A Brighter Tomorrow: My Journey with Julie

I watch Julie roll her basketball back and forth in her hands. I tell her to think fast as I tap the basketball out of Julie’s hands and dribble it out of her reach. She feigns a scowl, but I can tell she’s up for the challenge. Our keep-away game continues as we laugh and dribble our way to a park. Julie says hi to a bushy-haired man named Hank at the far end of the block. And then, she grabs the ball and dribbles it down the sidewalk to catch up with him as he walks away.

Hank palms the ball and holds it up out of our reach, spinning it on one finger. He asks Julie if she turned in the petition. Julie nods and says the school principal is taking a look. He should have an answer by the end of next week. Hank crosses his fingers on the hand holding the ball, letting it drop to the sidewalk. Julie dribbles it between her legs. Hank says that he would put her on the team for sure. As he walks away, I ask who he is and what the petition he was talking about is.

Julie says that Hank was Mom’s very first customer at Gladrags. He gave her the idea to petition to play on the basketball team. I’m confused. Can’t anyone just join or try out for the basketball team? Julie says that she wishes it was that easy. But the school only has one basketball team, and the coach says girls aren’t allowed to even try out. She asked the principal if they could start a girls’ team, but he told her the school can’t afford another set of uniforms and equipment. When I tell her that’s not fair, Julie shrugs and says that’s what she put in her petition. She found an article in the newspaper about a new law called Title Nine, which says that girls deserve the same opportunities as boys, and that includes playing on sports teams. There’s still a lot of people that don’t agree with the law, like her coach. But a lot of people do, so she got 150 people to sign her petition. Still, the big question is whether the principal will go along with the coach, or agree with the petition.

I’m so surprised that I can’t speak. I can’t believe how much trouble Julie has to go through just to be able to play on a sports team at school. If I wanted to play basketball, or baseball, or even football, all I would have to do is sign up and try out. I tell her that I hope she makes it. She twists her braid nervously and I can tell she feels the same.

Before long, we arrive at the basketball court. Two boys are scrimmaging when the boy with shaggy hair, T.J., makes a basket. Julie gives out a whoop and cheers him on. The other boy, Stinger, narrows his eyes and calls her tomboy. He dribbles his ball in a circle around us and makes fun of us for Julie thinking that she’s Basketball Jones. She can’t honestly think that Coach Manley is going to let her be a Jaguar. Julie says that he’ll have to if Principal Sanchez says so. She tosses her ball over his head, sending it straight into the hoop. Stinger sneers. It’s a lucky shot. There’s no way that Julie can play against the team of boys. Admit it: boys are better at sports. Just like they are at everything else.

I say that he can’t seriously believe that. Julie could beat him any day. Stinger pastes a cocky smile on his face and says we should prove it. Julie rises to the challenge. The two of them can play against us. A Battle of the Sexes.

Hold up. I didn’t sign up for this. I was just trying to stand up for my new friend. Julie has a lot to prove and I don’t want to let her down. I’ve never played on a team without Chloe and my other friends. I don’t want to be the reason Julie loses in front of this Stinger kid. Julie senses my hesitation and asks if I’m in.