When both Staples boys’ and girls’ basketball teams advanced to the FCIAC finals—a single-ticket double header—the difference in crowd size was hard to miss. The boys’ team drew in packed stands and a roaring student section. Just an hour earlier, the girls’ final played to considerably fewer fans and quieter cheers.

Despite ramped-up efforts from Staples’ official and unofficial social media outlets to reduce disparities between the boys’ and girls’ teams, moments like the FCIAC finals make clear that those disparities persist and that the current efforts have yet to fully close the gap.

Girls’ basketball player Kennedy Do ’28 said the smaller crowd reflects a pattern that has followed the team throughout the season.

“I think the turnout for our games is very weak and, compared to the boys, we have a [worse] student section,” Do said.

The basketball crowd may highlight a broader issue for many girls’ sports at Staples. According to an anonymous Inklings survey with 166 responses, 59.4% of students report attending more than three boys’ games across all sports this year, while only 28.5% attend more than three girls’ games across all sports.

Many students in the survey cited logistical hurdles, like time slots, to explain the low attendance at girls’ games.

“Boys often get the later slot, which is often easier to attend [because it occurs] after people’s after-school activities instead of during,” a female student wrote in the survey.

However, a closer look at game schedules suggests this may be more perception than reality. During the regular season, boys’ and girls’ basketball share equal time slots between 5:30 and 8 p.m., and soccer schedules are also comparable, with girls often playing in primetime slots after 4 p.m. In some cases, girls even receive more access: this season, girls’ basketball had 13 home games compared to eight for boys, and girls’ soccer had 10 home games while boys had 11.

According to the survey results, nearly half of Staples students surveyed said they skip girls’ games because of a lack of information being posted on social media.  The survey responses cited that they see more posts advertising boys’ teams on social media and so they are more apt to attend those games.

However, this, too, may be a misconception.

When VJ Sarullo became Athletic Director in 2023, addressing the imbalance in advertising girls’ and boys’ sports was at the top of his agenda.

“When you start a media presence, you just need to make sure every program is represented equally—whether it’s a boys’, girls’, or co-ed sport,” Sarullo said.

Under his leadership, Inklings confirmed that the official Staples account now posts scores, schedules and highlights for all teams equally.

But those efforts for equity are not found on all platforms, including the Staples Superfans Instagram page, a central hub for sports promotion. Survey respondents and athletes alike noted that boys’ games dominate the feed, leaving girls’ programs with far less exposure.

“The Superfans account is the primary way of promoting our sports,” one Staples football player, who requested anonymity, said. “I don’t think the girls’ sports get the same amount of hype on the account.”

Inklings analyzed the Superfans page and found that since Oct. 31, 2025, only five of 45 posts highlighted girls’ sports. Meanwhile, the most engaged posts feature boys’ football and basketball.

For many students, that imbalance may reinforce the perception that girls’ sports are secondary, an issue the school continues to grapple with as it works toward more equitable coverage.

Sarullo acknowledges the time it takes to address inequality.

“I certainly am not saying we’re perfect in any area, but, I think we do have good support,” Sarullo said.  “If I’m here for 20 years, you’re still going to be working on all these things over the course of the 20 years.”

But for athletes in the midst of their seasons, the wait for equality seems longer. While administrative promotion increases visibility, players like Do believe the shift must come from the student body itself.

“I think the school tries to equally promote the teams,” Do said, “but there is a clear pride within the guys’ sports compared to the girls.”

This story was originally published on Inklings on April 2, 2026.