Being an athlete can get one very far in life. Sports are a driving force of goals, dreams, and successes. But when the game becomes political and stereotypical, for us women especially, the game can become dreadful and perceived as a toxin.

Women are constantly facing the barrier of lack of involvement. People perceive us as incapable of going beyond the typical role a female should hold. And when one is seen choosing that path, she is shamed and torn down until eventually she loses the will to fight.

In sports, they do not grant women the same opportunities as men whether that be as an athlete or business wise. Females should stir the pot and forcing their way into this industry to be seen, heard, and loved.

Recently, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has been at the heart of large controversies regarding the female athletes. Members of the WNBA have been pushing for salary increases and yet their counterparts in the NBA still take home the win money wise.

A’ja Wilson an athlete for the Las Vegas Aces (WNBA) received $52, 564 in her rookie season whereas DeAndre Ayton, and athlete for the Phoenix Suns, received $6.8 million in his rookie season. The difference, a lump sum of $6.7 million. The wage gap from WNBA to NBA, is a real thing. And seeing these female athletes, who are insanely talented and have made it very far, discriminated in such a way is heartbreaking.

For those who want to lead athletes after their time of being one, many women resort to coaching. In each of the major leagues, some including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, etc., they employ 2,600 coaches. Each day these coaches train athletes, but only six women in total have the opportunity to do such. This is a prime example of how females in the game are not receiving the same chances as men because they are looked down upon.   

Being an athlete and coach come hand in hand. Take Becky Hammon for example, a star player for the WNBA for 16 seasons who was then hired by the San Antonio Spurs in 2011 as an assistant coach. Having the experience of being on the court to then the sidelines is essential in proving personal worth. But when as many women as there are, that have experience, and still do not receive the opportunity to continue being involved, is the hardest part of being a female in the sports world.

In society, women can hold a very important role: Bringing life into the world. Having this ability to make us superior to men in a way. Serena Williams, an inspiring tennis player recently gave birth to her daughter. However, amid such, her ranking was dropped from first to 451st meaning they penalized her for being a mother. This would make sense. Being out of the game would allow others to surpass one’s spot. However, for women there is an unfair settlement in that situation because they must put one job on the side to complete another job.

Women who have seen it all in the industry, know it all. We experience firsthand what it is like to have the term “But you’re a girl” thrown in our faces. But if us women fight for our rightful spot in this world, we can go further than men ever could because we have so much potential and we cannot let men stop us from reaching such.

Works Cited

Becoats, Kellen. "'Give Women a Chance': The Importance of Inclusion in the NBA." Sports Illustrated, TI Gotham Incorporated, 29 Nov. 2018,. Accessed 22 Feb. 2019. converses regarding how women do not receive equal acceptance in the world of sports and the reality that they are not issued the same rights as men sheds light on the sports industry. Kellen Becoats, the author behind the piece, is an assistant producer for Sports Illustrated. His expertise in sports branches from his degree from the University of Ohio where he focused on publishing to get him to this point on his career. Becoats coverage of sports varies meaning he does not focus directly on one sport over another. He previously wrote an article on the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) which gave an insight to a player by holding a question-answer type of interview. However, this article by Becoats holds a lot of accuracy due to the fact that he included many hyperlinks which shows his use of triangulation. Because of this, this source is critical to my op-ed because the author proved this knowledge regarding the game and the sports industry. But content wise, he truly showed clarity in keeping the information concise but accurate which is why I will be using him as a reference when constructing my piece.

Luther, Jessica. "Everyone Loses When Women's Sports are Ignored." Huff Post, Janet Bailas, 15 May 2018. Accessed 11 Feb. 2019.

---. "The More Women's Sports Are Covered, The More Popular They Will Be." Huffpost, Janet Bailas, 3 Apr. 2018. Accessed 22 Feb. 2019.

Neal, Al. "Yes, The WNBA Wage Gap is a Real Thing." Grandstand Central, 13 July 2018. Accessed 27 Feb. 2019.

Schealder, Travis, and Audrey Wagstaff. "Exposure to Women's Sports: Changing Attitudes Toward Female Athletes." The Sport Journal, United States Sports Academy, 5 June 2018. Accessed 22 Feb. 2019.

Struby, Tim. "The Glass Sideline." SBNation, Vox Media, 27 Nov. 2018. Accessed 26 Feb. 2019.

Voepel, Mechelle. "Why substantially increasing WNBA player salaries is more complex than you think." ESPN, ESPN Incorporated, 1 Aug. 2018. Accessed 22 Feb. 2019.

Warkentin, Shahrzad. "Serena Williams Speaks Out: Women Athletes Shouldn't Be Penalized for Pregnancy." Red Tricycle, Red Tricycle Incorporated, 11 Feb. 2019. Accessed 28 Feb. 2019.