Women And Sports
of a team creates special bonds and close friends. The girls also demonstrate cooperation and teamwork as they strive for a common goal. They are taught the true meanings of commitment and responsibility. Pride is gained in accomplishments, while they are taught to toughen in situations of defeat and disappointment. All of these examples are opportunities young women will miss out on if they are not provided with proper funds for athletics. That is a lot to take away just because they do not make quite as much money for the school as the football team.
One may argue that women’s sports do not generate enough revenue to receive the same amount of funding as men’s sports in high school. This is an unfair stereotype that cannot be used to represent all high school sports. My sophomore year, for example, we made it to the State Tournament for fast-pitch softball. The tournament took place during the last week of school, when final exams were held. Despite this conflict, over half the students and faculty managed to purchase tickets and make it to our games. Many teachers held their exams early, so that they and their students could attend. The stands were overflowing with parents, peers and teachers providing their support. That same year, our football team had a losing record and did not make it past sectionals in the tournament. The homecoming game was the only sellout, more due to the tradition than the talent of the team. True, this is only one particular example, but it is an instance that breaks the usual stereotypes made regarding male and female athletics. Even in the situations where men’s sports do generate more revenue, however, it is still unethical to provide them with more funding than women’s sports. According to Title IX, we are required to have gender equity in sports, which includes funding as well as equal opportunities. This means, whether the athletic directors across the nation agree or not, it is required by law to treat male and female athletes equally, even in high school. A quote by Kathryn Reith, a former assistant executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation states, "We're still working within a rule and a culture of sport that has been set up on a male model. We're judging it on that male model. When people say girls are not as interested in sports and intramurals as boys, you're looking at their reaction to a structure of sports set up on a male model of sports they may or may not be comfortable with." (ESPN)
It is frustrating to think that, despite the strides women have made in athletics, we are continuing to be deprived of our basic rights. Women deserve the same funds as do men, and it has nothing to do with who generates more revenue. It is an issue of moral rights, and providing our youth with the opportunities they need for success. Women are just as worthy of equal treatment in athletics, and it is [next page]