City councilwoman seeks to allow girls to play on boys' teams

Story here. Excerpt:

'On Tuesday, the council will vote on changing the rules for youth sports so that any girl younger than 12 will have the chance to play in all-boy leagues if she and her parents desire.

"If the girls can compete and they're willing to compete, why not let them?" said Byrd, who said she was not allowed to play on the boys football team at Bassett Middle School.

"I don't think it's enough to just say that we're not going to do it because it's a rule we have," she added. "Let's think about what we're doing and why we are doing it."

City sports officials, though, said they are just following state and federal guidelines for girls sports, and that the rule is meant to encourage more girls to play sports.'