The Power of Women In Sports

Powerful. Resilient. Passionate. These are three words I would actively use to represent female athletes in our present-day world. Forgotten. Overlooked. Underestimated. Sadly, these are also adjectives that describe women in sports - past and present. Oftentimes, female athletes are seen as inferior to male athletes because of sexist stereotypes that women are and should be delicate, weak, and subservient to others. Through the media, coverage of women is more likely to reference a woman’s family life, appearance, or age. In comparison, coverage of men focuses on their power, independence, and domination of their sport. Only 4% of all sports media is about women, even though women occupy 40% of all sports participants. On average, women in sports like basketball, tennis, soccer, baseball, and golf make anywhere from 15% to 100% less than men. Because of these obstacles and inequalities, women who are breaking stereotypes and gender norms through their competitiveness and work ethic are not being recognized, appreciated, or praised enough. Serena Williams. Mia Hamm. Sue Bird. Simone Biles. These are a few female athletes that have revolutionized the world of sports for young women around the world forever. They have opened doors to new opportunities for girls and redefined the perspectives of female athletes. Sadly, there is so much work to still be done for women to be seen as equal playmakers and monumental achievers.

” . Female athletes are constantly criticized for what they look like as well as sexualized for just playing the sport they love. For example, Serena Williams was always looked down upon because of her body, skin color, and hair even though she has won 23 grand slams was ranked number 1 on 8 separate occasions by the Women’s National Tennis Association and continued to dominate the tennis world even after giving birth to a child. Mia Hamm, a famous U.S. women’s soccer player, has been judged for her aggressive and gritty play on the soccer field even though she has earned two Olympic gold medals and two FIFA World Cups. Sue Bird is also overlooked constantly as a basketball player even though she is regarded as one of the greatest players in WNBA history for her 4 WNBA championships, 5 Olympic gold medals, 4 FIBA World Cups, and even more. Finally, Simone Biles, 7-time Olympic medalist and regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, has been criticized for her decisions to take care of her own body instead of taking part in the entirety of the 2020 Olympic Games. Female athletes are constantly told to please others, when in reality, they should not be controlled or constricted from being themselves and doing what makes them happy. It is our responsibility as OLP Pilots and future pilots, is to spread awareness about these issues as well as spread news about strong women in sports so that we can change the world of sports, just like these powerful icons have.

advocate for yourself & trust in your abilities