***I love that more girls are playing sports, I’m just worried they might be picking up some bad habits.***

Recently, I was on the treadmill at the health club when I looked up and saw the Little League Softball Regionals airing live on ESPN.

How cool is that?

And, yet, I was dismayed. Don’t get me wrong. The sudden rise in interest for girls and women’s sports is fantastic and took a long time coming. That the 2024 NCAA women’s basketball championship game had more eyes on it than the men’s final was a stunning change. WNBA attendance and viewership is at an all-time high. More girls are playing sports than ever before, and the idea of girls as fierce competitors has, for the first time, become socially acceptable.

And this is all good. When girls play a sport—especially a team sport—they learn important life skills, like punctuality, teamwork, and how to follow rules. Sports promote physical fitness, self-esteem, and reduce stress. Did you know that 94% of women holding C-suite positions played sports?

And yet, as I watched those preteens play softball, I couldn’t help being a bit disheartened, because it seemed that every time a girl made a good play, she punctuated the act with a dancing display, complete with finger pointing, twirling, and stomping.

And that’s when I remembered the quote that has been attributed to Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. “When you get to the endzone, act like you’ve been there before.”

I know what you’re thinking. “Gosh, Anne! Can’t the girls have a little fun?”

Sure, but the time for celebrating is when the game is over. I have no qualms with players jumping into each other’s arms and pumping fists into the air after they’ve won. But one young pitcher “performed” after every strikeout. A nice double into the gap had another girl on second base jumping up and down and pointing at herself. And so it went.

When did it become okay for young athletes to belittle the opposing team? Because, don’t kid yourself, that’s what’s happening here. The girls doing all the dancing were shutting out their opponents and went on to win 7-0. I’m guessing the losing team felt bad enough without having their noses rubbed in it.

Before I go on, note that I spent 40 years officiating amateur sports, mostly football and baseball, so my experience has been primarily with male athletes. The propensity to glorify oneself during a game has become more common, no doubt a trickle-down effect from watching pro players prance around after making a good play. I suppose if you’ve made it to the point where you’re getting paid to put on your gear, you can do what you want, but most athletes will only participate in youth sports and all this self-aggrandizement is missing the point.

I am reminded of football great Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals wide receiver and the sure-to-be Hall of Famer who, after making the most spectacular catches, would seek out the nearest official and just hand them the ball. No dancing. No high fives. No previously choreographed displays. He just let his talent do the talking.

That is what sports should be about.

So maybe a little less patting yourselves on the back, ladies. Let your skills speak for you. Take pride in your performance, but let the game be the spectacle. Your awkward displays do nothing but make you look like poor sports.

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?