As a Syracuse University and Daily Orange alumna, I was, yet again, really disappointed to read this year’s Lacrosse Guide. For the umpteenth time, the coverage focused almost entirely on the men’s team with, quite frankly, uninformed and lazy coverage of a women’s team that, year after year, continues to dominate the sport.

For a paper that prides itself on fair, balanced and independent coverage of the university and its surrounding areas, what justifies publishing two stories about two individual players on the women’s team, compared to the five stories and a “100 Years of Syracuse Lacrosse” feature about men’s lacrosse?

I recognize that the men’s team has historically been one of the top programs in the nation, has won numerous national championships and draws huge crowds to the games. I used to be one of those fans and I’m not denying the success of the program. But the women’s team made it further in the NCAA Tournament last year, starts one of the best attackers in the nation in Kayla Treanor and was just voted the top ACC team in preseason polls. The D.O. sports staff clearly knows all this, but a bunch of girls playing sports just isn’t as interesting to five male sportswriters, I guess.

When The D.O. starts to plan out next year’s lacrosse guide, remember this: Your readership includes women. And keep in mind that SU is home to not only an excellent Division 1 women’s team, but a club team with a full roster and countless more women who try out every year. Remember that Syracuse’s suburbs have some of the best women’s high school teams around, with players who are recruited by top Division 1 schools every year. As a former lacrosse player, can you imagine what it’s like for me and all those women like me who don’t see themselves represented in mainstream sports coverage, and then can’t even find women represented in their college newspaper?

I can’t believe I have to say this in 2016, but women play sports. Women care about sports. Gender equality in college athletics exists for a reason.

It’s just too bad it doesn’t exist in the minds of The D.O. sports staff, too.

Sincerely,

Avery Hartmans
Syracuse University Class of 2014

Published on February 11, 2016 at 5:25 pm