Women’s Sports: The World We Work to Create
All the girls who never understood why the whole school went to the men's games but never the women's; who played at 8 am in empty stadiums while the men got Friday night lights; who worked twice as hard for half the recognition (and even less of the pay); who always had to plead for at least one of the TV’s in the restaurant to play the women’s game; who never believed “that’s just the way it is” was a good enough excuse for the way women’s sports are treated– this is for you.
New York Liberty winning the WNBA Championship (Getty)
People don’t naturally favor men’s sports– they learn to do so. The system is “the way that it is” because it’s the men who get the media coverage and the front page titles, it’s the men on primetime TV, it’s the men’s jerseys on sale in every store, and it’s the men’s championships that really “count” for the city. From the second you engage with sports media, the message is clear: it’s only the men’s sports that really matter.
But some of us, who love sports regardless of the gender playing them, know that it doesn’t have to be this way. We recognized that what’s missing isn’t interest in women’s sports– it’s media coverage, marketing, funding, and support for them.
So what happened when we just started to invest in women’s sports? They exploded. There were more people tuned into the women’s March Madness tournament than the men’s; expansion teams were added everywhere for several different sports, and women’s highlights became routinely posted on mainstream sports outlets. If such a significant change occurred over a few years with the slightest increase in support, imagine what could happen if women’s sports received equal resources? They would absolutely be treated the same as the men.
This is the world that we work for. It is realistic and it’s coming. Soon.
Orlando Pride winning the NWSL championship (Getty)
A Day in the Life: A World Where Men’s and Women’s Sports are Treated as Equal
Morning, Game 7 of the WNBA Championship:
You can feel the buzz in the city the moment you wake up. Tonight is the night your city could take it all home, and it seems like everyone is anticipating the big game. Your social media feed is full of predictions, highlight reels, and clips from press conferences. As you get ready for work, you throw on your jersey– you usually have a dress code, but your boss said everyone needs to be in the spirit today.
It’s impossible not to notice the commotion when you get out on the street. Every lamppost, every store window is decked out for your team. Your favorite players are on almost every billboard– they’re basically A-list celebrities here. The streets are much more packed than usual, likely due to all the people who flew into the city to watch tonight. You fit right in with your jersey because pretty much everyone is wearing their merch. Little boys and girls on their way to school are sporting their favorite players’ jerseys along with moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas– literally everyone. A group of boys across the street even starts a chant that a good portion of fans join in on.
As you make it into your favorite coffee shop, you notice that all three TVs are tuned in to ESPN’s wall-to-wall coverage. There are women and men on the panel analyzing every inch of tonight's matchup. It’s not groundbreaking or revolutionary to have women in these spaces – it’s simply the norm. While you grab your coffee and head out the door, you overhear a group of men making their own predictions about tonight, debating key players and strategies.
The same conversations continue in the office, which someone must have decorated this morning in team colors. “What are your plans for tonight?” your coworkers all ask each other, and everyone seems to be going to a watch party, a bar, or even (in your case) the arena itself.
Afternoon, Game 7 of the WNBA Championship:
As you leave work, the city is even more alive. Several street vendors have popped up selling merch, and the food trucks are starting to trickle in, too. A stranger high-fives you as she walks past when she notices you’re wearing the same jersey. A little boy playing pickup with his friends in the park shouts your favorite player’s name after he makes a basket. Pretty much every conversation you hear is about the game, which is perfect because it’s all you’re thinking about, too.
Evening, Game 7 of the WNBA Championship:
The atmosphere in and around the arena is absolutely electric. The bars are packed to the brim, and the crowd to get in is so big you wonder if you’ll even make it inside. When you finally make it past the street performers, the news vans, the smell of hot dogs, and all the crazy fans with face paint and into the arena, you are shocked by the number of people there are in one place. Every seat is filled, and the crowd is already roaring before the game even starts.
It’s crazy to think that this wasn’t the case years ago. It’s special to have lived through the growth, but you’re also so glad that little kids today will never witness a city that doesn’t rally the same for their men’s and women’s teams. It seems unbelievable now that WNBA games weren’t always on primetime TV– remember when you had to pay for a subscription to watch them, and they would play sometimes 4+ games at one time? Of course, the women weren’t generating the same revenue back then when the system was making it literally impossible to watch a game on TV. You also remember that back then, you had an instant bond with anyone wearing a WNBA jersey. Now, spotting a fan isn’t really special at all, because they’re just everywhere.
This brings you to a conversation you had with your niece about what things used to be like for athletes before she was born. She couldn’t understand why women were paid so much less than men for playing the same sport and doing the same thing. “It just doesn’t make sense!” she said. And of course she’s right– it didn’t. You’re so happy she gets to grow up in a world where she never has to question why the women she idolizes so much aren’t nearly as respected as men. Her generation’s “that’s just the way it is” is just equality. How amazing it is that she can take for granted the fact that female athletes aren’t overlooked and undervalued anymore— and that she can dream of being one herself, knowing her talent and hard work will be recognized just like anyone else’s?
She’s watching at home, but you know she’s freaking out when the final buzzer rings and it's official– your city is taking home a championship. The roar of the crowd is deafening, and the commotion on the streets is nothing like you’ve ever seen before. People climbing up lamp posts, random strangers hugging, car horns honking, music blasting. People are out celebrating well into the night. It’s loud and you can hear it from your apartment, but this type of noise doesn’t bother you. Falling asleep to the entire city celebrating women’s sports? Best lullaby.
Morning of Championship Parade Day:
Once again, the streets are filled with fans of all ages dressed head to toe in merch. You got a day off from work today, and most of the schools are off too, so there are lots of little kids lined up with their parents. You see a little boy on his dad’s shoulders wearing his favorite player’s jersey, and he starts freaking out when he sees her parade by. It’s a cute moment, but it’s also a reminder of how far we’ve come. There was a time when women were only really role models and heroes for little girls, but now, they’re idolized by everyone regardless of age or gender. The little boy has no reason to question why his favorite player is a woman, because he grew up in a world that didn’t teach him otherwise. In fact, the whole city doesn’t pay any mind to the fact that their new championship team is women’s and not men’s– all they see is a new banner and a huge reason to celebrate.
This “world” is not a dreamland. Of course, this isn’t what sports look like now, but that doesn't mean it won’t ever be like this. We’re already on our way, and if we keep increasing our investment in women’s sports, this world will come sooner than we think. We’ll keep working until someday, girls cheering from the stands will feel the same pride and possibility that generations of boys have always felt. Soon, it won’t even be a question that women’s sports should get treated the same as men’s– it will simply just be the way it is.