There seems to be an awful double standard in our world today when it comes to the topic of sports. That is to say that whenever sports are mentioned, the girl in the conversation is always turned to and stared at and offered and explanation on the simplest of concepts, such as what a full count in baseball means. Everyone seems to believe that guys are the only ones who can have extended knowledge in the sports world and continue to play long after a girl “has to quit.” These assumptions and thoughts processes could not be further from the truth because, for one, I have infinite knowledge about almost every sport there is to know, and guess what? I just so happen to be a girl.

One of my favorite things I have ever seen on the internet was a GIF that portrayed the difference between male and female sports, and it is a great start at proving my point that girls are just as talented and knowledgeable at sports, if not more passionate about it. In this GIF, two professional soccer games are being shown. In the women’s soccer game, one of the players has blood dripping down her face from a no doubt broken nose and she continues to run forward and kick a penalty right past a diving goalie, then runs down feel as though she isn’t in pain and gushing blood. After this marvelous feat, it shows a male soccer player being kicked in the shin hardly enough to form a bruise and he falls to the ground, holding onto this leg as if it was just cut clean off and forcing the game to stop. I understand that this is not always the case in either situation, but do not try to tell myself or any other female sports fan that girls should not be into or play sports because they are babies.

I played sports for thirteen years until I had to stop playing organized sports due to an injury that I truly do not want to get worse. However, with the experiences I’ve had, along with many other girls on my own team and multiple other teams, I think it is safe to say that we could hold our own against any boys’ team any day of the week. I have never seen a player who has gotten injured to the point where they could hardly stand up do anything other than try to fake it and lie to their coach so they could stay in the game. That is dedication. That is love and passion for the game they are playing. That is talent. Of course boys do this, too, but the point here is that girls are not too wimpy and prissy to play a sport.

Let’s step away from the actual playing of a sport and go to the knowledge. Even if a girl has never played a sport in her life, by no means does that go to say she is a moron when it comes to the sports world. As the only girl in my high school NCAA basketball March Madness pool, I can definitely tell you that the first couple years it took the guys awhile to get used to the fact that I knew what I was doing and almost won. Heck, it took them a year to open up to the idea of a girl joining the pool. I have both seen and partaken in heated arguments about sports, both the games themselves and players, and have seen victory more than a few times. I have walked away with a triumphant smile on my face as the boy I had just argued with was left with his jaw dropped at the fact that I knew so much. As I said, I have seen the same thing happen many times, and it leaves me in disbelief that these guys still believe we know nothing about sports, or are faking it, or are speaking rehearsed lines. Here's a wake up call for you, guys—girls know their sports too, so don’t even try to argue!

I could keep talking about this all day, as I am starting to get worked up into my sports mode just writing this, but I won’t bore with you facts and figures from the 1980 Olympic hockey team, the Chicago Black Sox scandal, Elena Delle Donne’s journey to the WNBA, or the reason that the 2014 Final Four foul call was bogus. But I will leave with this. Males seem to get bragging rights of their sports knowledge or talent, and while that is all good and well, don’t toss us girls to wayside. There are so many females in this world who use sports as an escape, a happy place. Although the scenarios may be a bit different, I know I am speaking for many of female sport counterparts when I say that sometimes all I need is a couple hours in the gym when I am having a bad day. Sometimes all I need is to get lost in the baseball game on the television when I need an escape. Sometimes all I need is to walk into the arena, stadium, dome, or rink of one of my favorite teams to make all the bad things in life disappear for a while. All I need is the passion and pride of sports to swell back up inside of me to put a smile on my face, even as I am angrily yelling at the referees on television and scaring my roommate.

Maybe sports began as males only, but it’s time to step aside and let us women show you how it’s done.