The Rodent
When I was a child, around the middle of the last century, I was very good at sport, particularly swimming and football. I went to a very small junior school and I often used to make up the numbers for a team, as did several other girls. We were never allowed to play against other schools, despite the fact that we were better than some of the boys who did. At secondary school football was completely out but I managed to make captain of the netball team. I often wonder if I, and many other women, would have been able to take our skills to a higher level had we been born later. The prejudices which try and channel children into gender stereotypical activities are still present although not so prevalent as when I was a girl and I wonder how many potential male ballet dancers, female boxers etc. we have lost through the conventional, traditional role requirements society demanded.