Rachel - age 10, pitching for her Little League® team against a team in Cottonwood.  One of two girls playing baseball in Anderson Little League®.

Rachel jones - up to bat

Rachel is my daughter and a 6th grader at Pacheco Middle School in Redding, CA.  For the last 5 years she’s played Little League® baseball and will play again this year.  At Pacheco, before this year, you were eligible to try out for baseball in 6th grade.  Rachel was excited and eager to try out and did. 

On Friday, February 20th, she was informed by the Pacheco baseball coach, that she made the team.  The coach also called me to talk to me about Rachel being on the team.

Practice started the following Monday, so Rachel got up early and packed her gear to take to school.  For a little over a week, all was going well.  She got her team hat and her practice jersey, and all I could think was, “Wow!  It’s official.  No horrible fights like I’ve read about from other schools.”

On Tuesday, March 3rd, my fears became a reality.  We were told that the Athletic Directors in the league Rachel’s school belongs to had a meeting the previous day.  The Athletic Director for our school had petitioned for Rachel to be allowed to play on the team….ummmm, yeah, after she had already made the team, and no, I had no idea this was happening.  The other 4 Athletic Directors had a vote, and it was unanimous.  4-0 Rachel is off the team.

The coach called our home on Tuesday to let us know, but said he would still allow Rachel to practice with the team.  I went to the school right away to speak with the principal.  I was a little confused since I had been previously told [by the principal] that she was unaware of any rule that would prohibit Rachel from being on the team - that it was only an issue when a boy wanted to try out for a girls sport.  (By the way, I don’t entirely agree with that either.)

When I got in to see the principal, she told me about the meeting and the vote.  From what I understand, the primary basis of their decision was that there was a comparable sport for girls - Softball - so there was no reason to allow her to play on the “BOY’S” team.  Now when I checked out the sports on their website, it did not say “BOY’S Baseball” or “GIRL’S Softball”.  Only Baseball and Softball.

Now, this fight has been fought AND won in other states.  Specifically, in West Virginia, a court upheld that baseball and softball were not the same sport, and therefore, a girl must be allowed to try out for and participate on, if qualified, the baseball team, even if the school also offered a softball team.

                                                   Want to know what happens next?

                                                               Click here for next page             

We had a small problem with the guestbook, and it had to be recreated.  Please feel free to re sign it.

UPDATE!!  Read her story in one of our local newspapers here:

 

http://www.andersonvalleypost.com/news/2009/mar/17/rachel-jones-is-ready-to-play-baseball/

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

FRIDAY MARCH 20th

RACHEL IS BACK ON THE TEAM!!!