Women in Sports.

Essay by blitz-aceHigh School, 12th gradeA+, December 2005

download word file, 5 pages 4.0

As a child, I remember playing with my Barbie's, teddy bears, and my pretend realistic baby dolls. I played sports but they weren't the most important aspects of my life. I felt, as being in a male dominated world, a girl would normally follow the stereotypical roles of a being a woman. Women in the past were not recognized for playing sports in which men regularly dominated such as hockey, baseball, and football. Instead, substitutes were created for women such as ringette, softball, and flag football. Men and women were always separated when it came to sports; men have always possessed the upper-body strength, dexterity, and agility needed to play these kinds of sports while women have the lower-body strength, know how to play smart, and are quick learners. Women were never intended to play with men in the past; however, a few have broken into that vicious cycle of sexism towards women in male sports.

A small number of women have broken out into the world of men's hockey, men's football, men's golf, and men's car racing which has revolutionized the sporting world.

Manon Rheaume was the first ever female to play in the National Hockey League (NHL) and was the first woman to sign a professional hockey contract as a goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hayley Wickenheiser was the first female hockey player on the Men's Finnish Second Division team. She not only played for Team Canada Hockey (of which she contributed to several gold medals), she also played for Team Canada Softball as well. Heather Mercer was a football place-kicker who could kick approximately 35 yards - pretty good for a woman - who attended Duke University. However, she was not allowed to play for the men's team after trying out due to controversial issues with...