I Once Wrote a Term Paper About the AAGPBL

I never really liked writing, yet it’s become a large part of the profession I’ve chosen. English class was my least favorite subject in school and I hated writing 5 paragraph essays. I still don’t see the point. I can make and fully support any argument in once sentence. Anyway. When it came to history class I was drawn to it. Maybe because for the most part history doesn’t change. We may discover new things or learn a new perspective but the events themselves don’t change, and I for one, like consistency and reliability.

My junior year of high school focused on early to mid 1900s American history. For our end of year term paper we were allowed to choose any topic we wanted between the years 1900 and 1950. There was no question in my mind what I was going to write about. And since you’re here reading this I assume there isn’t in yours. 

I’d venture a guess that 99% of people my age or younger learned about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball league from the movie A League of Their Own. It was a great introduction (and my favorite movie), but as a baseball player, lover, fan, and female athlete, I wanted to know more. No. I wanted to know everything. So, in case you haven’t put two and two together, I wrote my paper on the AAGPBL. 

This was probably the most fun I had doing homework and “school writing”. I love research. I can get lost in learning about something I love before it hits me that I should probably not only focus on a specific angle or topic for what I would soon be writing but actually start writing. I think this lack of focus and my attempt to cover every aspect of the AAGPBL was the reason my history teacher was not over the moon about my paper. He didn’t hate it, but well, he was not overly thrilled with my in depth coverage of the entire inaugural season. 

To me that was the most interesting part: the games themselves. Yes, it was a history class and blah blah blah I should have talked about the significance of the league and its place in history, and yes, that is fascinating, but ugh! I wanted to know how good the fame athletes were! Which teams won! What they did to win! I wanted the play-by-play of each and every game to unfold in my mind! Is that too much to ask for?!?!?

Needles to say, if I were to write that paper now, I would definitely have a different perspective and write about how amazing, talented, risk taking, trailblazing leaders these women (and men) were and how they changed the culture of women in America. Because that is pretty awesome. 

Don’t expect me to actually write it though, I can’t bear the emotional trauma of not getting another A on this topic so close to my heart.

Am I the only nut job to write a school paper about the AAGPBL? Share in the comments below.