Barefoot and draped in the colorful embroidery of traditional Maya huipil garb, 20-year-old Sitlali Yovana Poot Dzib steps up to the plate, wiggling her bat overhead as she faces the pitch. The field is uneven and littered with stones while searing 100-degree heat scorches the soles of her feet. Nevertheless, she swivels on her toes, digging into the dirt for grip and ignoring jeers from the away crowd, and sends the ball soaring.
Poot is the captain of Las Amazonas de Yaxunah, an indigenous, all-female softball team famous throughout Mexico. They have even been invited to play in the U.S. They have worked to overcome the machismo attitude that softball is a sport for men, spreading the message that women are just as capable.
The decision to play in embroidered dresses stemmed from a desire to pay homage to their Maya culture as well as to demonstrate that women can be both feminine and strong. Las Amazonas reinforce their bravery by playing shoeless.
“Sometimes we receive cuts and bruises but we are hardy folk,” Poot says, brushing off suggestions that barefoot softball may be reckless.
It is a common sight in Yaxunah to see people to walking around barefoot, which team members say played into their decision to compete in softball matches shoeless.
Their choice of uniform has inspired teams from three other neighboring villages to play in huipiles.
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In September, the Amazonas were invited to play the Falcons from Phoenix University in Arizona. Several hundred spectators and tens of thousands online saw them make history at Chase Field, home of major league baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks, in a stunning 22-3 win over the Americans.
Their next step could be Europe. Potential sponsorship deals promise an exhibition match as part of a cultural exchange in Paris – with the bulk of support coming from the Yucatán Government together with Los Leones de Mérida as well as some potential sponsors they’re not yet willing to reveal at this point. The Yucatán Government promotes cultural exchanges to export Maya culture.
“We are Maya,” says Sitlali Yovana Poot Dzib. “I think the municipal mayors and the Governor of Yucatán are beginning to realize and value our contribution. It’s a real turnaround. Who would have thought a few girls and women from a small Mayan village could make such a difference.”
The players’ ages range from 13 to 62. The embedded photo is from their Facebook page. I love everything about this and I hope they get more attention and opportunities.
I shared this story with my sports-fan daughter. What an inspiration. Thanks for leading me to it.
The Perfect Game is worth seeing.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473102/