Everything that the United States’s female athletes have accomplished this summer — winning the World Cup, Ronda Rousey’s showcases of raw insanity, etc. — adds up to be a fine testament to the overall evolution of women’s sports over the past few decades. We, as a nation and culture, have come so far since Title IX was passed in 1972 empowering women’s sports beyond anything imaginable up to that point. It’s done amazing things for women around the world as other countries follow suit. As females compete at high-intensity levels, confidence builds, respect follows and opportunities present themselves — athletically, professionally and in other areas.
Men’s football and basketball may have the national leads when it comes to popularity and overall revenue. But aside from those two, women’s sports are next. In a recent article in The Wall Street Journal by Rachel Bachman, she points out that this year’s women’s World Cup drew in “25 million TV viewers in the U.S., making it the country’s most-watched soccer broadcast ever.” Concerning Rousey’s rise to fame, “UFC President Dana White, who declared that women would never fight in the league four years ago, now calls Ms. Rousey its biggest star.” This is all evidence that women’s sports are continuing to gain traction as their athletes are given more chances to showcase their amazing abilities.
With possibilities for even brighter futures than the ones our professional female athletes have now, young girls are being encouraged to participate in sports at young ages just as boys always have been. It’s doing them a lot of good. Participating in sports has the capability of teaching girls how to be good at something and do it with passion, which is arguably one of the very most important lessons a young person can learn and accomplish. It gives all kids, especially girls, an opportunity to learn to work hard, develop discipline and build confidence — all factors that will give them a serious edge later on in life when they’re facing challenges that they may have otherwise felt uncertain about handling successfully. Along with development in drive and confidence, sports can teach girls how to handle themselves in contexts that involve social interaction, pressures, competition and social politics — things that are all too present in the “real world” and especially in intense academic and high-profile career environments.
For far too long girls and women were left behind, considered incapable of developing the thick skin so many men worked with. While there are other ways to develop the skills and characteristics, sports serve as an excellent way to jump start that journey and allow women to be able to say to their male CEO and future hiring committees, “Hey, we’re equals, and I can do anything that you can do, and do it damn well.” So even if young females don’t make it all the way to the big leagues, they’re still pushing the advocacy cause for women’s achievement if they choose to take advantage of the opportunities they have now to participate in sports in ways that didn’t exist until about 40 years ago. It’s been an incredible and fast progression thanks to the women who have taken their dreams and cause by the horns and chosen to dedicate themselves to kicking some serious ass.