Powderpuff is the one special day of the year where some of the most talented, athletic girls in school come together to go head to head against other grades in two-hand touch football. Coached by some of the best and brightest members of the football team, each team has a good chance of winning the $100 grand prize.
This year’s powderpuff was quite disappointing, as the number of participants was low. The reason for this could be that it is not cheap to participate in powderpuff.
“It cost about $25 per person to order a powderpuff jersey and you need one to play. A lot of my friends decided not to play in order to save money,”sophomore Erin Chelf said.
Not only was the number of players lower than usual, but the number of spectators was disappointing The weather contributed to the low number of viewers, but the underwhelming number of people who showed up was out of the ordinary for powderpuff. This could be a possible result of poor marketing for the event because not many were aware of when powderpuff was taking place.
“In the past, the junior class made several videos and posters promoting powderpuff. However, this year, only one video was shown on the announcements and it did not contain enough relevant information about the details of the event.
“I normally attend powderpuff, but I didn’t even know it was going on. I think that it was very unorganized this year and they should have made more announcements about it,” sophomore Caleb Metz said.
Over the past two years, the class of 2018 has dominated the game of powderpuff. Deemed unstoppable by quarterback Katie Mikalis, the junior class was a shoe-in for this year’s first place team. However, some key offensive players on the junior team were missing in action and unavailable to make an appearance for the big game.
“It was heartbreaking that we could not win powerpuff this year. I tried to carry the team on my back, but it was not enough. Even though it’s more of an event than a sport, it’s very special to me. I was very upset that I couldn’t claim a three-peat with this year,” Mikalis said.
In order to prevent a similarly disappointing turnout for next year’s powderpuff (take notes class of 2019), there are a wide range of solutions. Making the jerseys cheaper will allow for more people to be able to and want to play. The high cost of a customized pinnie stopped a lot of people from registering to play. In addition, promoting powerpuff a month before the event will also increase the number of spectators. The promotions can include videos on the announcements.
Powderpuff itself is controversial. While some of its supporters see it as a fun event that showcases the talents of female athletes, others do not see it in nearly the same light. It has a reputation for being sexist and making fun of girls’ athletic abilities.
As such, for Powderpuff to make a prominent return, the event must be better branded. Instead of students perceiving the event as destructive to gender role, it should be portrayed as an event that binds the community together. Teachers and staff members should make an effort to rally around the annual event. Perhaps if male football players were not the only coaches, then people would be less likely to take the event offensively, and it would be a more enjoyable experience for everyone in attendance.