OUT OF BOUNDS COLUMN: Another skirt scandal
By Nate Bloomquist
This year’s version of the Lady Apaches women’s tennis squad seems to have all the pieces in place for a run at the national tournament. I observed something was missing as I watched the team play in it’s first two home meets ¾ tennis skirts.
Women’s tennis and skirts simply go together.
Only a handful of spectators were in attendance to watch IVCC get a win by forfeit over College of DuPage and a near win over University of St. Francis. Maybe the lack of tennis skirts has something to do with that.
But before angry feminists prepare to riot and throw their burning bras in my front lawn, I’d like to make it clear that I’m not a male chauvinist.
I’m simply not alone in my stance for skirts.
“In high school we wore them,” says Heidi Hewitt, a freshman on the squad and a graduate of Princeton High School. “Now we don’t and I wish we did.”
Hewitt has good reason for wanting to wear a skirt. It could be more than just a coincidence that while the tennis team has very low attendance at it’s home meets, it opts to wear shorts instead of skirts.
Considering the current state of the professional game, this idea isn’t far fetched. Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova thrives more on her beauty than her tennis ability. The phenom has graced the covers of Sports Illustrated, GQ, and numerous other publications. Guys all over the globe, young and old, glare at Kournikova and flock to tennis matches even if they have little knowledge of the game.
Women aren’t immune to the appeal of athletes and their attire either. Basketball has the infamous short shorts and football players wear spandex pants, which also lures women to the games when they wouldn’t normally have any interest in the games.
But IVCC tennis coach Steve Crick isn’t a fashion fascist.
The women have the option to wear skirts, but most don’t.
There’s no reason why IVCC’s tennis squad shouldn’t wear skirts. Kournikova is already one of the best known athletes in the world, and she’s yet to win a major tennis tournament.
So, a skirted IVCC tennis squad can offer fans something Kournikova can’t --talent and beauty.