Paradise>> Football in Paradise may be considered one of the town’s most prominent traditions, but powder puff, a match that sees the game’s roles reversed, is not.

The student coached event, where girls take to the gridiron for competition and boys cheer from the sidelines, is often thought to be synonymous with the sport in American high school tradition. This year the flag football game, which has been a nearly annual event, was cancelled at the command of Paradise High School’s administration.

“Every year I’ve been here, there’s been problems,” said PHS principal, John Christie.

Christie recalled a former PHS football star who danced in a cheerleader costume at the game a few years back.

“There have been elements that have been funny,” he admitted. But while finding parts of the event humorous, it’s his belief that, as a whole, the program encourages gender stereotypes and the exploitation of females.

Powder puff squads are typically separated by classes and boys from the school football team facilitate practices and call plays when it’s game time. Lack of supervision, Christie said, has led to problems at practices and in the games making it, at times, unsafe and inappropriate. The principal stated that there are now other athletic opportunities that students have the chance to grasp which encourage competition and class involvement.

Student discontent

Last year at PHS, disorganization and poor weather postponed powder puff until the year had run out. This year’s student government approached the administration in an attempt to put a plan for powder puff in motion. The principal held to his beliefs though and the event remained cancelled without a planned return.

“I guess with times changing, Mr. Christie doesn’t want to encourage that,” said Jenessa Ramirez, co-student body president at PHS.

Ramirez was part of the group of students that approached Christie in an attempt to host a powder puff game this year. With this year’s cancellation and last year’s absence, Ramirez, along with the rest of the senior class lost both opportunities to play as upperclassmen.

“It’s upsetting that we’re missing out on that but we can fill that with something less demeaning and just as competitive,” she said.

Equal Opportunities

Title IX, an act passed in 1972, ensures that institutions receiving federal aid don’t provide unfair opportunities or discriminate based on gender, race or religion. Title IX is most often referenced in collegiate and high school sports to make sure that there are fair opportunities between boys and girls for athletic endeavors.

As each sport season comes around at PHS, and all other schools operating with federal funding, there are an equal amount of teams for boys and girls to compete.

In years past at PHS, there have been girls on the varsity football team and even male cheerleaders.

With origins that can be traced back to the 1940s, powder puff was a way for females to compete in athletics, like males did, before the equality act was passed.

The history behind powder puff is recounted differently depending on sources, but the namesake and some accounts come from the idea that it was a humorous spectacle. However, modern day powder puff carries a large competitive aspect and often proceeds from the game go towards student funds.

Christie said that with Title IX in place, there are other opportunities for students to organize events that can be more positive towards culture at PHS.

The principal believes that one day powder puff will return to the high school, but for now he said that he views it as a step backwards in gender equality.

“Some traditions don’t have to stay forever,” Christie explained, “As far as that tradition goes I’d like them to search for alternatives.”

Down the hill

In a few weeks, sign-ups for powder puff football will be open at Pleasant Valley High School, where the event gathers a large number of participants and spectators.

“For our kids it creates a camaraderie,” said Stefanie Volk, an English teacher and coach at PV.

However, it wasn’t long ago that powder puff also lacked a presence at the high school campus in Chico. Volk, alongside the late PV teacher and coach Brett Silva, resurrected the event and turned it into a school-wide program.

Part of the reason that behavior might be more regulated at PV is because everyone involved is constantly being recorded. The school’s video production class, House of Blue, has also become involved in the event and makes a short film each year about the game.

Teams are coached by junior and senior football players and the girls get a chance to play against each other after a month of practicing. The game takes place under the lights at Asgard Yard and part of this year’s admission sales will go towards benefitting the Brett Silva Memorial Scholarship fund.

Volk, a former powder puff player herself, said that she has not heard any complaints since she’s been running the program,

“It’s a lot of fun,” she said, “but the kids do take it seriously.”