Minority Sports

Growing in a minority city, going to a minority school, and playing sport for the minority school was pretty interesting. I played basketball for Compton High School 9th-12th grade. I played freshsoph 9th grade and Varsity 10th-12th grade. In 9th grade we did not have enough uniforms for every play on the team. We had three different set of uniforms but none where a complete set. So basically we had mix match uniforms. This was very tacky. My 10th grade year we did not have uniforms at all. We had to use the boy’s JV team uniforms after they used, which was very nasty and unsanitary. My 11th grade year we received new uniforms but they were ugly and cheap looking, which was still an embarrassment; but we were happy because we finally received uniforms and did not have where the boy’s JV team uniforms. My senior year we got the best coach ever. He actually cared about us. He said in order for us to feel like we can compete against the others teams we have to look as good as the other teams. He got us brand new jerseys. We had three sets of uniforms with matching warm ups. Having these uniforms did boost our confidence levels up. We didn’t feel like the little poor kids in the Moore League anymore. We played against all the Long Beach Unified School District, which was a richer district than Compton Unified School District. The teams would have nice uniforms and matching from their heads down to their toes. I felt that because we were in a minority city and because we were women no one care about are needs as athletes. How are we supposed to play basketball without any uniforms or feel like we can compete against these richer schools and their top of the line uniforms? Those with power and money manipulate those without power and money. Since we were from Compton and were women two negative against us we got swept under the rug and it did not seem to bother anyone.
SMH!
Adriane Vazquez
Kin 332I T/Th 12:30-1:45
Kerri Kauer