Feminism Essay Example: The Importance Of Female Athletic Trainers In First Division

Did you know that only 17.5% of head athletic training positions in division 1 sports are women? Women should be given more opportunities to have head athletic training positions at the intercollegiate level. As a girl who is looking to go into this field, I believe that this is something that needs to happen to create a more comfortable and equal environment. I need your help to change the game, both on the field and off. 

Changing the amount of opportunities benefits a lot of players and other staff. Female athletic trainers can provide maternal energy to the sidelines and the locker room, to make athletes feel like they are cared about both emotionally and physically. Sometimes male athletic trainers can be harsh, and not create an emotional connection to their patients as females do. Also, female athletes might be more comfortable with having a female athletic trainer touch their body to treat injuries, rather than a male. 

“Female athletic trainers who assumed the role of the head athletic trainer did so because of persistence and strong leadership skills. Many were promoted to the rank of the head athletic trainer within their own organizations due to strong job performance,” Journal of Athletic Training (JAT). This explains that women are highly capable for the jobs, just not given the opportunity to have them. Female athletic trainers are highly dedicated to their work and have to work very hard to move up the professional ladder. Also, this isn’t equal because men are just given the positions, but women have to work very hard to get the same respect, pay, and job positions. 

“Reluctance and life-balancing concerns emerged as barriers to female athletic trainers assuming the role of the head athletic trainer position. The increase in administrative responsibilities and resulting in additional demands on their time were potential problems for female athletic trainers,” JAT. The reason some people believe that women can’t hold head positions is that women have to have kids and maintain a perfect home life. This idea that women need to have children and therefore can’t have highly respected and demanding positions makes me cringe. Females are highly capable and can manage both if they need to. But the position of the head athletic trainer shouldn’t be reserved for a male because a female MIGHT want to have children in the future. 

“Very few women have leadership positions in athletic training (ie, head athletic training positions) in intercollegiate athletics,” JAT. Intercollegiate athletics have to make some changes. A lot of colleges have male athletic trainers working for an all-women's team. For example, Brian Greene is the head athletic trainer for the Oregon Ducks women's soccer team. I have one question, what makes him more qualified than a woman who applied for the same job? If anything you might think that a woman has an advantage with possibly getting hired for a women's team because she is a woman. This quote goes to show that intercollegiate sports are biased towards men gaining the leadership position over women. 

Now is the time to make a change. Sports are changing, slowly. The most recent big thing is Sarah Thomas becoming the first female referee in the NFL, this only happened this year in 2021. We need to move now, this summer new positions will open for head athletic trainers in all sports, we need to fill these positions with female athletic trainers to create change. 

All we need to do is demand more. Demand more respect, more opportunities, more equality, and more of the same chances that men get. Start by gaining the confidence to apply for these positions, one thing that is holding us back might be fear of rejection. This fear should push you to become better and make sure that no one should reject you in the future because you are underqualified. Make the change, this will be a hard fight, but I’m sure we will rise victorious.