Arizona High School Boys Soccer Team Refuses to Play Against Team with Girls

An Arizona boys high school soccer team forfeited a match last week after refusing to play its opponent because there were girls on the roster. 

Citing the school's religious beliefs, Mesa-based Faith Christian School refused to take the field when Foothills Academy College Prep said it would not play without the girls, according to Richard Obert of AZ Central. 

Dick Buckingham, the administrative leader of Faith Christian, released a statement defending his school's decision:

"

I know it appears to fly in the face of what everyone is wanting to promote today, and that is equality. It is based on a religious perspective that God created guys and girls differently. The difference physically, there is a strength advantage that men have over women. We want to teach our men that honor of ladies is just not in sports. We struggle how to teach that if we're allowing them to play against young ladies in a competitive game.

We're the ones harmed because we're giving up a game. We think it's better to do that than give a mixed message.

"

Foothills chose to play one game without the two female students earlier this season when another school threatened to forfeit. This time, the male players voted to refuse to play without the girls, Alyssa and Colette Hocking.

"Actually, it was the team's decision," Foothills coach Steven Rains said. "They would not play without their team. They felt the girls earned the right to be on the team. And they won't play without them."

"You can't disrespect their religion," said Foothills junior striker Dallas Fox. "That's their beliefs. I have my own beliefs. I am not one to judge that. But, personally, I think we're all humans. Even though it's a boys league, it doesn't say girls can't play. Girls can play, in my opinion." 

Foothills does not have a girls soccer team. The conference's rules permit schools without a girls soccer team to have girls on the boys team. 

"They made us proud to be part of this team," Colette Hocking said. "We're happy we were part of the decision. They included us. It made us feel like we were part of the team."

Foothills' only loss of the season came during the game it played without the girls, which was a decision by their mother.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.