At The Columbus School High School, the annual Interclases tournament is a sports highlight, but fewer girls’ teams face early eliminations. The PE department plans a separate girls’ tournament to increase opportunities and inclusivity.

Gender inequality in athletics remains an issue despite progress since Title IX’s passage in 1972. According to Vorecol HRMS, female participation in high school sports has grown by 1,057%, yet challenges like resource disparities persist. Women’s sports foundation research suggests single-sex tournaments can boost girls’ confidence and participation, while mixed-gender competition fosters respect. TCS High School’s initiative reflects an effort to balance these approaches, ensuring female athletes gain both opportunities and recognition.

“This initiative isn’t about keeping boys and girls apart—it’s about ensuring that all students, regardless of gender, feel encouraged to join and compete.” Urbano Mesa, physical education teacher, boys’ football coach and leader of the interclases tournament said. 

The decision to create a girls-only tournament brought mixed emotions; one hand, female athletes would have a space to compete seriously. 

“I felt very happy and glad because they did take us into consideration regarding the tournament,” Sofia Trujillo, senior playing in interclases, said.

 On the other hand, while the Chang promotes inclusivity, it may also highlight existing gender disparities.

“There already are gender disparities, so I think it would boost them even more, but actually I think it would make things more fun for each gender,” Trujillo explained.

The introduction of a separate tournament was not just about adding more games; it was about creating more opportunities for female students to compete on a more level playing field.

“Last year, we only had one girls’ team in the tournament, which made it difficult for them to truly compete. This year, we have four teams, and that growth shows that when we create spaces for girls in sports, they step up and take advantage of them,” Mesa expressed.

Students view the change as a positive step towards encouraging female participation, strengthening school community dynamics, and fostering inclusivity in mixed-gender participation.

“I think that having mixed-gender participation will help the environment and the community because it promotes integration,” Jeronimo Serrano, senior playing Intercalses, stated.

The initiative fosters inclusivity, and mixed gender participation has its especially in the inclusion of girls in school sports.

“Having a separate tournament would be beneficial for the girls because I think more women would like to participate,” Serrano said.

Looking ahead, structuring future tournaments differently could make them both fair and more engaging.

“If you’re a girl and you have a tournament separate for only girls, then you can really use your skills for something,” Trujillo said. 

The high school community seems to have a positive reaction to the creation of a separate girls’ tournament. Separate tournaments will continue to encourage participation. 

“I think it was a positive addition…you could see some girls weren’t as motivated before, but now they seem more engaged in the competition.” Serrano expressed.

While the program is still in yearly stages, it will continue to evolve and shape the way sports are approached at TCS.

“Seeing the enthusiasm from the players this year proves that this was the right step. If we continue promoting girls’ sports at TSC, I have no doubt we’ll see even more teams joining next year and a stronger sports culture overall,” Mesa said.