The World’s Only Mixed-Gendered Sport is Being Held Back Because of…Gender?
Being the world’s only mixed gender sport, Korfball has suffered from growing pains since the start.
Beginning in 1902, Korfball formed with the basis of it’s structure coming from its predecessor, ‘ring-ball, which was basically Quidditch before it was Quidditch.
By 1903 the Dutch Korfball Association was founded midst backlash towards the progressive nature of this mixed-gendered sport.
Accusations of immortality sailed through the airwaves at full throttle towards the Korfball association and it’s players. One newspaper (unscientifically) stated that,
“Korfball is a monster that extends its claws to all sides.”
Sportswear was a particularly damning subject as the women showed their bare ankles and knees during play.
Despite this, Korfball was able to expand immensely in a short period of time, it was even featured as a demonstration sport in the 1920 and 1928 Summer Olympics.
Best described as a mix between netball and basketball, to this day, Korfball is the only international sport that must be played with mixed teams by definition. Thus within the time of play, both men and women are granted equal timeshare.
Since 1902, Korfball federations have formed in 69 countries worldwide; becoming popular in the countries of Belgium, Taiwan, and the Netherlands.
Ironically, during its promotion of gender equality, the one thing that is holding Korfball back from being contested in a Summer Olympic games is due to gender inequality standards set by the International Olympic Committee.
Korfball has long been recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and has been successful in drawing crowds when competing at the World Games.
However, despite this, the reason that korfball is not able to be considered for Olympic competition is because it does not meet the criteria for being qualified as an Olympic sport- on the men’s side at least-the women’s side is gucci.
The IOC states that for a sport to be considered in the Olympics, the sport must have 75 national federations across four continents for men.
Women only require a sport to be in 40 national federations across three continents, which have been met.
Why qualification standards vary depending between men and women for the IOC is questionable at best, but most truthfully explained behind sexist motives due to an organization that has been running on standards as old as the Colosseum itself.
As an intern for Southwark News based in London, I discovered the sport of Korfball because of a typo. Instead of getting “mixed-gendered shorts” I got “mixed-gendered sports” with Korfball showing up as the top result. I honestly can recall why I was looking up “mixed-gendered shorts” in the first place, my only defense resides in complete and utter boredom.
During this time the Womens World Cup USA team was leading the charge for equal pay. It seemed like fate when I came across what seemed to be the gold standard for sports, and found an actual Korfball team within London nearby.
Without a word, I left my internship early (no ragrets) to trek further south in hopes of interviewing Supernova’s Korball Club and maybe getting my first feature published in the paper (it wasn’t).
Supernova is Central London’s Korfball Club that holds their practices in the picturesque Clapham Common for summer training. On the website, one can find a rough map of where the field is located inside the 220 acre triangular urban park, with an enthusiastic hint to “ look for the yellow baskets.” As comical as walking through the park and stopping numerous times at other courts that have yellow nets in their baskets. Let me save you the journey (if you’re looking for one), Supernova’s summer practice field is located exactly across from the The Rookery, which is located down the street from Clapham South underground station. In hindsight, it should have been easy to locate. However, as an American, I find a habit of getting lost inside a local Sailsbury’s or Tesco.
Although arriving late, the Supernova crew was still warming up with rotating practice shots in a similar style to what would be seen prior to basketball games, where one is to run and catch the ball before shooting it towards the basket 11.5 feet in the air. Those who are not shooting or throwing the ball stand in a line waiting for their turn. The line is never silent during the various warm up drills, as rough-housing, joking banter, and pre-game merriment filled the air.
Newcomers are met with even more excitement as the crew wonders how exactly the said “new-comer” fell off the beaten path and stumbled upon an official korfball practice.
Perhaps the most fascinating commonality between new and old players is their admittance of not necessarily knowing why they are playing korfball at the moment, or really knowing how to play korfball exactly either.
“I have no idea why I first started or what is going on half the time.
“It is a very fast-paced game.
“Nobody really knows why they are there either, but for some reason, we won’t leave.” Anke Robbins, Supernova team 1 (or first-string) player, said.
However, fourth team player Abby Fewell, knew exactly why she joined Supernova,
“ I needed an excuse to leave work,” Fewell said.
The camaraderie of the group can not be understated and was felt immediately, as teammates are often seen hugging and sometimes carrying each other on piggy-back during the warmup drill in a failed attempt to make a basket.
At 8 o’ clock on the dot, its game time, and all the players marked off between shirts and jerseys and walked to their designated area with a designated person. I somehow manged to get marked as well. Nervous and confused, I was thrown headfirst into a game that I only discovered hours before.
A mixed sport by design, the teams is composed of eight players, 4 men and 4 women. Two of each gender are to be marked on the defensive side and two are on the attack at the start of the game. Aside from the attacking and defensive designation, there are no other fixed positions.
The object of Korfball is to make a goal (or ‘korf’, being Dutch for ‘basket’) by throwing a football sized ball into a bottomless yellow basket mounted on an 11.5 feet pole. Once two goals have been scored,
the teams change zones, with the offence becoming defense, and vice-versa.
Players can shoot from anywhere in the attack zone, provided that they are not being blocked by somebody of their own sex.
The defender must be within an arm’s length, facing the attacker, and is between the attacker and the post for a shot to be blocked.
Like netball, players move the ball up court by passing the ball to one another. Once a ball is caught, a player may not dribble, walk, or run with it, but can pivot with one foot remaining on the ground.
Tackling, blocking, holding, kicking the ball or at player is disallowed, and will receive a penalty with a side of court banter.
The use of space and movement away from your opponent is vital to being successful at Korfball, which makes it fast-moving. Players need balance, acceleration, hand-eye cor-ordination, and the ability to think ahead and move into the space. As players continually change their roles, ‘stars’ (or goalscorers) tend to be eclipsed by team success.
As a collegiate athlete I considered myself to be in great shape before the practice started. Yet, by the start of the second hour I was dripping in sweat and begging for the series to end so I can drown my humiliation with beer (lots and lots of it, if I may add). The skill of these Korfball players is second to none as they weave in and out of speed and power plays.
Futhermore, perhaps, the most inspiring thing was the vibe after the final call was made. Man and women have set aside their differences and joined together in a line to congratulate each other. With no sex inferior nor superior to one another a natural respect based on skill and not gender was able to exist without pressure, an emotion that is a rarity in both sports and life.
