Do You Even Like Baseball?

For as long as I can remember, I have loved sports. A handful of my first memories revolved around sports in various ways, and I witnessed my first major league baseball game at six years old. During childhood, some people go to sporting events whenever they want. Unfortunately, I lived almost four hours away from Chicago, so a trip to Wrigley Field did not occur frequently.

As a six-year-old girl, my first baseball game fulfilled everything I imagined and more. The first time I saw Wrigley Field became one of the happiest days of my life. Eleven

years later, after begging my father for months to buy tickets for a Cubs game, he finally agreed. My father and I attended the last regular season home game of the 2016 season. Once again, a feeling of amazement washed over me, and I loved every second of my

experience at Wrigley Field. The Cubs beat their longtime rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2. My father and I, along with all the other Cub fans present, happily sang “Go Cubs Go” after the game ended. I felt like a six-year-old again.

Some people claim sports are stupid and “just a game.” I understand that opinion to an extent, but my views differ substantially. When my father occasionally didn’t work for a day over the summer, I spent time with him watching the Cubs play. My siblings also participated, but as we grew older, their love for sports disappeared. Mine only continued to grow, and soon my father and I watched every Cubs, Bears, and Bulls game we could. He taught me everything I know about sports, especially baseball.

Because of my knowledge of sports, I have encountered many testing situations as a woman. When I appeared at school wearing my favorite Cubs shirt, my peers teased and questioned me. “Do you even like baseball?” my classmates inquired. After answering “yes,” they immediately bombarded me with more questions and demands. “Name five players.” “When’s the last time the Cubs won the World Series?” “Who’s the manager?” The list seemed endless, and to this day, I still provide similar responses for questions like these.

At an early age, I noticed boys didn’t quiz each other on random baseball team facts. When a male says they love sports or follow a specific team, no one interrogates them. In fact, cultural norms encourage them to invest in athletics. In contrast, when a female states she likes sports or a specific team, people test her expertise instantly.

Common stereotypes about women perpetuate the idea that they do not possess a lot of information about sports. Societal expectations identify most popular sports as games for men, and they promote the perception that only men should grasp the details and procedures of these activities. Obviously, I don’t accept this misconception as the truth. One could argue sports media lacks women, and I agree with that statement. Besides sideline reporting, few females commentate in the booths for radio or television, and not a lot of women sports writers exist. I don’t think anyone can attribute the widespread underrepresentation to female disinterest in sports. Rather, I truly believe women do not demonstrate a strong presence in the world of athletics due to the continuous derision they have faced. Women confront doubt and uncertainty from others regularly, and their patience understandably begins to grow thinner each time.

Because of the unceasing skepticism I detect concerning my insight and worth, the resistance pushes me to work harder whether I want to do so or not. At Millikin University, I serve as the Sports Editor for the school’s student newspaper, The Decaturian, and the Sports Director for the school’s radio station, WJMU. I have attended conferences for both the newspaper and radio where the male to female ratio looked drastically skewed.

Many individuals in my life have supported my dreams of becoming a broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs. I feel empowered because I hope to beat the odds. I want an ambitious girl to see me and know she can achieve her dreams as well. I intend to show viewers that women can successfully hold a position in sports media. I want people to rethink the stereotypes surrounding women and sports because women are not dumb. They are intelligent and more than capable of contributing positively to sports media.