Coach shows inner strength helps conquer gender prejudice

For the past 34 years Boone has worked with 20 thousand different athletes at all different levels in high school and college. When she started at Perry as a weight coach four years ago, her first impression was, “[the] football guys see me …and they’re probably thinking ‘what’s this?’…But after a day I don’t think anybody thinks about it anymore.” She adds, “If you’re the right person for the job, you’re the right person for the job,” despite what the trend is or what the stereotypes are.

Although people questioned her when she first arrived at Perry four years ago, now no one questions if she knows what she’s doing. Principal Dan Serrano says, “[Coach Boone] has her place here; no one questions that.” He adds, “We didn’t hire her to be the [first to do so]. She knows her stuff.”

Boone doesn’t face stereotypes just because she competes and works with male athletes. As a volleyball player, she says she was overlooked because she was only 5’7”. “All the 5’11’’ and 6’ girls in California were getting looked at. I had to earn my way on [to the team],” explains Boone. There were stereotypes for her even when she was competing against all females, “you’re going to find them everywhere,” she adds.

The football players that Boone coaches say that while she is tough, she helps them get better. “Her workouts definitely keep us…in a lot better shape,” comments senior Colton Evertsen, varsity football player. He continues, “I feel like the way she acts around us definitely encourages and also pushes us just as much as the other coaches do.”

“Oh yeah, she most definitely does [face stereotypes]. I feel like people do not… expect her to do much because she is a female.” Eversten continues, “I feel like a lot of the athletes do not really respect her as much as they should; as much respect as she deserves. But she is a great coach.”

Boone is breaking stereotypes the same way that the new Cardinal intern is. Boone mentions, “I want to see what [the new Cardinal coach] can do, and then we can make a big deal about her…I wish her the best of luck.”

Boone’s philosophy is: “you do have to work a little harder to make that first impression, if you don’t fit a certain stereotype, but then after that it’s all forgotten, no one thinks about it anymore.”

Boone has a plethora of experience when it comes to facing stereotypes, so she offers this advice, “You can’t listen to people telling you you can’t do something. Male or female.”