Schools

USA Gymnast Aly Raisman Says No Such Thing as a 'Girl Sport,' Do You Agree?

Disappointed at dropping of boys high school gymnastics competitions in Massachusetts, Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman tweets about her disgust.

Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman heard about plans to drop competitive high school boys gymnastics in Massachusetts and she wasn't pleased.

"Extremely disappointing that boys gymnastics is being dropped by MIAA. This quote upsets me," the gold-medaling gymnast from Needham tweeted Sunday. She posted the quote included in a Boston Globe story from Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association spokesman Paul Wetzel:

"It's a girls sport," said Wetzel, referring to the lopsided [gymnastics] participation rates. "When was the last time you watched boys gymnastics? They don't get on the cover of the Wheaties box. They don't get the endorsements."

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Raisman's next tweet: 

There is absolutely no such thing as a "girl sport" #ridiculous

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The MIAA's decision to drop boys gymnastics centers around statistics that show declining interest by boys in gymnastics as a sport.

Attleboro High School is among seven school in the state with active boys gymnastics programs. The others are at Newton North, Newton South, Burlington, Andover, Attleboro, Braintree, and Lowell. Coaches, students and others have expressed their disappointment.

So, if there appears to be declining interest in boys gymnastics, is the MIAA right to drop it? Is gymnastics a "girl sport?" Or is Raisman correct that there is no such thing? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.


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