"Tweet!" As we all looked around to see why the ref had blown his whistle, I saw himjogging over to our very verbal left defenseman.

"You are a younglady; you are not supposed to swear," the ref reprimanded Katie.

Icouldn't believe what I had heard! What got me mad wasn't that the ref said weweren't supposed to swear, but that he said "because you are a younglady." It seemed like he was saying girls should act and be treateddifferently from boys.

It's not just this example that makes me think boysand girls are viewed differently in sports. Because we're girls we have to bemore cautious on the field, not as aggressive. People call me a jock because I amathletic and play competitive, aggressive sports. They say I play a boy sport,but I don't see soccer as a boy sport. If you watch a boys' soccer game, and thenyou watch a girls' soccer game, you will probably recognize one thing: the boys'game is more physical. Most refs in a girls' game won't allow nearly asmany tackles or pushes as a boys' game.

I don't see soccer, orany other kind of sport, as a girl sport or as a boy sport. I see them as justsports, and I think quite a few people still need to realize this.