A major sporting goods company says it is reviewing its catalog process after a complaint letter from a 12-year-old girl in Phoenix.
McKenna Peterson was looking at the DICK'S Sporting Goods basketball 2014 catalog when she noticed something was missing -- girls.
She decided to write a letter to the company.
"I am writing about the matter that there are no girls in the catalog," Peterson wrote. "I think girls should be treated equally as boys are treated."
Peterson told the company she enjoys playing basketball and watching women's basketball. She said she even has season tickets to her state team, the Phoenix Mercury. Then she bragged about them in her letter.
"I don't know if you are keeping track of the ladies sports world, but they are the Western Conference Champions AND the League Champions of the 2014. They have at least two of the best players in the WORLD," Peterson wrote.
Peterson said she did find one girl in the catalog, but she said it was on Page 6 and she was sitting in the stands.
"It's hard enough for girls to break through in this sport as it is, without you guys excluding us from your catalog," Peterson wrote. "Girls buy stuff from your store. In fact, my last two pairs of basketball shoes were purchased at Dick's, as well as my hoop and practice equipment. Maybe my dad will take me to some other store that supports girls to actually PLAY basketball and follow their dream and not sit on the sidelines and watch the game to get my next pair of shoes and equipment."
Peterson's dad, a sports photographer in Phoenix, told ABC News he "was blown away" by the finished letter and he posted it on his Twitter account. See the full letter in the photos at the top of this article.
DICK'S wrote a letter back to McKenna Peterson saying, "We at DICK'S Sporting Goods take pride in being the premiere destination for all true athletes and apologize if that was not accurately reflected in the latest basketball catalog. We have taken your comments to heart and are currently reviewing our catalog process so we can do a better job in the future." That full letter is also included above.
Peterson has great plans for the future. She signed her letter: McKenna Peterson, The Fabulous Basketball Player.
