Amplify Girls’ Athletics: What and Why?
Danica Joyner
Amplify is a new club at Hamilton High School, founded by Barry Holloway, assistant coach of girls’ rugby and teacher at Hamilton. Members of the rugby team wanted to start a program for girls’ sports because they don’t get as much recognition as boys’ sports. The goals of this club are to gain more attendance at girls’ sports, especially from fellow female athletes. They would also love to have achievements recognized in school.
Amplify recently held its first meeting on October 5. The first meeting was filled with over 150 female athletes and girls who wanted to help support female athletes. This club is a great opportunity to help support, recognize, and congratulate our female athletes for their hard work and accomplishments.
As the club kicks off, the structure is being built. Holloway introduced the two advisors of the club, Mrs. Schneider, volleyball coach, and Ms. Ullmann, softball coach, who were both female athletes in high school and college. Holloway wants the club to be run by female athletes because it is for female athletes. Holloway stated, “I’m just here to get the club started because the girls on my rugby team had the idea.”
At the first meeting, one girl from each sports team was elected as an executive member in charge of planning events and spreading information about events. Some of the speakers included senior Sylvie Zgonc, representing girls’ volleyball, junior Alex Turner, representing the dance team, and sophomore Kate Rieder, representing cheer.
Zgonc announced that the girls’ volleyball team had recently won 7th in one of the best tournaments in the nation. They also won a tournament down in Illinois filled with some tough school teams in the Midwest. Turner shared that the dance team has won State for the past 4 consecutive years, and, for the first time, got invited to Nationals in Florida and won 4th last year. Rieder shared that the cheer team has continued to win state 4 years in a row in multiple divisions and had placed 1st in all of its competitions last year.
Most of these athletes’ accomplishments have not been well-known or congratulated. At school, the announcements have been filled with the boys’ games. Recently, I have heard all about boys’ soccer and football having playoff games and where to buy tickets, promoting people to show up; however, I have heard little to nothing about girls’ volleyball, which had its first playoff game last Thursday.
The club plans to have general meetings that will include national presenters who talk about being student-athletes, training on social media for how to promote their sports, and sharing accomplishments and promoting each other. Amplify informs and tries to spread awareness about the way women’s sports are talked about in hopes to change the views and stigma around girls’ sports. On multiple occasions, girls’ sports have been talked about in derogatory ways or simply not taken seriously. Boys at Hamilton have blatantly said, “I’d go to the girls’ basketball game if the team was more attractive.” These kinds of statements aren’t just limited to Hamilton High School. Comments on online streaming sites or youtube comments are just as bad, if not worse. For example, girls’ volleyball. Multiple comments over the years have been made about the fact that girls wear spandex and how it’s the reason men watch the sport. As well as derogatory comments about the players’ bodies and appearances, multiple comments have been made about their skills saying things like “pretty good hit, for a girl.” The comment would have been a simple, innocent comment until they added, “for a girl.”
One of Amplify’s goals is to try to reduce the amount of derogatory and negative comments about female athletes and female sports. They are going to educate its members about these comments. Amplify wants to help girls stand up for themselves and help them build a strong character that will excel outside of their sports.
Alex Turner, junior athlete from the dance team expresses her excitement saying, “I went to the Amplify meeting because it seemed like a good message–girls supporting girls–especially dance because many people don’t take us seriously. I’m excited about this club because it will spread the popularity of girls' sports, and show that girls' sports are just as competitive as boys' and take just as much hard work and effort. I would love to see more support and attendance at girls' sports and to watch the club grow.”
Another girl who is eager about Amplify is junior Maggie DeCleene, from girls’ tennis. “I went to the meeting to help support girls’ sports and I hope that the club will make more people come to girls’ sports games.”
Female athletes, coaches, and teachers at Hamilton High School are also very excited about this club. Mrs. Newcomer, principal at HHS, has been very supportive of Amplify. Holloway has even received emails from teachers thanking him for starting the club.
Recently, Amplify held their first-ever Amplify night at Hamilton’s girls’ volleyball game against Germantown. The game was a full sweep, Hamilton going 3-0 in sets against Germantown. The student section was loud and proud, having over 100 students. There was no doubt that it was due to Amplify. Many members of Amplify came and supported, as well as many other high school students because of the awareness of the game. Amplify and its members posted about the upcoming event, made posters, and talked to people asking them to come. There was a booth that had paper and markers in Hamilton’s colors, red and black, to make posters before the game and between sets. The crowd also had fun holding their favorite players’ cardboard big heads and making some noise with the orange inflatable tubes to support Amplify and the team. The volleyball game was highly successful for both the team and Amplify. The club received many donations and had a shoutout from the head coach Traci Buhr. The volleyball game was senior night and Amplify night. So the seniors on the team shared a woman that has helped them become the athlete they are today.
The future of Amplify is still being determined. As of now, there is no affirmative date for another group meeting, but there are plans for, what Hollway hopes to be, two meetings for the executive members before Christmas time. Emails have been sent out to coaches of each Hamilton sports team to choose a member of the team as an executive member for Amplify. This member is nominated by both the coach and the team members. The role of an executive member would be to help plan events for Amplify, suggest new ideas for the club to help bring attraction to it, and spread information to their teammates and get feedback from them. These members will help come up with ideas to engage people coming to the games and help gain attendance. For example, a recent idea for games is providing cowbells for students to use. They hope to come up with more fun ways to engage the student section will boost attendance and help gain more support at games.
Amplify is just beginning but has had tremendous support through donations and attendance at meetings and games. Holloway believes that numbers can only increase as people post about the games and Amplify.
