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12-Year-Old Girl Schools Sporting Goods Store Over Its Sexist Catalogue

12-Year-Old Girl Schools Sports Store On Its Sexist Catalogue

When McKenna Peterson flipped through her copy of Dick’s Sporting Goods’ 2014 basketball catalogue, she noticed something was wrong — where were all the women?

Peeved, the 12-year-old basketball player from Arizona pounded out a letter telling the retailer that it excluded female athletes.

“There are NO girls in the catalogue! Oh wait, sorry. There IS a girl in the catalogue on page 6. SITTING in the STANDS,” McKenna wrote. She added the company was at least mindful enough to cast some women as “cheerleaders on some coupons.”

“I think that girls should be treated as equally as boys are treated,” she said.

She signed the letter, “McKenna Peterson, The Fabulous Basketball Player.”

McKenna Peterson’s letter to Dick’s Sporting Goods over the absence of women in their basketball catalogue. Photo courtesy of Chris Peterson/Twitter.

Her father, sports reporter Chris Peterson, tweeted a picture of her letter on Thursday and it quickly went viral, eventually drawing the attention of Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO Ed Stack.

He apologized to McKenna on Saturday.

“You pointed out our obvious mistake,” Stack wrote in a letter admitting the company “clearly messed up.”

“As a dad and former coach, I understand first hand the importance of youth sports for all kids,” Stack wrote.

He also said he would be in Arizona in the next few weeks and offered to apologize to McKenna in person.

Dick’s Sporting Goods’ letter to McKenna apologizing for failing to feature female athletes in its catalogue. Photo courtesy of Dick’s Sporting Goods/Twitter.

Coming to terms with the gravity of their mistake, Dick’s promised to “consider” including more women in its marketing campaigns, CNN reported.

McKenna's letter was also retweeted by Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner who play on her favourite team, WNBA champions the Phoenix Mercury.

It was an act of solidarity reminding everyone that combating sexism is a team sport.

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