MEN CAN'T SIT ON THE SIDELINES

Many times when the conversation of women's sports not getting the same attention than men's sports come up, a rebuttal is usually given that it's because women's sports doesn't have enough spectators and bring in the same money.  Well, let's dive into that a little bit and first talk about what men's sports receives that women's sports doesn't; such as monetary investment, media coverage, and societal support.


If you ever look at a male star athlete, you'll notice that brands provide huge sponsorships giving these athletes placement on billboards, magazines, buses, video games, etc... where consumers not only begin to recognize the athlete, but begin to feel like they know them.  Brands are capable of marketing athletes and create a following, but it's not the same amount of sponsorship women athletes receive.  However, some brands are beginning to see the value in investing in women athletes, like Nike.  In 2019, they launched a campaign called "Dream Crazier" bringing to light the double standard for female athletes and feel 2019 is the "tipping point" for women in sports.  Retailers are now starting to increase the amount of products that support female athletes and guess what? They're selling, they're selling fast!


The second major benefit men's sports receives is media coverage. When looking at media coverage, not only is women's sports coverage only 4% of total sports media, but the reporting typically doesn't focus on performance.  To perpetuate the problem further is that females also only make up 4% of sports reporters.


Lastly, societal support leans favorably to men's sports more so than women's, and this is where everyone plays a role.  As of late this is beginning to change with women athletes finally receiving the recognition they deserve for being the badass SHEthletes they are, but media needs to stop changing the narrative.  You have superstar athletes like LeBron James and Draymond Green going to WNBA games, but the highlight is usually their attendance of the game as opposed to the game itself.  Therefore, men can't just sit on the sidelines, they need to keep speaking to the talent of these women.  In an industry dominated by men, these women need your support, they need you to be allies.  Hire them.  Pay them.  Give them the coverage they deserve.  Their talent will bring in the spectators, it will bring in the money, but they require to be supported. #watchmework #supporther

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPORTS FOR YOUNG GIRLS

In the world of sports, it is no secret that professional female athletes are undervalued and underpaid compared to their male counterparts. For the younger generation of female athletes, it is clear that they are not getting the same amount of money and effort given to boy athletes. According to the Women’s Sport Foundation, by the age of the age of 14 young girls are twice as likely to drop sports compared to young boys. This is mainly due to several factors: social stigmas/gender stereotypes, lack of access, safety and transportation issues, and lack of positive role models. Today, there are still large gender equality gaps in high school sports throughout schools in the United States even with Title IX. A few years ago, the National Women’s Law Center analyzed federal data from over 16,000 high schools in the US and found that nearly 30% of those schools still have large gender equality gaps in sports and that not one state in the country has achieved gender equality in sports. Also, the National federation of State High School Association states that annually boys get 1.13 million more sports opportunities than young girls.

Those statistics need to be taken seriously and need to be resolved because it is proven that sports have many beneficial effects on young girls. Studies have consistently shown that when girls participate in sports there is a positive effect on their academics, as well as other parts of their lives. Compared to female non-athletes, young girls who play sports are more likely to have higher grades, graduate college, and even score higher on standardized tests. Studies have also found that there are increased career opportunities for females that were involved in sports. One study by the Women’s Sport Foundation concluded that females who played high school sports have 14% higher annual wages. Similarly, ESPNW (ESPN Women) and EY Women Athletes Business Network conducted a survey of 400 executive business women which found that 94% of them played organized sports growing up and 74% agreed that their athlete participation prepared them for the business world and can “help accelerate a woman’s leadership and career potential.”

There are also many health benefits for young girls who participate in athletics, especially psychological benefits. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, females who regularly participate in sports have lower rates of the depressive effect, lower levels of self-derogation, and higher self-esteem compared to students who participate in other extracurricular activities. There are many other studies that clearly show the positive correlation between sport participation and the positive physical and mental health of athletes, which will set the stage for healthier development. This makes it extremely clear that supporting and giving young female athletes the same opportunities as young boys is more important than many individuals realize and seem to care.