RAISE THE BAR

How controversial can one basketball team of eight-year-old girls be? Very!

This is a story of 8–13-year-old girls, who wanted to change the paradigm in women’s basketball in Iceland. But it could happen anywhere. 

In 2016 a basketball team for girls was formed in Iceland. The coach was uncompromising and constantly raising the bar. He parented each preteen girl into an empowered young woman. It worked. The girls were trained as leaders off the field and as professional athletes on the field. They set their goals high, and were victorious in girls’ and boys’ tournaments. Until they were no longer allowed to compete with boys. 

For a country priding itself on gender parity, Iceland’s sports culture missed the message. Protests led to front-page news. The girls pressed on, and used their voices to question the rules. Eventually they reach deeper into their training to find the final line and, shockingly, cross it.