Gender on the soccer pitch

My house league set up a co-ed All Star team to compete against co-ed teams in other leagues.

When I attempted to get some of the skilled girls from my house league team to join me at the tryout, they shied away, claiming that they were too intimidated by the male players.

One time while playing drop-in soccer at my university, once again as the only woman, I got clapped for every time I stole the ball off someone, or took a good shot, or scored.

The men were not clapping for each other, just for me every time I made a good play; plays that all the boys on the team were just expected to make, therefore not requiring applause.

I no longer question why it is so hard to get my female soccer playing friends to come to the drop-in with me, or why almost every co-ed team I have joined has been in a jam every season looking for enough girls to fill their roster.