Gender inequality in high school game attendance

Bertina Fan

Every year, the school’s most popular sports games— including football and boys’ basketball—attract hundreds of students.

This reflects a drastic gender disparity in game attendance— male sports tend to be very popular, while only a few parents and friends show up to girls’ sports. Despite advances in gender equality, the attendance rates at high school girls’ sports games continue to lag behind those of boys’ sports, which can heavily impact the self-esteem of participating athletes since attendance at sports games often reflects the school’s attitude towards the sport.

This disparity can be attributed to various factors, including differences in spirit and overall team performance. Male sports often involve more physical contact and aggression, while girls’ sports may be perceived as less exciting. These factors affect crowd feedback and enthusiasm, a crucial aspect supporting game performance. In studies conducted by Michigan State University, students who believed that their school did not value their sport often lacked confidence in their abilities, even if they had won tournaments or championships. Self-confidence— increased by positive crowd feedback—was shown to enhance performance in sports and make the sport more enjoyable for participants.

“I watch men’s games because there are not a lot of women’s sports that are exciting for me to watch. I enjoy watching football with my dad and sometimes basketball with my grandparents. However, they only watch men’s games because of their older traditional values, which are more misogynistic,” Junior Lauren Clarke said.

The inequality between genders continues beyond attendance at high school games and into professional sports. Even though remarkable advancements have been made toward achieving gender equality in sports, male athletes continue to earn more than their female counterparts in the vast majority of sports, as stated by Forbes. The pay gap between men and women athletes has become a longstanding issue, with female athletes earning significantly less sponsorship deals, prize money and media coverage—only 5% of sports media cover women’s sports, according to a study conducted by Purdue University and the University of Southern California.

NBC Sports reveals that the average salary in the Women’s National Basketball Association is $100,000, a meager 1.5% of the average in the National Basketball Association—$7 million. The higher interest and popularity of male sports attracts more sponsorships and viewers than women’s sports. Fewer attendees means less revenue,

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translating into lower salaries for female athletes.

“I have played basketball since first grade and keep track of both female and male basketball games and tournaments. The gender disparity in sports game attendance is stark, and we should definitely be working towards more equality in both schools and leagues,” Senior Kayla Shimada said.

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the gender pay gap in various professions, including sports. Current efforts are attempting to balance this gap out; the United States Women’s National Soccer Team and United States Men’s National Soccer Team announced last year that they would equalize pay between the two teams.

The issue of lower attendance at girls’ sports games is a complex matter. Incorporating more diverse and inclusive marketing tactics can help balance the disparities in sports viewership between male and female sports games, closing the pay gap. Additionally, sports media can draw more people to women’s sports by increasing coverage of their games. Altogether, acknowledging and valuing all gender sports equally is crucial to providing equal opportunities and resources for all athletes.