We’ve been a bit AWOL, but felt the ned to weigh in on the recent story from our ne k of the woods (well, at least sort of.  Texas is pretty big.)  A high school senior in Ft. Worth who was likely in line for an NCAA volleyball scholarship has had to sit out games, because she’s pregnant.

It wasn’t her doctor who told her to sit out though–it was her coach.  She’s being benched until a doctor OKs her to play, but we’ve got to call shenanigans on that one.

First off, adults–eve nathletes–get pregnant all the time, and its their job to decide when they want to tell people and which doctors’ adice to take as to when to stop playing.  That’s a family matter, not any of the school’s business.

The other players–despite claiming to be this girl’s friends–are supporting the coach’s decision to sit her, despite the fact that nobody says she can’t play physically…they just need a doctor to tell them what’s already clear.  Basic biology says a healthy seventeen year old should be able to play such a sport at least for the first couple of months of the pregnancy.  That’s what the girl and her parents have both sai  Their suing in Federal court, claiming Title IX has been violated.

We think that’s a bit much, honestly.  Title IX is meant to provide parity for women in sports as opposed to male athletes, and as much as we’re clearly in favor of it, we also recognize that women and men’s bodies do different things.  Like, say, male pattern baldness.  And, in fact, pregnancy.  We don’t see a violation of Title IX in trying to deal with a pregnancy, at least not automatically.  Obviously, you can’t have complete parity here.  After all, men don’t get pregnant, so we can see where the rules would be hazy.

But the coach clearly doesn’t want her to play, or he’d take her parents’ word, have them all sign some lovely release forms, and bump, set, spike away.  THAT’S the real issue here.

The bottom line? Pregnant athletes are still athletes right up until they can’t or don’t want to be.  If her play is affected, the coach has every right to, like coaches everywhere, bench her.  For poor play, whatever the cause.  But her play,by all accounts including his, is not affected as yet.

Not to mention, of course, she’s good enough that she’s competing for scholarships. Not getting to play for scouts right now is damaging her higher educational opportunities.

Let Mackenzie play.  She’s going to have a tough enough row to hoe, between the publicity and–oh, right–the baby.  Let her earn her scholarship if she can, just like any other athlete.

THAT’s called parity.