Juniors vs seniors. A constant rivalry that no one ever talks about, but it’s there. The power struggle of juniors thinking they’re top dogs while the seniors really are. With no way to diffuse it, in comes powderpuff football. Juniors vs seniors. Girls vs girls. Coached by the football team. Healthy competition never hurt anyone, so why was it taken away?
The Powderpuff game was a great way for people to get some competitive energy going with the sole reward of bragging rights, of course. For the past two years, it hasn’t been allowed to happen due to the safety of the players which is of course the school’s first priority. But instead of getting rid of it completely, solutions can be made to limit the danger.
A main issue with Powderpuff is the aggression of players which in the past has led to a lot of injuries. However, this can easily be solved by requiring players to sign a waiver which ensures that any injuries or mishaps that occur aren’t the school’s fault.
Another solution to the safety problems would be having a reliable “referee.” Whether it be a parent, a teacher or even a coach from another WJ team, the referee would have solid experience with the sport and would relieve the players and coaches from debating over what the right call was, and spare everyone a lot of anger towards each other and the other team.
The last issue surrounding the safety conditions of Powderpuff is the weather. As always, if it’s raining or rained the night before, the turf can get pretty slippery and can cause people to fall and get hurt. In 2021, a student fell due to wet turf and broke her collarbone which led to the game being canceled for the following year. However, if the organizers had taken the weather into account when planning and made sure the turf’s conditions weren’t dangerous to play on, the whole situation would’ve been avoided.
Instead of using past mishaps to justify canceling Powderpuff for future years, the school could learn from past mistakes in order to ensure that students can continue to have fun while avoiding dangerous conditions.
It’s important for fun traditions like these to continue because it brings up the spirits of many upperclassmen who are getting senioritis and choose not to participate in school activities. Powderpuff is one of the most enjoyed activities by students, whether they are playing or watching, which is why it should be brought back to help bring back the healthy and fun competition from both sides.
