In HOOPS by Matt Tavares, readers get to take a trip back to 1976 to witness the beginning of competitive girls' basketball. Title IX was introduced to allow girls to compete on a level playing field with boys. Well, not quite "level," but it gave them a chance to compete against other schools and not just on an intramural level.
HOOPS tells the fictional story of a group of girls who were able to form a team that made it to and won at the state championships. Judi loved basketball. Learning and playing the game in the driveway court made her want more. The day she decided to skip cheer practice to try out for the new girls' team changed everything.
In his graphic novel Tavares tells about the ups and downs of this new idea of girls competing in sports. They didn't get to use the high school gym until the boys' practice was over. They had to find their own transportation to away games, and they had to make their own uniforms. It was an uphill fight to be recognized and allowed to have the same thing as the boys' teams.
HOOPS is a gritty story that may surprise today's girls. There is still a lot of inequality when it comes to men's and women's sports, but things have come a long way. This graphic novel should be in every library and classroom collection.
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