Women in Sports Many people assume that the male gender is naturally better at sports. The individuals that believe males are better would be surprised that there are new statistics that are proving women are becoming superior. Women easily learn from their mistakes as athletes, but female athletes still are paid less than their male counterparts; in addition, women are also not taken seriously when participating in sports. Women are often more productive with losses in sporting events. Women turn losses into lessons to learn from in the future. Wilfrid Sheed, the author of “Why Sports Matter,” stated, “This cycle of make-believe deaths and rebirths can actually be the healthiest thing about sports” (462). Basically what Sheed is saying is women take the loss, or win, of a game and allow themselves to build from this experience. In turn, this build can help increase the endurance of the woman allowing her to not be affected by the outcome but instead it encourages the athlete to push herself harder. On the contrary, other opinions regarding female athletes say sports can affect women in a negative way. In “Women Who Hit Very Hard and How They’ve Changed Tennis,” author Michael Kimmelman, writer for New York Times, states, “Until they’re threatened. Then the array of weapons-the fist pumps, the drive to win, the sheer, overwhelming athleticism-emerge” (Kimmelman 513). Kimmelman observes that women are content with their abilities until someone could potentially be better than them. The women that had lost at a previous time were able to take the loss and learned how to come back and win. Women who are athletes have the chance to learn from their mistakes and discover the necessary drive to win. Although, women learn from their mistakes, citizens are not giving them as much support to succeed as they do men. Not only is lack of support being shown towards women, but also other factors such as pay are lacking for women as well. Women are not being paid the same amount as men while participating in sports. Kimmelman states, “Wimbledon and the French Open lagged behind until Venus Williams wrote an article for the Times of London a few years ago claiming she felt like a second-class citizen” (Kimmelman 518). Kimmelman is right by explaining that if Venus Williams wouldn't have argued about the pay difference, nothing would have been done. Women who had participated in the Wimbledon and French open would still be paid less than men while competing in the same sport. Jennie Yabroff, the author of “In Defense of Cheering,” explains, “. . . and unlike more-revered athletes- such as football players and gymnasts-- cheerleaders have to contend with lack of respect” (qtd. in Yabroff 524). Women should still be paid the same amount as men no matter the amount of viewers or respect one gender has over another. Women should be treated equally and taken seriously in all sports they participate in. Individuals believe that cheerleading is not a sport. They claim that cheerleading is only for girls to walk around in short skirts to flaunt themselves. Cheerleaders strive to be the best and look the best while cheering. In the article “Pom-pom Shake-up: A Judge Rules That Competitive Cheerleading Isn't a Sport,“ it states, “Cheerleading is a workout, Cheerleaders get exercise from all the tumbling, flips, and losses in their routines” (“Pom-pom Shake-up” par. 8).My view, however, is that cheerleaders push themselves to a limit and should be considered athletes. Although modern cheerleaders do push themselves, cheerleading in the past should not have been considered a sport. Yabroff quotes, “Cheerleaders have a wholesome, all-American, incorruptible image, the idea of them being corrupted really appeals to people” (qtd. in Yabroff 527). Yabroff emphasizes that cheerleaders had a bad reputation at first; they were known for trying to be the center of attention and objects of interest for boys.. America has always stereotyped cheerleaders, and due to that stereotype their poor reputation in the past has forever tainted their image. Due to cheerleading being a more female based sport, the sport is easy for society to view it as week and non-athletic. Although today's society believe that men are better athletes, opinions can change. Women are recently starting to prove themselves as worthy athletes everyday. Women learn from their mistakes as athletes, are not paid the same amount as males in sports, and are not treated with respect or support while participating in the sports they love. Women are just as powerful of athletes as men and can achieve just as much if only the public will allow them.
Works Cited Kimmelman, Michael. “Women Who Hit Very Hard and How They'Ve Changed Tennis.” They Say I Say , W. W. Norton & Company ,New York, NY, 2012, pp. 512–523.
“Pom-Pom Shake-up: a Judge Rules That Competitive Cheerleading Isn't a Sport.” Current Events, a Weekly Reader Publication, June 2010, p. 7. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A241945303/OVIC?u=chil38234&xid=3a038150. Accessed 2017.
Sheed, Wilfrid. “Why Sports Matter.” They Say I Say, W. W. Norton & Company , New York, NY, 2012, pp. 489–511.
Yabroff, Jennie. “In Defense of Cheering.” They Say I Say, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY, 2012, pp. 524–528.