@Tony In 8th grade, the PE teachers of my junior high decided to resolve a dispute over use of the soccer field by mixing the boys' and girls' teams. Like you say, the girls were technically as adept as the boys. I scored a goal in the first game. But then a boy who was near me on the field pulled me aside and told me I should have passed the ball to him, even though I had a clear shot at the goal and he was covered on all sides. Ability isn't the only consideration- males will always prioritize themselves and feel entitled to whatever prize or glory is being "stolen" by a girl or woman.

Psychological studies have shown that men compete harder against women than they do against other men. In sports or business, it's due to the feeling that women are intruders on their territory.

https://www.informs.org/News-Room/INFORMS-Releases/News-Releases/New-Research-Exposes-Differences-Between-How-Men-and-Women-Compete-Against-Each-Other

https://qz.com/860667/men-compete-more-aggressively-against-women-than-other-men-according-to-a-strange-but-revealing-study-of-speedboat-racers