Inequality in Women’s Athletics

Since passage of Title IX in 1972, women have enjoyed equal access to high school and college sports opportunities as their male counterparts: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Okay, fair enough, women weren’t achieving symmetry with men in the number scholarships available, the choice of sporting programs was less, and they didn’t hit the television waves much. That is all changed today.

Today, women compete in lacrosse, field hockey, swimming, golf, basketball, tennis and softball. They play just about every sport except football and baseball. And who knows, that may even change down the road over time. Title IX has had its ups and downs over time, but it seems to be a good thing and has leveled the playing field. The playing field may be level, but the fields are still different. These differences confound Gadabout.

Why do woman only play 3 sets in tennis, while men endure 5? Is this because woman are weaker than men and don’t have the endurance to play 5 sets? Where is the equality?

Why are there red tees in golf? Red Tees are for woman. Red Tees are closer to the Green. Are woman so weak that a 50 yard advantage is required over men?

Woman play “softball” and men play “hardball.” Softball is played on a smaller field and uses a bigger ball. Why is this? Yes, it is fun to watch the hotties play for the National Title, but it is still softball.

I suppose that there are other examples of unequal playing fields, but my point is made. Woman demand equality, but they openly insist on advantages over men with the playing fields and rules. Equal? Not yet. Women need to try a bit harder in the future before high-five-in their “sisters.”