Women in Sports
Sports are a very important part of the American society. Within sports, heroes are made, goals are set and dreams are lived. The media makes all these things possible by creating publicity for the rising stars of today. Within society today, the media has downplayed the role of the woman within sports. When the American people think of women in sports, they think of ice skating, gymnastics and swimming. People do not recognize that women have the potential to play any sport that a man can play, with equal skill, if not better. Right now in some part of America, there is a woman who aspires to play hockey for the New York Rangers, but what she does not realize is that the media will not give a positive backing to her effort. This negative coverage will shatter her dream within a matter of seconds. Women today have found the intensity that drives people to play sports. Throughout time, women have gone through a lot within the world of sports. In 1999, Newsweek, published an article outlining the “Leaps and Bounds” women have overcome to be where they are today. The events outlined in this article include dates which have made history such as in 1920 when the first woman competed in the Olympics and won three gold medals, and in 1965 when Donna De Varona became the first women to a sportscaster on network television. One of the most important stats within this article lies in the fact that women sports have taken off so dramatically that in 1996, the WNBA, the first women’s pro basketball league is launched. It’s hope was to create a revenue generating professional sport, that starred women. The launch has been a succesful one. But this accomplishment for women may have not been possible without the passing of Title IX. Title IX, aimed to provide equality within the sports world, and paved the way for the future of women’s sports today. Many American are learning that the triumph of women’s team sports is the result of Title IX. The women who participate in such sports have no fear of getting dirty or suffering from the unbearable injuries that sports put them through. The women who come out and play sports are there for the reason that is lacking within sports today. This reason is why sports originated in the first place. Athletes participate in sports for one reason – the love of the game. Within professional sports today, the love of the game has been lost. We see that some players are no longer on the playing field for the feeling of victory, but are out there for the seven figure pay check that they receive for dedicating half of the year to their sport. This is the beauty that is captured by the media. The media covers the purity that women’s sports still holds. Women participate in sports for the love of the game, not because they will bring home millions of dollars doing [next page]