Woman in a man's world

I've been looking for a just-for-fun-with-a-little-friendly-competition soccer team/club/league ever since I arrived in Geneva, without much luck at all.

One day, when I was feeling particularly ambitious in my search, I wandered over to the nearby stadium and started poking my head around looking for someone who might know something. In fact, I naively poked my way straight into the men's locker room (oddly enough, not one of of the row of 20 boys - ranging to men - seated in the entry of the locker room bothered to forewarn me...). Having turned a 360 degree circle and seeing more men's bottoms than I had intended to see that afternoon, I then exited the locker room and somewhat bemusedly asked one of the (presumably) coaches seated outside if he knew where I might get info about women's or co-ed leagues. He gave me a look as if I really were from Venus than proceeded say that, well, he knows about teams for little girls ...

So imagine my excitement last week when I saw an ad for a pick-up soccer group looking for players! I jumped on the phone, secured my spot (after being assured that Ronaldino and Beckham were not on the roster) and happily joined the troops at the agreed upon spot to play. Of course I imagined they would be a bit short on estrogen, but I didn't really think I would really be the ONLY representative of the female population.

And no, I don't mean the only woman in our group of 12, I mean THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ENTIRE SPORTS COMPLEX. Funny what sterotypes can mean sometimes ... when I first talked to the captain he said "now you're American, right? It's great when the American and Australian girls come because they can actually play - a lot of times they're even better than our guys." And it's true ... in the States a lot of girls grow up playing soccer ... in Europe, very, very few do.

Being the lifetime female sports lover that I am, it never even remotely crossed my mind to change before going to the sports complex. Places like that ALWAYS have bathrooms, lockers and showers. Then again, places like that always have those things in the States ... here they were only for men. Don't get me wrong, I am by no means a man-hater and these guys were are gracious as ever, but it didn't take long to figure out that, not only was there no women's lockerroom in the building, there was not women's toilet ... in the ENTIRE BUILDING.

Ever so kindly, the guys offered to clear out the men's lockerroom and stand sentinel at the door so none of the other teams would come in or, when I declined that offer, to wait outside of the court while I changed (shall I mention that the court had a 2nd floor viewing deck and glass windows down an entire side??). I declined that as well ... and changed in the corner of the hallway ... across from a window onto the courts and as the b-ball teams walked by, but it was the best spot I could find.

Honestly, it was one of those incredulous things that you just have to laugh about. But more honestly, it makes you think just what it must have been like to be among the first female athletes just a generation ago ... just fighting to get a private corner to change in before the big game.