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Faith

Co-Ed Youth Football? Philly Archbishop Will Let Girls Play in All-Boys League

Mar. 14, 2013 8:00pm

PHILADELPHIA (TheBlaze/AP) — The archbishop of Philadelphia said Thursday that he will allow the region’s Roman Catholic youth sports league to field coed football teams.

The decision came in response to a request from an 11-year-old girl who’s been playing football since kindergarten but has been told that she couldn’t play because the Philadelphia league was open only to boys. Now, her wish will become a reality.

Archbishop Charles Chaput said Caroline Pla and other girls will be able to play football in the coming season though the approval is conditional and subject to review.

Archbishop of Philadelphia Charles Chaput Says Caroline Pla, Girls Can Play Football

Archbishop of Philadelphia Charles Chaput speaks during a news conference Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia will host a large gathering of the Roman Catholic church called the World Meeting of Families in 2015. Vatican officials say the event will be held in Philadelphia from Sept. 22 through Sept. 27 in 2015. Credit: AP 

“It’s a great step for the future of the church to include women,” said Marycecelia Pla, Caroline’s mother. “Archbishop Chaput is starting with young women who are the future of the church, and I thank him for it.”

Chaput directed the archdiocese to allow for girls to participate, despite a decision by a panel of coaches, parents, pastors and medical experts that evaluated the Catholic Youth Organization policy and decided to keep it unchanged.

Archdiocese spokesman Kenneth Gavin told The Associated Press that Chaput considered all factors.

“The panel’s recommendation was one factor. He is grateful for their service and counsel,” Gavin said. “He considered all possible factors though including feedback from sources both critical and supportive; the expectations of parents, coaches, and pastors; common current practice, legal circumstances and the CYO policies of dioceses around the country. Everything factored into the final decision.”

Earlier Thursday, Pla said Caroline, a sixth-grader, was still in school and was not yet aware of the decision. She added that the decision would benefit other girls, too.

“It’s a great for young girls in CYO football,” she said.

Featured Image: ABC News

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Comments (42)

  • Centralsville
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 3:52pm

    Go ahead and break down all the barriers. Right now it is like everything else in this society. Special rules to benefit the girls. Don’t do it half way, do away with boy and girl teams. You will have a handful of girls that are good enough to compete at the bottom level with the boys. The vast majority of the girls will be eliminated from playing because when it comes to the biggest, strongest and fastest most can’t compete. Let boys prove in football how superior they are by knocking the crap out of the girls. No more girls softball, no more girls basketball. No more special rules for the smaller, weaker sex. Stop locking up men that knock their wives around while your at it. Stop playing the I’m weak card.

    Report this comment

    Centralsville  
  • DREDGE
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 11:34am

    What about gays, trannies, amputees, mentally disabled, politicians?

    Report this comment

    DREDGE  
  • overthecliff
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 10:52am

    After about age 14 when girls weigh an average of 110 lbs and boys about 160 lbs, the girls will get the **** beat out of them. No more coed football. (unless the new girlified flag football of the NFL becomes the norm)

    Report this comment

    overthecliff  
  • linearnonlinear
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 9:10am

    Well, When another team puts a Bulls-eye on her and pops her a good one, that will all change. Nothing like a dislocated shoulder, finger, or torn LCL. Her Parents are setting her up to eventually fail. But as long as the little princes has FUN…..

    Report this comment

    linearnonlinear  
    • Eastinfection
      Posted on March 15, 2013 at 9:24am

      If another team puts a target on her SPECIFICALLY because she is a girl then THEY are the failures, not her.

      Report this comment

      Eastinfection  
    • G-WHIZ
      Posted on March 15, 2013 at 10:40am

      Wait–Wait!! my LIPGLOSS is smudged! Wait–Wait!! I broke water! Wait–Wait!! I broka nail! Wait–Wait!! I GODDA HEADACHE!!

      Report this comment

      G-WHIZ  
  • ldaopines
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 4:36am

    We continue to masculinize our girls/women and feminize our boys/men. Just why is unisex thing so important to some people? Give me real men and real women any day. I love our separate gifts and strengths. We built this great country upon those.

    Report this comment

    ldaopines  
  • youshuthehellup
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 3:27am

    I wonder if the mom will still be as happy when she goes to visit her daughter in the rehab and her little sweety is in a cast! she will get hurt unless they dumb down the rules to the pansy level.

    Report this comment

    youshuthehellup  
  • Bookin Weasel
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 2:27am

    Look for some serious grab “assery” at the bottom of the piles if this goes through……because boys will be boys…

    Report this comment

    Bookin Weasel  
  • PuntoVistaSur
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 12:43am

    So that everything is EQUAL – boys and men should be allowed to play on all girl and all women teams. Come on…keep it all equal!

    Report this comment

    PuntoVistaSur  
  • NoContest
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 12:05am

    My daughter LOVES football. We have a big (I mean HUGE) family, and at any family event, she would play football with the family (almost completely boys–most of which were in football themselves) and she held her own. I allowed her to play in the local pee-wee, mostly so that she’d get hurt, and get it out of her system. She is now 3 years, with some injuries, and still loves it. She’s one of the better players on the team, and we haven’t, and don’t plan on, insisting that any rules change. I do agree that –in most cases– girls aren’t able to compete, but she is a big girl, and is still growing-and VERY muscular, and as long as she earns her spot, she’ll keep playing. I don’t expect anyone—and don’t WANT anyone–to change the game, or rules. There are some boys that are not good candidates for football, and there are a few–select few–girls that can hold their own.

    She has been in Judo and Tae Kwon Do since she was 5 so that I didn’t have to worry about her protecting herself. She is a tough cookie.

    Report this comment

    NoContest  
    • Eastinfection
      Posted on March 15, 2013 at 9:20am

      Good for you. Good for your daughter, too.

      I grew up with one girl in particular that played baseball, soccer, basketball, and football on on boy’s teams until she was highschool- aged… she then switched to girl’s teams and absolutely dominated.
      She got a full ride to a Div.-1 school for soccer and then played professionally.

      PS: She was a knockout- too. Very pretty girl.

      Report this comment

      Eastinfection  
  • ewoodard
    Posted on March 15, 2013 at 12:01am

    i say great. if bertha lou dorfmeister can make a living in the nfl, more power to her! but no crying when casper milktoast out synchronized swims anyone! these things have a natural way of sorting themselves out, especially when bertha lou sues becuase she took too many hits and cant have children.

    Report this comment

    ewoodard  
  • A_CALL_TO_CONSCIENCE
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 11:12pm

    Bad Idea.

    Report this comment

    A_CALL_TO_CONSCIENCE  
  • perry1980
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 9:41pm

    and they will all get Trophies at the end of the year. even the last place team. i mean the statistically challenged team

    Report this comment

    perry1980  
  • Eastinfection
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 9:00pm

    Meh. I don’t see this as a big deal.
    There were a few girls playing Pop Warner when i was this age in the 80′s.
    A couple of them were pretty good,

    Report this comment

    Eastinfection  
  • skunkbear
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 8:44pm

    PC trumps reality. Yet another example of how idiotic the catholic church is. A new pope?! That is like saying the new witch doctor who gets to throw virgins into the volcano.

    Report this comment

    skunkbear  
  • media-bias-steals-elections
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 8:42pm

    STOP THIS! Girls start getting their boobs at 12 years old, and young men need to concentrate on keeping their zippers up, not on what might happen if they zip it down? This has got NOTHING do with equality in society, but EVERYTHING to do with children not having fathers?

    May God forgive you? May God forgive me for screaming at you? You don’t need to worry about the evil you think is going to happen tommorrow, when you’ve got evil to fight today?

    Report this comment

    media-bias-steals-elections  
  • skippy6
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 8:31pm

    Well, some new penalties will be in the works, I can see it now.. 15 yards for unnecessary groping…..

    Report this comment

    skippy6  
  • Shasta.Red.Banks
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 8:30pm

    Seems like this is another story that should have had the word “WHOA” in it’s title.

    Report this comment

    Shasta.Red.Banks  
  • electroencephalographic
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 8:22pm

    If they can compete WITH THE GIVIN rules, let them.

    Report this comment

    electroencephalographic  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 8:11pm

    Archbishop Chaput… is that pronounced with a silent H?

    Report this comment

    The-Monk  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 8:09pm

    Will he allow boys to play in all girl leagues?

    What’s next…. the reintroduction of progressive unisex bathrooms?

    Report this comment

    The-Monk  
    • Eastinfection
      Posted on March 14, 2013 at 9:07pm

      lol Monk..

      “unisex bathrooms”

      I saw these while visiting Hampshire College…
      ..Nothing sexier than two girls taking dumps while you try to brush your teeth.

      Report this comment

      Eastinfection  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on March 14, 2013 at 9:44pm

      Hi East,

      I did some traveling around for a few Microsoft events and had to use a few of them. There was no choice either. It uni-sex or no p i s s.

      Funny how progressives have to put the word “sex” into doing something as natural as going to the bathroom.

      CAEROGAP?

      Report this comment

      The-Monk  
    • Eastinfection
      Posted on March 14, 2013 at 10:25pm

      i agree.

      why not just call it “The Bathroom”. “instead of UNISEX bathroom”?

      i’ll read it later tonight when i get a few minutes to myself and get back to you in the morning BTW. my house has been like a zoo this evening.

      Report this comment

      Eastinfection  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on March 14, 2013 at 10:37pm

      Cool beans East… : )

      Report this comment

      The-Monk  
  • LetThereBeLight
    Posted on March 14, 2013 at 8:08pm

    Ridiculous! First time a girl seriously gets hurt, cause it WILL happen… the ‘rules’ will have to change! You watch!

    Report this comment

    LetThereBeLight  

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