When someone mentions cheerleading what do you think of? Do you think of the girl next door who holds pom poms while ‘hurraying’ for the try-hard high school football team? Do you think of the women you see through the TV screen in scandalous outfits dancing around at halftime? When you think cheerleading what do you think of, but more importantly, why?
Read MoreLast year around this time, many news stations were discussing quarterback, Tom Brady, and his future in football. After being drafted from the University of Michigan in 2000 as the 6th round draft pick and leading the New England Patriots to win six Super Bowl championships, the question was, will he continue or will he stop now with the numerous victories on his back? A large factor that was displayed greatly via sports media was his age as he, at the time, was 41 years old. This is a factor we see a lot when discussing the ‘GOAT’S’ of sports. Some even compliment Lebron James, who is 34, for playing past the technical age of his ‘athletic prime’. However, we rarely highlight, discuss, or compliment the female athletes who also are considered “old” in the sports world.
Read MoreIt is evident that one main problem surrounding women in sports is the lack of female athletes shown in sports media. From sports reports, to athletic commercials, to even the ratio of male games aired to female games aired, there is an absence of women in these sects of sports media. We can acknowledge this all we want, but it is not until we start spreading successful female stories and displaying women in sports media, that we will actually see change. We simply need to normalize viewing women in conjunction with sports -- whether that means seeing them play sports or even seeing them in advertisements for sports equipment, brands, etc. Here are a few commercials and television advertisements that display female athletes that every young girl should see! Spread the word so the girls around the world can begin to normalize this phenomenon.
Read MoreWe all have heard the tale many times about the benefits of children playing sports and how youth involvement in athletics gives health and social advantages while also developing a strong character. All of the research and studies surrounding this topic may be true. However, female athletes can encounter a different effect from playing sports than males.
Tomboy; noun, a girl who enjoys rough, noisy activities traditionally associated with boys. It was first used in the 1500’s to describe a woman who was bold and immodest. It was then a common character seen in 1900’s art, film, and literature such as Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird. The term today now describes girls who are friends with mainly boys and who also partake in predominantly male activities, such as sports. Either way, the term has never had a positive connotation.