Take your boys to women's balls

College Basketball: Ball Year Ball Game 1

One of the first events of ball year was taking the family to watch a college basketball game last week.  Amidst all of the costumes and pageantry--many types of "balls" have that in common-- we saw students from the college at which I teach play a great game of basketball and end their undefeated conference season with a 101 point home win. 

When Dianthus called my parents to excitedly tell them about watching the game, he never mentioned that the students we were watching were female.  I don't think it occurred to him that that's an important detail.  And that makes me happy.

When the movie Hidden Figures about Katherine Johnson and the black female "calculators" at NASA came out two years ago, something about all of the "take your daughters to see Hidden Figures" publicity made me bristle.  While I am always for the making (and viewing of) good movies featuring mathematicians, intelligent women, and the space program, much less the combination of all three, it is not just young girls who need to be able to envision black women successfully navigating STEM careers. Many sons, including mine, need the message as well.

International Women's Soccer: Impetus for Ball Year 2019
(Here in Frisco, Texas in October)

"Ball Year" came about this year because we have tickets to see women from Korea, New Zealand, Nigeria, Brazil, and Jamaica play soccer against each other in France (and I want to throw another gala dance party).  In fewer than 100 days (the US Team started advertising mid-week) we'll be part of a foolish mania celebrating the athletic teamwork of women. Fanaticism over women playing sportsball is no less foolish than fanaticism over men playing sportsball, I grant you, but I'm pretty excited that my sons will get caught up in it, just like they get caught up in other foolish things (mens sportsball, computer games, re-tellings of Greek mythology, baking, what have you).

Mardi Gras- Prepared for Another Ball

In other ball news, thinking it was going to involve dancing, The Mister and I attended a Mardi Gras Party at the American Banjo Museum last night.  Hall of Famer Debbie Schreyer played a mean four-string with the Dixieland Pickup Band.  I like watching women lead and I like watching talent worth following getting followed.

Debbie Schreyer at the American Banjo Museum Krewe de Mardi Gras