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Culture February 15, 2017
There was an amazing push for equality over the weekend, and the stand was made by a bunch of fifth-graders.
A New Jersey Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball team voted to refuse to play their game on Friday, as opposed to playing without their two girl teammates.
The move came after a complaint from another school landed the St. John’s team in hot water with the archdiocese, who ruled that teams could be boys or girls only, not coed.
Parents left in tears after a CYO team forfeits the playoffs due to an unfair rule. Image via TV Land/Giphy
Up until that point – and for four years running – St. John’s fifth grade team had been coed – nine boys and two girls – since there wasn’t enough interest for a second, all-girl team.
Following the ruling, refs told parents that they had been instructed by league director Rich Donovan not to take the court if the girls played.
And facing a tough decision, parents turned to the children to ask if they wanted to play as a team as they had all year – including the two girls – or move forward without them to save their standing.
By a show of hands, the team unanimously decided to stick together. And even when another parent stepped in to remind the children of the consequences – they would forfeit, lose their record and not be able to play in the playoffs – the team held firm, with one boy shouting, “It doesn’t matter!”
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The rest of the team then began chanting “unity!” inspiring tears from several of the parents – as well as anyone reading this story.
Consequently the team was forced to forfeit the game, but decided to play amongst themselves anyway, with half of the players sporting “#unitygames” T-shirts the parents had ordered.
And if you have somehow made it this far without crying, one of the boys then lead the team in a prayer, in which he gave a shout out to his girl teammates.
A heartwarming prayer is led by one of the basketball players after CYO team forfeits in solidarity with their girl teammates. Image via Wall Street Journal
“Thank you for having us all here today, supporting the girls and for having this fun game. It’s been a great season and it’s been fun having all you guys playing basketball and it’s been really great. Amen,” one of the fifth-graders said.
The importance of the decision was not lost on Kayla Martel, one of the two girls on the team. “It has a big impact on me because it shows that they care. I’m part of them just as they’re part of me and they don’t want to break that bond just like I don’t want to break that bond. I think the rules are ridiculous,” she told NJ Advance Media.
No decision on saving the future of the team has been made yet, but parents have since taken up the fight against the ruling, sending letters to archdiocese archbishop Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin.
But one thing is for sure, the kids on St. John’s fifth grade basketball team are our heroes.
