speaking publicly before. Not so surprisingly, this changed.

Courage? They really had nothing to lose. If they make the cut, I am sure they would have been gloating about it. If they did not make the cut, they have a ready excuse-"We are just girls."

"West Kildonan Collegiate and Seven Oaks School Division salute Amy and Jesse Pasternak for the strength and courage they displayed in asserting their right to try out for the team," said the written statement.

"They should not have been denied that opportunity on the basis of their gender."

There was no further comment from the division.

Now they have the division lauding their "courage" for "asserting" a non-existent right. I am sure they would not wax lyrical about any boy who fails to make the cut.

Wally Pasternak said his daughters figured they basically had "no hope in hell" of making the team, but were still upset they didn't make it.

If they did not have any real hope of making the team, one might wonder why they would cause such a fuss about being denied the opportunity.

The controversial ruling captured the attention of a hockey-loving nation.

No need to wonder. They wanted attention.

The twins did not play hockey in the two years since the MHSAA first rejected their attempt to join the boys' school team in Grade 10.

If they were at all serious about playing for the boys team, they would have been playing hockey the past two years. Of course, it would not have been on the boys team, but they had opportunities elsewhere. The only thing they were serious about was being considered "trailblazers" and "inspirations for girls everywhere." What does this have to do with the sport? Nothing at all.

Pasternaks' saga comes to abrupt end

Wake, who coaches St. James Collegiate's girls hockey team, said he's never seen the Pasternak sisters skate but their time away from hockey couldn't have helped their chances of making the team.

"It's too bad they hadn't played hockey while awaiting this decision because it probably would have helped them in the long run," he said.

"I don't care whether you're Wayne Gretzky or these girls, you're going to be one or two steps behind."

Exactly. Surely they would not be dumb enough to think being out of practice for a couple of years would not torpedo their chances.

Manitoba Human Rights Commission lawyer Sarah Lugtig said the ruling only affects girls who want to play boys' hockey.

It doesn't allow boys to try out for girls' teams and won't necessarily have an impact on other high school sports, like volleyball and basketball, she said.

"Female hockey is a very different sport than boys' hockey and very few women are able to play on men's teams," said Lugtig.

Based on those two reasons, the adjudicator ordered the rules be changed for boys' hockey only and simply advised the Manitoba High School Athletics Association (MHSAA) to examine their gender rules for other sports.

She said the adjudicator was very clear about protecting girls-only teams.

"You need girls-only teams to ensure girls have equal access to sport."

[sarcasm]Of course, the double standard must be maintained. Girls will not have equal access otherwise.[/sarcasm] If girls and boys are supposedly equals, why the double standard?

If girls want to play sports, let them play with other girls. If boys want to play sports, let them play with other boys. Giving girls the opportunity to play with the boys is a recipe for a nauseating amount of drama and litigation much like this case.

Someone might ask me, "Lord Feverstone, what if there is no girls team in a sport a girl wants to play?" If she wants to play it badly enough, she should try to form a girls team. It would be about an actual love of the game, not about trying to "show up" the boys for instant fame.

The angry father then took a swipe at the media for incessantly covering the case and not always favourably towards his daughters.

"They bashed the shit out of two little 17-year-old girls without knowing all the facts," he said.

Are they entitled to favourable coverage, especially when they choose to insult the girls team they refused to play for? Besides, from the sources I have read, the media seems to be on their side.

Do not want unfavourable media coverage? Keep out of the public eye. Problem solved.


More...