A mom was outraged to learn that her seven-year-old daughter's softball team was not awarded the same personalized trophies that the boys' division was.
Ashlee Partin's seven-year-old daughter Faith and the other little girls on her team were instead given a black drawstring goody bag - despite the fact that they won the Florida State Championship.
The doting mom shared her concern on Facebook, writing: "My daughter along with 11 other 5-7-year-old talented and determined little girls have dedicated their entire summer to Babe Ruth Allstars. They practiced 3 days a week for 2 months for hours every day."
Per TODAY, the girls' team won all their games throughout the season - but they did not get their very own personalized trophies like their male counterparts did.
Instead, they each got a goody bag containing a commemorative softball, a plastic luggage tag, and batting gloves fit for an adult.
According to the outlet, the discrepancy in rewards for the girls and boys brought some of the young athletes to tears.
"Faith asked me, 'Where’s my trophy?' And I totally lied to her. I said, 'Oh, it’s coming,'" Ashlee told TODAY Parents. "I assumed there had been a mistake."
However, the difference in awards was entirely intentional.
A number of people have since taken to social media to share their thoughts, with one person calling it a "deserved outcry."
Another shared: "Why do they still get this so wrong? Equality shouldn't be so difficult."
A third commented: "Sexism at its finest."
Florida Babe Ruth State Softball Commissioner Doug Robinson explained in a statement to Fox 35 Orlando: "Our intention was to provide the players with the recognition they deserve and a lasting keepsake of the tournament."
Fortunately, Oviedo Babe Ruth President Jim Brashear agreed that the situation was an unjust one.
As such, Brashear and the Oviedo Babe Ruth board of directors have decided to honor the softball players by awarding them their rightful trophies at a special ceremony on July 16.
"We recognize the Florida Babe Ruth directors feel the alternative awards had similar dollar values to trophies," Brashear told Today Parents. "However, they simply were not what [was] expected and left the girls disappointed."
This year was the first one where softball players were given goody bags instead of trophies.
"I believe they tried something different with awards," Brashear said. "However, it was a swing and a miss, and - whether intentional or accidental - it's not a message Oviedo Babe Ruth at a community level felt we could support."
