Last month, an exhibition game at Kinnick Stadium at the University of Iowa between the Iowa and DePaul women’s basketball teams attracted 55,646 fans — a record crowd to watch a women’s basketball game.
The Athletic quotes Lisa Bluder, the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes and a former player herself:
“When I first started, I probably played in front of 55 people,” said Bluder, 62, the Big Ten’s winningest women’s basketball coach, who is entering her 39th season as a head coach. “Now we’re playing in front of 55,000. So we have come a ways.”
It’s just one story that speaks to what The New York Times and other news outlets have described as a boom in interest in women’s sports. Have you noticed women’s sports gaining more attention recently?
Which teams or players have caught your attention, if any? Perhaps Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old tennis star who won her first grand slam title at this year’s U.S. Open? Or Simone Biles, who this summer became the most decorated gymnast in history? Or maybe Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes, who came in second in this year’s N.C.A.A. tournament and have all eyes on them going into the next season?
Do you think we have entered a new era of women’s athletics?
In his final installment of the Sports of The Times column in September, Kurt Streeter said yes:
Think of all we have witnessed in this arena over the last three years.
Think of the W.N.B.A., the league’s leading role in the protests of 2020, and its continued strength as an amalgamation of women who are not afraid to challenge the status quo.
Think of the winning fight by the U.S. women’s national soccer team for equal pay, or how female soccer players across the globe and in the N.W.S.L. stood up against harassing, abusive coaches.
Did you see that volleyball game at the University of Nebraska, with 92,000 fans in the stands? Or all those record-breaking, packed-to-the-gills stadiums at the Women’s World Cup, with 75,000 on hand for the recent final in Australia?
Yep, it’s a new era.
Consider March Madness 2023. This was a year when the men’s event sat in the shadow of the women’s side — with its upsets, tension and quality. With the charismatic Angel Reese leading Louisiana State over Iowa for the national title. With Reese, bold and Black, sparking a conversation on race by taunting her white opponent, Caitlin Clark, the sharpshooting player of the year.
Yes, on the court, track, field or wherever they compete, women can be as challenging, ornery, competitive and controversial as men. That needs to be celebrated.
Where will this end? With a few exceptions, tennis being one, it’s hard to imagine women’s sports getting the kind of attention they deserve any time soon.
Who gets the most money, notice and hosannas in youth sports? By and large, boys.
Who runs most teams and controls most media that broadcast and write about the games? By and large, men.
Who runs the companies that provide the sponsorship money? Yeah, primarily men.
Change is coming. But change will take more time. Maybe a few generations more.
The decks remain stacked in favor of guys, but women continue their fight. When it comes to the games we play and love to watch, that’s the biggest story in sports right now.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
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Do you watch women’s sports? If so, which ones? What do you love about them? If not, does Mr. Streeter’s column convince you that they might be worth your time?
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Do you think women’s sports deserve more attention? Why or why not?
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Why do you think women’s sports have become more popular over the past several years, and especially this year? Do you see this trend continuing?
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Mr. Streeter writes that, by and large, boys get “the most money, notice and hosannas in youth sports.” Do boys’ sports at your school or in your clubs get more funding, attention and praise than girls’ sports? Tell us about your experience.
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What do you believe are the biggest barriers to more people paying attention to women’s sports? What changes do you think need to happen for women athletes, from youth players to professionals, to see greater equality?
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If you have a favorite female athlete, whether someone famous or someone you know personally, tell us why you admire her.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
