In 1973, Carolyn King was a 12 year old tomboy growing up in Toledo, Ohio. She was a terrific young athlete who played every sport there was with the boys in her working class neighborhood. When her brother and friends started trying out for Little League baseball, Carolyn wanted to play, too. She made the team and sparked a national controversey over girls being discriminated against by the national Little League organization.
Today, nearly 350,000 American girls play Little League softbal -- in addition to the girls playing Little League baseball with the boys. Now, a documentary, "The Girl in Centerfield," has been made about how a 12-year-old girl -- who "just wanted to play baseball" -- was the central figure in a critical fight for girls right to play sports.
The Detroit Free Press did a front page article on Carolyn King and how her courage and tenacity helped change American culture. Share this story with a adolescent or 20-something girl you know. The road has been so smooth for them so far, they haven't learned how to fight. But there's plenty of rough water ahead. They need to jump in and keep pushing the edges for women, just as Carolyn King did over 30 years ago.
Here's the link to a great story: http://www.freep.com/article/20100725/NEWS05/7250456/1318/37-years-later-a-girls-quest-to-play-Little-League-ball-is-relived-on-film
