If you follow me on twitter, or might just happen to come across my twitter page, you will see among the other items in my twitter bio, the citation " supporter of women's sport and women in sport". I think most people get the nuance in that comment, however I still get the comment or question about why I make the distinction.
For me, there is a clear distinction, on the one hand we have the issue of improving coverage, investment, support of female sport. On the other hand we have the issue of improving the presence of women in all aspects of sports, be it as athletes, coaches, decision makers, journalists, in all sports, not just those played by women. While I do see the two issues as having their very own unique and distinct challenges, there is a common thread that does tie the two together, the importance of eliminating the many gender stereotypes and bias that somehow would lead many to come to the conclusion that whether we talk about women's sports or women in sports, that somehow, women are less equipped, able, viable, interesting, knowledgeable and fill int he blank for whatever adjective everyone must have heard at some point perpetuated most likely by a male. In addition to the sports aspect, improving the perception of women's sports and women in sport is not just about sports but in this nobody's humble opinion, an important issue for society. In today’s world, adolescent girls are bombarded with a constant influx of images of external beauty, which can cause them to question themselves and how they should look, but what they need are the strong, confident, healthy female role models and where better to find some of these role models that in the area of competitive sport. Peer pressure is difficult for girls of all ages but female athletes can help offset that by encouraging girls to participate in sports and maintain a healthy active lifestyle. It has been shown that high school female athletes have more positive body images than non-athletes. Add to the mix, female role models working as coaches, decisions makers and journalists in what remains a typically male dominated field, can send the message that it is ok to be competitive, to fight for what you want, to break boundaries and set precedent. If having females setting the example by being CEOs, doctors, lawyers. politicians and everything else, so then should the impact be the same in sports. Strong mind, healthy lifestyle, competitive spirit. I already hear some of the feedback or trolling I might get, "how can you know, you're a male", "women don't have what it takes", "women's sports aren't interesting", again, I could go one for a long time pulling out all the tried and true justifications why my opinions are flawed. But here is the thing, they are my opinions, it is what I believe in. After that, everyone else can decide for themselves. Female athletes make good role models for adolescent girls of course by promoting physical activity and involvement in sports, confidence, a strong work ethic, and emphasizing the importance of education, but a good role model is a good role model, regardless of gender. For young boys to see successful women in the field of sport, an area that remain seen as a bastion of masculinity, then it might send a message that also affects our young boys becoming men. This is not the first time I make this point having written about it before get-more-women-in-coaching-why-it-is-important.html It is clear this summer while watching the Women’s World Cup, or more recently watching the US Open Tennis final between arguably the greatest ever women's player Serena Williams and the new upcoming start Bianca Andreescu and we see two strong, intense determined female athletes, at the top of their game, competing hard. They are extremely active and eat healthy to keep their bodies at a top performance level. These women show young girls a healthy body type and that strength and muscle is attractive, as opposed to the many unhealthy body types being showcased on billboards and in magazines. Confidence is very important to instill in young girls and boys and it is a quality many female athletes exemplify both in and outside of their sport. Sports build leadership and teach girls how to work together as a team. Both professional athletes and Olympians demonstrate how important it is to believe in themselves and their team in order to achieve greatness, which every young girl should do. These female athletes are also strong role models because they show girls everywhere that it is work ethic and not good looks that will help them succeed. By practicing and spending time honing their craft, they can truly be all that they dream of no matter what their gender, race, or background. It also sends a message to young boys that it is normal to see strong women excel and be in positions of leadership Successful collegiate athletes show young girls the importance of gaining an education and there are lots of former female athletes now working at top companies, which can promote girls to stay in school and work hard. It has certainly been proven that women who have played sports carry that sense of teamwork, leadership, and confidence into their jobs after sports, which is another encouragement for young girls to get involved in athletics. But then, this is where women's sports and women in sport can diverge. Similar to roles in other male-dominated fields, women have had difficulty obtaining jobs in sports. The sports industry has been slow to accept women in a variety of positions and even slower to offer them respect. However, women are increasingly accepted as important contributors to the sports industry and the opportunities available to them continue to grow. More positions in sports will open as more women seek these jobs out. One of the most difficult fields for women to enter is sports journalism. Women have worked tirelessly for decades to be taken seriously as sports reporters in all mediums, from print to online platforms. The women who do work in sports journalism face sexism and sexual harassment on a daily basis. There are no shortage of examples, with for me, the most visual example being the "more than mean" video made by Sarah Spain and Julie DiCaro. Don't know what I am talking, about, take the time to google it. But they continue to fight for their careers and pave the way, not only for themselves but other women as well. For many years, the support structure for women working in the field, usually came simply from other women, but while there is improvement, the growth is still far below the trends in other fields. Women working in sports media probably make up less than 15% of all individuals in the field, and many highly qualified women, who have studied in the field are often pushed aside for males, recently retired athletes who are deemed "better" just because they played the sport, even if they have not prior experience, qualifications or education in any media field. There are more options than ever before when pursuing a career in sports journalism but this is much more to do with the shift and increase from the traditional sports media avenues of print, television and radio and introduction of new platforms. Social media and online platforms have provided new options to journalists who aren’t drawn to print or broadcasting. In addition, some organizations are making an active effort to hire more minorities. ESPN, in particular, has been praised for leading the way in minority hiring in the sports industry. As employers prioritize inclusivity and diversity, there will be an increasing number of opportunities for women to get involved in sports journalism. When it comes to roles in coaching or administrators in sports, while there has been incremental improvement over the last decade, the field falls far behind many other career paths. As positions coaching women's sports becomes more financially viable, more male coaches are taking these roles, while the door for female coaches in male sport remains just very slightly open. While there are some examples of women who have taken on roles coaching in male sport, even at the professional level, women like Carolina Morace and Corinne Diacre in soccer, Jen Welter, Kathryn Smith and Lori Locust in the NFL, Nancy Leiberman, Becky Harmon and Jenny Boucek in the NBA, or even Amelie Mauresmo who coaches Andy Murray in tennis ( and whose own mother is a top ranked tennis coach), it remains a very small percentage in male sport. And the presence of women in decision making roles, whether in the front office of professional teams, national sports organizations, or world governing bodies is an even rarer occurrence. We are now starting to see more females enter the fray as officials in various male professional sports leagues and competitions. Like with coaching however, this remains an exception and not really a growing occurrence. While it might seem like it is growing rapidly , when you go from 10 to 11, while it is a 10% increase, it is still not much ( I am using numbers for example, not actual stats). However, a shout out to women like Bibiana Steinhaus, Stephanie Frappart, Sian Massey-Ellis, Amy Fearn and Carolanne Chenard hre in Canada for soccer, Sarah Thomas and Shanna Eastin in football or Violet Palmer of the NBA. In the end however, regardless of which role you look at, athlete, coach, administrator or ref, they still face many barriers to earning the same amount of respect, praise, and money as male counterparts. The bias that somehow, women, all women, are not equipped to function in sports on an equal playing field ( no pun intended), remains. The wage gap between females and males who work in sport is much wider than the average income gap. The wage gap, among other issues, indicates that though women’s roles in sports have come a long way, there’s still a long way to go. The sports industry has been slow to value women’s contributions and slower still to include them in traditionally male roles. Despite the difficulties, women have persevered and carved out their own spaces in sports. And as they blaze new trails, they clear the path for other women to follow them. In this male's opinion, fixing the traditional false stereotypes in women's sports and with women in sport, isn't a sports issue, it's a society issue.
1 Comment
5/16/2020 05:08:40 pm
I totally agree. This is a society issue. And it is big.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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