Gender Barriers in Sports Essay Example

You’ve most likely heard that female athletes are less interesting than male athletes. In sports, women will never be as good as men and will never get treated the same. Even if they were considered good enough, they would find themselves being mistreated often. Female athletes have been highly underestimated, As women began breaking the gender barriers in sport, the perceptions of women’s roles changed and the change in perception, led to increased acceptance of women as athletes. There are many factors that led to the rise in female athletes. 

One of the main reason’s women are now treated equally is because of Title IX, TITLE IX mandated that institutions receiving federal money must fund athletics for men and women on a proportional basis or risk losing their federal money. Institutionally supported women’s athletics were under-funded and ignored in the past. But, After President Nixon signed into Law IX in 1972, participation in intramural sports has exponentially risen among girls. For instance, College-level women athletes has risen from 32,000 to 150,000. And, over 10,000 scholarships are going to female athletes according to the text, “Title IX and the Growth of Women’s Athletics”. To add on, Due in large part to Title IX, successful female athletes are no longer looked upon as anomalies, but rather as athletes. 

Another reason for this change is the History of the WNBA, The WNBA has influenced the sports world in so many ways. This association is played strictly by females, They have come a long way since they started in 1997 and have had many firsts. The WNBA has a large audience, In 2001, WNBA games were broadcast to nearly 60 million fans in 23 different languages and 167 different countries. Also, as stated in the text “History of the WNBA”, “In 2001, more than 2.5 million fans attended WNBA games- the most ever-“. Furthermore, The WNBA has a large impact on children. For example, Jr. WNBA, is a support organization for recreational youth basketball leagues that connects players, parents, and coaches in an effort to heighten awareness and participation in youth basketball. Lastly, Another one of the WNBA’s outreach initiatives is Read to achieve. A year-round league-wide initiative that promotes the value of reading and on-line literacy and encourages families and adults to read regularly with young children. 

In conclusion, As women began breaking the gender barriers in sport, the perceptions of women’s roles changed and the change in perception, led to increased acceptance of women as athletes. These examples were some of the many factors that led to the rise in female athletes. Women have worked very hard for their recognition in the sport’s world. Always respect and look up to these amazing women!