TMSC Consulting SVCS, LLC Developmental Consulting Division
Senior Writer and Editor has Pulitzer Center Citizen Journalism Award 2nd Place and is a Member of Psi Chi National Honor Society in PsychologyArchive for Olympia Ranee Scott
Sports & Recreation Gender and Sports: TMSC Consulting SVCS, LLC Developmental Division
When I was growing up we, as women, did not have sports to aspire to besides Track and field. Today there is Professional Basketball and Professional Football. I watched my younger sister participate in sports, she calls it the “love of the Game!” She played baseball in the 6th through 8th grade. She was the only girl. An old women went the games and use to scream “women’s lib”. One season she was on the championship team. When it was time to pick teams again, the Championship team did not pick her. Everyone was disappointed. The team she went to ended up winning the next year. The biggest let down turned out to be a “Super Blessing”.
When she went away to college, she accepted a basketball scholarship. Stanford University, she had the GPA and the Athletic ability. I was so happy to see my younger sister get such a great opportunity. When I would meet her friends, they asked “Do you play Basketball, too.” I would tell them “No, I might break my nail.”
She worked very hard, she called me about her 5:00am swimming pool exercises, and started every game when healthy. There was no WNBA then. I told her to go to a school were her degree really means something. We talked about majors sometimes. Once she wanted to be a “History Major”. She graduated a “Sociology Major”. She, at the time did not have a career to look forward to as an Athlete, I attended Final Fours, everyone was very supportive, but it was not the same as the men. The WNBA started her Senior year at Stanford, I am six years older than she is and I really look up to her accomplishments. She gave 100% even when the career opportunity was not the same as the men.
She was drafted into the WNBA as the 11 overall pick and the second round 1st pick. When attending the Professional Games, you can not tell the difference in the men in women, the level and intensity of play are about the same. But I don’t think the men love Basketball as much as the women. The pay and benefits are so different that for the women it has to be “the love of the game”.
Most people don’t know someone personally that is a Professional Athlete. That makes it difficult to get the support women need to continue to play. If you get a chance, one of the first steps in reducing the gender inequality in sports is attending the events. As a the Baseball fan use to say “Women’s Lib”.
Thank you Olympia Ranee Scott for being an inspiration to me.
Most people don’t know someone personally that is a Professional Athlete. That makes it difficult to get the support women need to continue to play.
If you get a chance, one of the first steps in reducing gender inequality in sports is by attending the events.
-
Basketball
-
Tennis
-
Football
In 2008 we even have “Altar Girls” at Church, together they are “Altar Persons”.
For an article about Gender inequality in sports, Go To:
http://www.helium.com/items/904590-growing-women-sports-aspire
TMSC Consulting SVCS, LLC Developmental Consulting Division 