Women Break Barriers for Future Athletes

ANHAYTE GUAJARDO
BRIANA THAI
Staff Writers

For centuries women have had difficulty participating in sports. Although women have become very dominant in today’s society, they have faced discrimination and challenging obstacles in order to establish themselves in the sports world. With the many accomplishments made by strong female athletes, such as Helene Madison who in just 16 months broke 16 world records for swim, women are no longer seen as weak and powerless creatures.

Legislation in the form of Title IX has opened many doors for women and girls in sports just like us. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. According to the Feminist Majority Foundation, since this law was passed over 40 years ago, women’s participation in sports has increased by over 400 percent. High school girls’ sports participation went from 1 in 27 to 1 in 2.5. Not only has this law helped women in high school but it has also helped athletes who play on a college and professional level by permitting women to compete in sports events.

The 1900 Olympic Games was the first Olympics that women were allowed to compete in. However, they only competed in golf and tennis because these sports were seen as less harmful to their health. Such a stereotype influenced women to take a greater part in sports, proving that they are just as capable as men in future competitive events. From competing in two events in the 1900 Olympics to competing in every sport in 2012 is a huge jump in women’s sports history. In the last 100 years, women’s Olympics participation rates have shot up dramatically, from 2.2 percent of the total number of competitors to 44.2 percent, and hopefully continue to grow.

Due to the many organizations such as the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and the National Organizations for Women (NOW) it is now possible for women student athletes to compete in college.
Partnering with the NCAA, women are now able to receive scholarships and play for a college team. Women with the dream to play at a higher level now have that opportunity as well as the chance for a career and better life.

Women’s role in sports has had a slow development; for centuries their opportunities were limited and the world showed little recognition. However, time has shown that female athletes have earned their spot in society. As more women take part in more leadership positions such as coaching, sports officiating and sports journalism, they continue to open more doors for women in areas of all sports.