High Point vs UConn
Over the weekend, it's pretty likely that you heard about the inequality at the NCAA tournament between the men's teams and the women's teams that came to light.
If you happened to miss it, let me fill you in. And there *is* a positive update to this story!
The NCAA tournament is the biggest tournament annually for both the men and women's college basketball teams. This year, because of the ongoing pandemic, the tournament for both the men and women is being held in a bubble to keep the players, staff, and everyone safe.
However, the bubble aspect of the tournament highlighted just how different the women are are treated compared to their male counterparts.
University of Oregon women's basketball player, Sedona Price posted a now-viral video that showed just one aspect of just how big of a difference in the equipment and treatment of the women is compared to the men. She showed off the "weight room" provided for the women - a single rack of small dumbbells - compared to the extremely well-equipped weight room for the men which was a large room with multiple squat racks, several racks of dumbbells, and other equipment.
Sedona went on to explain that the NCAA claimed this was due to space available... but she then pointed out that there was an entire basketball court-sized room right NEXT to their small rack of dumbbells that could have been turned into a gym, so their excuse was not valid.
And that wasn't the only issue, either! Athletes have also voiced concerns about the quality of food at the women's tournament while athletes are quarantining. The women had boxed nasty looking food while the man long tables of a beautiful buffet of delicious looking food!
You KNOW Sedona posted videos about the food too.
Sedona also made a point to highlight some of the positive things: like actually being able to have a team room and be with her teammates.
And good things have come from Sedona and other athletes speaking out about the issues! The women were given a weight room that is on par with the men's, the NCAA has apologized, and they agreed to address these issues beyond this current tournament, saying, "we will pledge to do that... I think it's timely to raise those issues again."
And Sedona showed off the new weight room, the improved dinner situation, and praised social media for helping the women get the equality at the tournament that they deserve!
Moral of the story: speak up for yourself when things are CLEARLY not equal! Of course the situation was made far more obvious due to the teams being in a bubble, but the female athletes of course deserve to be able to work out and eat the same way the men are! They can't leave the bubble until the tournament ends for them, so they have no options except what is given to them within the bubble.
You go girls! Way to stand up for yourselves.
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Photo: Getty Images