I grew up in the 1990s, back when Gatorade had glass bottles, MTV still played music, and the lines between the genders were just starting to blur in a noticeable way—especially in sports.
I remember a time when a few girls in our school started suiting up for Little League. They weren’t just there to pick flowers in right field either—some of them could swing a bat and run the bases better than half the boys. I’ll admit it: I thought it was cool. I had a teammate named Katie who could throw heat, and another girl, Jessie, who ran faster than most of the guys. And then there was this one girl—dead serious—who said she was going out for football. Full-contact football. Not powder puff, not flag—pads, helmet, and all.
It shocked a few folks, but nobody told her she couldn’t. In fact, the general attitude was, “Let her try—if she can hang, she can play.” That was the 90s spirit—gritty, rebellious, and open-minded in a way that made you feel like anything was possible.
That stuck with me. Because back then, the rule was: if you had the skills, you got a shot. Nobody handed you a trophy just for showing up. You earned your place. It didn’t matter if you were a girl who wanted to play linebacker or a boy who wanted to be in drama club—just show up and prove yourself.
Fast forward to today, and things have gotten a lot more complicated.
Now, if a man even talks about joining a women’s league—whether it’s track, swimming, or basketball—it turns into a national debate. Lines are drawn. People yell about fairness, biology, identity, rights, and rules. It’s messy. But I go back to that 90s mindset—if a girl can suit up and play with the boys, why can’t a guy lace up and play with the girls?
I’m not saying throw all the rules out. There are real questions to answer about fairness, competition, and safety. But the heart of the matter is this: the old-school idea of equal opportunity has gotten lost in a world obsessed with equal outcomes.
We used to cheer for the underdog. We used to say, “Prove ‘em wrong.” We used to believe in grit over grievance.
I’m not asking for special treatment. I’m asking for consistent rules. If women breaking into men’s sports was a win for equality, then why is it taboo for the reverse?
Maybe it’s time to bring back a little bit of that 90s logic—where people earned their spot, and respect came from what you did on the field, not what was in your pants.
In the end, it’s simple: fair is fair. Just let everyone play the game by the same rules. Isn’t that what equality really means?
— Shane Higdon
Shane higdon 