is volleyball really a "mean girl" sport??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is great at it. I feel silly even typing this out, but my older daughter was saying that "everyone knows" that the girls who play volleyball are "mean girls." I mostly rolled my eyes but a friend in another area said it's the same in their area. Is that really true?

It kind of is, not to say that all the girls on a team are mean girls, but just that mean girls gravitate toward it, much like cheer. Look at the outfits for volleyball and cheer compared to other girls' sports (except swim) and you will see why it attracts a certain type. Other girls' sports do not have such sexualized outfits. Most of what makes a "mean girl" mean is a desire to fight over the attention of boys.

That’s interesting. At our school volleyball is full of very competitive popular mean girls while cheer is more for less competitive nicer girls who have backgrounds in dance or gymnastics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it's just their competitive nature being misunderstood.

Exactly. Athletic girls tend to have more confidence and take less crap than others.

Echhh.

Vball is a finesse and technical team sport. Maybe a few dives for the ball with knee pads on.

If your daughter is on the team with tthe mean girls, she had better have a lot of other circles of friends or play club with normal personalities.

Life’s too short to hitch a wagon w the mean girls.

[Anonymous]

And yes it attracts the tall skinny, long pony tail, short shorts very feminine types. The moms push them into it.
The exact reason they poo poo basketball shorts and playing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is great at it. I feel silly even typing this out, but my older daughter was saying that "everyone knows" that the girls who play volleyball are "mean girls." I mostly rolled my eyes but a friend in another area said it's the same in their area. Is that really true?

It kind of is, not to say that all the girls on a team are mean girls, but just that mean girls gravitate toward it, much like cheer. Look at the outfits for volleyball and cheer compared to other girls' sports (except swim) and you will see why it attracts a certain type. Other girls' sports do not have such sexualized outfits. Most of what makes a "mean girl" mean is a desire to fight over the attention of boys.

Volleyball and drill team always seemed like drama city. And they started dressing and looking like clones. No gracias.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There is a difference between an actual “mean girl” and a confident, fit athlete that hangs around her teammates and is somewhat insular. She might have more swagger and may be physically similar to “popular” girls but that in itself doesn’t make her a mean girl. I think the average girl with normal awkwardness and typical body insecurities can easily conflate the two. This I say as a former nerd with ah athlete daughter.

Disagree.

I think from age 10+ onward we all know “mean girls” are the gossips, the drama queens, and the bullies.

If a coach or program or parent community puts up with that (or worse, generates it), it will breed more mean girls and toxicity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funny, we literally had this discussion at our dinner table tonight about this. - DC private hs

And?

So glad I was a swimmer and runner. Hardly any mean girls and it was coed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child plays JV on a high school team. Last year and the previous year, the varsity squad developed a “mean” culture. This was brought to the attention of the AD and other admin. New varsity coach this year who has established different expectations for behavior and, with the departure of last year’s seniors, the team vibe is much improved.

Parents and a school can do something to address this sort of team dynamic. Kids need to know mean behavior will not be tolerated.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8th grader said this too! I think that’s the perception but I have a hard time believing all girls who play volleyball are mean. They do have the cutest uniform and don’t break much of a sweat.

Correct

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanest at our school, ranked:

Field hockey
Lacrosse
Volleyball
Tennis

Nicest girls:
Softball
Swim
Cross-country

Can’t be categorized:
Soccer
Basketball

How could you possibly know that. I know a lot of mean girls called soccer players mean lesbian names.

Crew and water polo is 50% lesbian

[Anonymous]

At my DD’s NYC school, the mean girls play soccer, and are not very good at it, I must add. She also plays soccer, is good at it and a kind, sweet kid. Take that, meanies!

[Anonymous]

Private school lacrosse and tennis players will trump any single volleyball player on entitled mean girl status

[Anonymous]

We can all agree that men’s lacrosse breeds trash men who abuse and assault woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We can all agree that men’s lacrosse breeds trash men who abuse and assault woman.

Yes but why? It’s literally been like this since at least 1989 (based on my personal experience). I’ve lived all over the country and been involved in lacrosse as a volunteer or player for every decade in inner-city programs, west coast backwaters, and private school powerhouses since then and men’s lacrosse has never changed.

I don’t get how its culture is perpetuated across time, geography and income.

Back to volleyball: other girl’s sports are meaner and the players are not playing a “finesse sport” or “hardly breaking a sweat”. Go to a Big 10 game at Maryland before the season ends- it is so intense and fun to watch. And college teams have a great mix of body types and personalities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanest at our school, ranked:

Field hockey
Lacrosse
Volleyball
Tennis

Nicest girls:
Softball
Swim
Cross-country

Can’t be categorized:
Soccer
Basketball

How could you possibly know that. I know a lot of mean girls called soccer players mean lesbian names.

Crew and water polo is 50% lesbian

What?! Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We can all agree that men’s lacrosse breeds trash men who abuse and assault woman.

+1

The biggest d-bags on earth play lacrosse