May 16, 2006

Part I: Women in Sports:

The Benefits and Consequences Of Participation

Women’s roles in sports have changed dramatically over time. During the First Olympics held in 776 BC, women were excluded. They instead chose to meet every four years to participate in the Games of Hera, which honored the Goddess of Women. From this early point on it became more commonplace for women to participate in sports. From horseback riding to boxing, women are involved in every sport today we can think of.

There are many health advantages for both women and girls who play sports. First and foremost, females who participate in sports have a better body image. This also leads to a higher self esteem and pride in themselves. These women are less likely to ever experience depression. While playing sports girls and women both learn about teamwork, leadership skills, and even mathematical skills.

Teenage girls who participate in sports often do better academically than those who do not and also have a less chance of experiencing teenage pregnancy. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation of the United Kingdom, teenage girls who do sports are more likely to report that they have never had sex as opposed to those who do not play sports. They also report that those girls who do play sports will wait longer to have their first sexual intercourse experience. Most school sports take place between the hours of 3 to 8 pm. These hours are often described as the witching hour. It is during this time that the teen crime rate triples, as does the teen pregnancy rate. By participating in sports, these kids are not subject to these happenings. These girls also are less likely to use alcohol or drugs.

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute has found that girls who play sports four hours a week can even reduce their chance of breast cancer in the future by 20 to 30%. The health benefits for teenage girls are endless when they decide to pursue sports in high school.

Women who participate in sports also experience many benefits. As mentioned above, they also experience less chance of depression, better body image, and higher self-esteem. Sports are also a good stress reducer and form of weight control, and provide a positive environment for social interaction and support. Health benefits include reducing the risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Regular participation can also decrease the severity of diabetes and arthritis. Sports increase strength, flexibility, energy levels and endurance and decrease feelings of fatigue.

There are however, some downsides to women participating in sports. According to the Nemours Foundation, which hosts a website on teen health, some athletes may face some consequences to their health. Some girls who play sports are at risk for a series of problems called the Female Triad. It is a combination of three major problems: Disordered Eating, Amenorrhea, and Osteoporosis.

Disordered Eating is symptoms such as anorexia or bulimia found in young female athletes. Most often, these athletes compete in sports such as swimming, dance, or gymnastics. These athletes may decide that they need to be a certain weight and in order to achieve this weight, they may starve themselves or binge eat and force themselves to vomit on a regular basis. They most often have low body weight for their height. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that 12% to 14% of body fat is the minimum safe body fat for high school girls. Disordered eating is not always seen as an eating disorder because athletes are doing it to become better at their chosen sport.

Amenorrhea is also an issue for female athletes. Amenorrhea is the absence of a menstrual period. This can occur because the athlete is exercising continuously and losing weight. The result is that a girl may have irregular menstruation or none at all. In some cases, girls may never have a first menstruation.

Osteoporosis is the third part of the triad. Osteoporosis is the reduction in the amount of bone mass, leading to fractures after minimal trauma. For female athletes, it is most often low estrogen levels and poor nutrition that can cause this. The athlete’s body cannot fix the fractures because of the poor nutrition and this condition can effectively end an athlete’s career.

If an athlete is experiencing this triad of problems, they cannot hope that it will go away on it’s own. They must seek professional help from a doctor who will help them to become healthy again. Unfortunately many coaches may not recognize these signs or refuse to acknowledge them since their athlete will not be able to compete until they are well again.

Athletes may also face dental problems. A diet high in fruit, carbohydrates, and energy drinks can erode and decay teeth. This dental erosion can also become an issue when eating disorders are part of an athlete’s life. The stomach acids produced when forcing oneself to vomit will also rot the teeth.

Overall, there are many more benefits to female participation in sports than downsides. Hopefully, with proper education, girls and women will be able to avoid the pitfalls of health issues and nutrition problems to get to the great benefits of daily exercise.

Part II: Women in Sports:

How Has Women’s Participation Changed?

In 1972, Education Amendments were made in the United States. These amendments, called Title IX, were made to improve our country’s educational system. One of the amendments was to prohibit sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funds. High school and college sports fall under this amendment.

In the 1970’s, before Title IX, female college athletes participated in sports without scholarship assistance, with very little monetary backing for coaches, medical assistance, or training. They were often forced to find their own transportation to games, and did not have official school uniforms. Their sports seasons were also very short. At this point in time, women were not acknowledged for their athletic accomplishments.

After 1972, things changed drastically for female athletes. In 1980 the number of varsity teams for women in college campuses grew from a 1972 average of 2.5 to 6.48. By the end of the 1980s the number had grown to about 7.2. The growth continued even in the face of Title IX’s loss of influence over college athletics and physical education programs for four years as a result of a 1984 United States Supreme Court decision.

In the 1990’s and on the amount of varsity teams has continued to grow. In 2004 the number of college teams for women offered on campus dropped a bit from 8.34 in 2002 to 8.32. However, there were a total of 8,402 teams available to women athletes at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools across the country. There are over 600 colleges currently in the NCAA. Today, women are encouraged to participate in sports at all levels.

For a long time it was frowned upon for women to participate in sports. In the United States that social stigma has changed within the last 30 years. In today’s society it is an equal right for women to participate and be recognized for sports. Women should be proud of their success in sports today.

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