Back in September, most senior girls participated in the Homecoming week tradition: the Powderpuff flag football game. The Powderpuff tradition was popularized as an empowering way to get more women to participate in sports, but the underlying themes are nearly the opposite.
According to a Wikipedia verified source, one of the first games was at Eastern State Teachers College in 1945. It started when too many men were enlisted in World War II for there to be a homecoming football game, so the women took it upon themselves to continue the tradition. It barely got passed by the school committee, as women playing football was frowned upon.
The name “PowderPuff” was dubbed by the city’s daily newspaper, as the women participating in the match stayed on the field during half-time to put on makeup in front of spectators as a joke. A powder puff is a soft object used to apply cosmetic powder onto the face. This tradition has been continued at high schools since then, and as times have changed and women participating in sports are normalized, the sexist name “Powderpuff” is still used to refer to women’s flag football.
I find it interesting that women do not have their own football teams, flag, or tackle. It is a sport that is simply not offered to people of the female gender. While some states may have flag football, it is rare as most schools do not participate. Thus, every year senior girls get ready to play a game almost none have experienced competitively before.
I believe that the PowerPuff tradition needs a slight revamp. First and foremost, the name needs to be changed, and a women’s flag football team should be suggested as a club so that students would have an introduction to what could become an intramural team in the future.
As a Greendale player on Team Hippie for Powderpuff this year, I had so much fun playing with my fellow friends and classmates. Even though my team lost, it was not one I took badly. I felt extremely lucky to experience this sport with such amazing volunteer coaches and teachers. There was no judgment, and every aspect of the game was taught in the best way possible with such little time to practice before the game started. However, upon reflection after the game, I grew to notice the slight issues with the tradition.
I am not the only one who feels this way. Senior Maggie Rice, who played this year for team hippie comments that she never realized what the name meant. “I don’t like how it seems like it was made to mock women for not being able to play football.” and that she “was looking forward to being able to…do something (she) usually wouldn’t be able to,” she said.
It is also crucial to mention that senior Isabella Losee became the first woman to score in a football team for Greendale. She says that she loved playing on the football team and she felt very supported by both her teammates and the coaches. “I think girls should have a football team in the future because I think every girl should get to experience the feeling of football,” she said.
I also asked administration for their opinions regarding the PowderPuff tradition, but they declined to comment at this time.
In addition to seeking out opinions from others, I decided to anonymously survey GHS women about their opinions on the issue I first asked whether they would be for or against a women’s flag football team, with the results shockingly being divided between yes and no.
Next, I gave a brief history of the powderpuff tradition and then asked women whether the name should be changed. 58.3% of women answered that the name should not be changed, with many women going so far as to say that it does no harm (and one woman stating that it is a “legendary” name). I was surprised to find that even knowing the problematic past and real meaning behind the name, that the majority wanted to keep things status quo.
One last problem I have with the tradition actually deals with the people participating in it. During our Powderpuff game, I got to see first hand what it was like to play women’s flag football. It took a turn for the worse, though, when outside disputes took over during the game. In the middle of the first quarter it was apparent that actual violence was happening on the field between both teams during what is supposed to be a non-contact sport. It was disheartening seeing women fighting with each other when we were supposed to be having fun.
Flag football and tackle football are very much different, as you are not supposed to make any contact with other players during flag football. What I saw, though, were women clawing, pushing, and at one point, kicking each other. Afterwards, there was discussion of discontinuing the tradition, and I find this absolutely disappointing. Do we as women really want to limit each other even more and stop future generations from participating in a sport they usually cannot play? Why do we need to tear each other down more than we already do?
Overall, I like the tradition. However, I do not like the tradition’s past and possible future. Just because it is considered a tradition does not mean we need to continue every aspect; we can bring positive change to this sport! That is why I write this article, to provide context and let people know why this tradition may need to change. Gender stereotyping is harmful and leads to more inequality, but we have the power to stop it. At the very least, let’s keep playing and find a way to leave our differences off the field.
