Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.
What happens when a harmless sports tradition sparks a conversation about consent? That’s exactly what went down when I questioned the new volleyball trend called clipping—where players decorate clothespins and clip them onto teammates, opponents, and even strangers.
At first glance, it seems fun and innocent, right? But what happens when someone doesn’t want to be clipped? What happens when a girl feels uncomfortable but doesn’t know how to say no? That’s where this conversation takes a turn.
Why This Isn’t Just About Volleyball
I brought up this topic in a volleyball moms Facebook group, suggesting that clipping presents a perfect opportunity to teach young girls about consent in a low-stakes situation. And whew, did people have opinions.
The backlash came fast:
- “Why ruin something fun?”
- “There’s no harm in it—it’s a positive tradition!”
- “If they’re playing volleyball, they should expect to get clipped.”
That last one? Big red flag. The idea that participation in a sport equals automatic consent is dangerous. This kind of thinking reinforces the idea that if something is done with good intent, consent doesn’t matter. That’s a lesson we cannot afford to teach young girls.
Consent Starts in Low-Stakes Moments
Saying no is hard. Add in peer pressure, the fear of being seen as difficult, and the pressure to not “ruin the fun,” and you’ve got a situation where girls are learning to ignore their discomfort to avoid making waves.
This is exactly why we need to start practicing consent in low-stakes situations. If a girl can confidently say, “Hey, I don’t want that clip in my hair. Can you put it on my bag instead?” then she’s already building the confidence to set boundaries in much bigger situations.
Because here’s the truth:
- If we don’t teach girls that they have a right to say no to small things, how can we expect them to say no in high-stakes situations?
- If we don’t help them practice setting boundaries early, how will they do it when it truly matters?
- If we tell them intent matters more than consent, what message does that send about their autonomy?
Intent Doesn’t Override Consent
At the end of the day, clipping isn’t the problem—but the way we respond to discomfort is. If a girl doesn’t want a clothespin clipped onto her, that should be the end of the conversation.
Her no should be enough.
It’s time to move beyond “just for fun” and start teaching young athletes that their comfort matters, their boundaries matter, and their consent matters—even when it’s something small.
If we can help girls stand firm in their boundaries over a clothespin, we’re setting them up to do the same in moments that truly count.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
Listen to the full episode of Five with Fry to hear more about why low-stakes consent matters, how sports culture influences girls’ ability to set boundaries, and why we need to rethink the way we teach autonomy in youth sports.
🎧 Tune in now, and let’s talk about why consent always matters—even when it’s “just for fun.”
