Female athletes at Esquimalt High are finally getting new jerseys.
Members of the rugby, basketball and volleyball teams appeared before council on Monday to request $2,750 in order to purchase new uniforms. Years ago, a spelling mistake left the old jerseys reading B次元官网网址楤次元官网网址済rilsB次元官网网址� and at the time it was thought of as a cute joke, said the schoolB次元官网网址檚 athletic director Mike Thompson.
But now, he said, itB次元官网网址檚 a dated outlook for female sports.
B次元官网网址淭he culture has shifted,B次元官网网址� explained Thompson, who coaches rugby and wrestling. B次元官网网址淎nd to be totally honest, I think itB次元官网网址檚 the female athletes in our school right now that are really driving it.B次元官网网址�
Grade 12 student and basketball player Emily Parker said itB次元官网网址檚 time to refresh the teamsB次元官网网址� look. B次元官网网址淪ome jerseys have gone missing, some donB次元官网网址檛 fit people. Ordering new jerseys would mean a lot,B次元官网网址� she said.
Esquimalt High is home to a high-performance rugby program and many of the female athletes are high-ranking in the province. Currently, Esquimalt teams play under the Ravens logo, a name chosen by the male students. Thompson would like to see the girls have a chance to create their own team identity B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檝e recently been playing as the Eagles.
B次元官网网址淚 like the eagles, theyB次元官网网址檙e just a cool bird and theyB次元官网网址檙e really strong,B次元官网网址� said Saffron Brooks, a Grade 10 student who plays rugby and basketball and is on the wrestling team.
Six years ago, 11 girls played sports at Esquimalt High. This year, 45 girls tried out for volleyball alone and 21 have signed up for rugby.
A slew of strong female students and athletes have led to a really positive last few years for the school, Thompson said.
B次元官网网址淕irls that are encouraging other people to play is so much better than teachers saying it,B次元官网网址� Parker noted. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been talking to my friends and encouraging them to try something new.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淓ven if they donB次元官网网址檛 want to play, they still want to go to games and be there to support the team,B次元官网网址� added Brooks.
The girls hope to sport their new jerseys by the time they hit the field for the start of rugby season in mid-February. Coun. Meagan Brame wants to be kept updated on how that goes.
B次元官网网址淲e like to hear how well the sports teams are doing,B次元官网网址� she told the students, encouraging them to connect via social media. B次元官网网址淲e like to share your successes as well, so please keep us in the loop.B次元官网网址�
