The "Baseball For Girls" Primer

Thanks to an article about girls playing high school baseball on boys teams that I wrote several weeks ago for the New York Times, I have discovered a fascinating network of advocates, books, articles and blogs on the subject.

I'll share a few today.

-A recent article by USC professor Michael Messner on how adults create artificial distinctions between girls and boys in sports, to the detriment of both.

-University of Nevada-Reno professor Jennifer Ring's new book exploring the reasons that baseball is, indeed, a sport for girls and has been so almost since the beginning. Jennifer's daughter, Lilly Jacobson, is one of the few women to have played collegiate baseball as a member, until last season, of the Vassar College squad. Ring's book is Stolen Bases: Why American Girls Don't Play Baseball.

-The Girls Play Baseball blog. An entertaining and informative read.

-The American Women's Baseball Federation, which stages annual tournaments for girls and women - one of the few opportunities for female players to play with and against players of their gender.

There are others, of course. But these sources alone will keep you occupied for days. I admire the commitment of these folks.