Young girl humiliated after underwear 'witch hunt' at netball game
A young girl was humiliated after she was singled out for her underwear during a game of netball, which cost her team the game.
The West Australian mother shared the story to Facebook, hoping to “raise awareness” because she did not want another child to go through the same ordeal.
“I’ve decided to write this because of the humiliation that my daughter has incurred, and I do not want any child to be as embarrassed as my daughter is,” she wrote.
The mum explained the incident happened at her daughter’s under-13s netball game, which ended in a draw, and she said both teams should be “very proud of their efforts”.
During the game, the opposing team’s manager noticed her daughter was wearing the incorrect underwear.
The mum explained her daughter was wearing white-and-black underwear as opposed to just black.
The team manager allegedly sought out the netball officials and convenors to “dob” on the 13-year-old.
In her Facebook post, the mum did not disclose which netball association or team her daughter belonged to, or the name of the opposing team.
But within the Perth Netball Association, “undershorts” are considered part of the team’s uniform for all players aged 7 to 8 and above.
Mum reminds adults to ‘lead by example’
After the issue was raised by the team manager, the convenors then observed the game and questioned the players at half-time, three-quarter time and full-time regarding what underwear they were wearing.
“That official then advised my daughter that because of her shorts, that the other team would be awarded the game,” the mum said.
But the mum said she was scoring during the game and her daughter’s underwear would not have been visible unless she bent over.
“The conveners also did not see them for themselves, hence the witch hunt to find out who the girl with the different underwear/shorts was,” the mum said.
“Netball is a fun, light hearted sport that is all about teamwork.
“For an adult to purposely go and get a child singled out, just to win a game completely disregards sportsmanship, it is petty and has left me disgusted.
“Don’t get me wrong, rules are rules, but the culture of the game gets completely destroyed when adults try to bring down the children.”
The mum also urged adults involved in recreational sporting teams to “lead by example”.
“Don’t show children that the only way to win is to ruin another or bring them down,” she said.
“Support each other, cheer on other teams, and always remember that young teenage girls are not made of steel.
“Leaving my daughter humiliated should not be the result of a team sport, especially when it’s caused by the adults.”
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