Arak Journal

Women in Sports: Pay Up & Pay Attention

By Jillian Sawyer

Throughout my life, I have always been involved in sports. From kicking a soccer ball down the field at the age of 3, to hitting a baseball off a tee at the age of 5, sports have always been a huge part of my life. I have participated in nearly every sport possible, from soccer and softball to rowing and cross country. Being involved in sports has allowed me to make lifelong friends and connections that shaped the person I am today. Between competing in races and games, and putting in hours of hard work at practice, sports have shown me the value of hard work and competition that can be applied to areas of my college and adult life.

Many Americans also choose to participate in or follow sports, as they unite a community together through a shared goal (Banschick 2012). Sports have become a large part of American and even global culture, attracting thousands of spectators to every game. But despite this worldwide popularity, not all athletes are given the respect and compensation they deserve. Growing up as a young girl, I don’t remember watching female soccer players or runners featured on TV or on sports radio, unlike young boys who heard constantly about the world’s greatest football, soccer and baseball players. As a young woman who participated in collegiate athletics, I have now noticed that female athletes are not given the same respect as men, although they perform at the same high standard professional sports require. Women in sports deserve the same treatment men are granted and play an essential role in the realm of sports.

The lack of respect granted to women’s sports is partly caused by the public’s opinions regarding women’s athletics. Studies focused on female sports have found that many American sports fans believe that women’s sports are less entertaining in comparison to men’s because women are not as “strong” and “athletic” as men (Mumcu 2016). A reader of  The Atlantic commented that “Women’s sports that are identical to men’s sports will never be popular because men are faster, stronger, and more athletic” (Bodenner 2015). Another reader claims that the alleged difference in physical capability is extremely important for an athlete and is easily displayed: “Look at any world record or watch an NBA and WNBA game back-to-back. The difference is real and impossible to ignore.” (Bodenner 2015). Others agree that women’s sports are not as popular as men and never will be, but claim that individual sports like women’s tennis, ice skating, and gymnastics have potential to be popular, because they aren’t team sports, and therefore can’t be easily compared to men (Bodenner 2015).

A look at media coverage gives us a sense of this growing problem. Women’s sports are significantly underrepresented in sports media coverage across all media in the United States. Research performed by Athlete Assessments shows that while “40% of sportspeople are women, only 6-8% of the total sports media coverage is devoted to them, and women-only sports stories add up to just 3.5% of all sports stories in the four major US newspapers” (Pavlovich 2017). Women’s sports are also not given coverage on television, as less than 10% of sports media covers women’s sports, and of this coverage less than 2% of coverage covers female sports that are considered “masculine,” such as wrestling and rugby (Scheadler &Wagstaff 2018). With television being the most popular medium for watching sports, the lack of coverage designated towards women’s sports significantly decreases the accessibility and fan base for female athletics.

However, men’s sports games are often considered more exciting because of higher levels of production quality and visual editing–not superior athletic ability. Huge amounts of money are spent every year on sports broadcasting. U.S. major league sports (MLB, NFL, etc.) pay millions of dollars for the best recording equipment, production staff, and commentators to make every game feel like a spectacle, keeping fans on the edge of their seat to find out if their favorite team will take home the win. This “movie magic” type of editing that is applied to men’s sports games does not exist in the realm of women’s sports. So when you watch a women’s sporting event on TV it will seem less exciting as there are fewer camera angles and fewer instant replays, making the game seem less entertaining (Mertens 2015). The disparity between production of men’s and women’s sports causes the public to form misconceptions regarding the skills and talents of female athletes, and that in turn causes the media to cover women’s sports in a different and less effective manner.

The differentiated media coverage for women’s sports is not due to lack of public interest. People around the world are becoming increasingly interested in women’s sports. In fact, a study from Nielson reports that 87% of sports fans in the U.S., U.K. and Australia are interested in women’s sports (Gowdy 2018). Many sports analysts believe that the lack of quality media coverage has to do with the limited number of sponsorships female athletes are granted by sportswear companies. Field Hockey Olympic Gold Medalist Kate Richardson-Walsh spoke up against the lack of sponsorships in women’s sports: “Once companies start investing more money in women’s sport,” Walsh notes, “the growth will be massive and immediate” (Gowdy 2018). The missed potential for growth in women’s sports, previously proven successful in men’s sports, holds women’s sports back from earning sponsorship deals and media attention.

The lack of sponsorships in women’s sports also causes male athletes to earn significantly more money in salary and endorsement deals in comparison to female athletes. In 2018, Serena Williams received the highest income from endorsements for female athletes, earning around 18 million dollars. She was followed by fellow tennis stars Caroline Wozniacki, who earned 6 million dollars in endorsements, and Sloane Stephens, who earned 5.5 million dollars (Forbes 2018). In comparison, the top male athlete, Roger Federer, earned 65 million dollars from endorsements in 2017/18, followed by fellow superstars LeBron James who earned 52 million dollars, and Cristiano Ronaldo who earned 47 million dollars from endorsements alone (Forbes 2018). Not only does this difference in endorsements affect the attention in the media, it also affects the overall pay received by male and female athletes.     Though the income gap between men and women is present in all fields, in the realm of professional sports the gap is much wider. According to research analysis of median hourly wages, in 2018, women in all fields earned only eighty-five percent of what men earned (Graf, Brown & Patten 2019).  Pay disparity between female athletes and their  male counterparts is even greater. Using data from the 2018 season, analysis shows that “WNBA players will make, on average, somewhere around $79,000 with veterans (…) eligible for a maximum salary of $115,500. In contrast, the average starting salary for NBA players is upwards of $500,000” (Casper 2019). The gender pay gap occurs throughout all sports, including soccer. The United States Women’s National Team is grossly underpaid despite their great success in global competition. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, men’s teams were paid a $9 million bonus after losing in round sixteen. But the women’s team earned only $2 million for winning the FIFA World Cup in 2015 (Casper 2019).

Movements have been made to close the growing gender pay gaps, specifically in tennis. For most  of women’s involvement in tennis, they have not been granted equal pay for their play. But in recent years the major tournaments in professional tennis, all Four Grand Slam events, have established equal prize money for men and women. Beginning with the U.S. Open in 1973, the tournaments slowly changed the unequal prizes for winning these high-profile competitions: the Australian Open in 2001, French Open in 2006, and lastly Wimbledon in 2007 (Bodo 2018). Female tennis star Venus Williams acted as a forerunner in the fight for equal pay in tennis, proving to be an extremely successful and powerful advocate (Mervosh and Caron 2019).  These progressive changes in pay makes tennis a forerunner in the fight for equal pay in sports. Today, 70% of sports offer equal prize money for men and women (Pavlovoch 2017). Despite these changes, the gender gap is still present in overall earnings.  The New York Times reports that female tennis players still earn eighty cents for each dollar earned by male players (Casper 2019).

The establishment of equal pay in women’s tennis did not go unopposed. Professional tennis star Novak Djokovic spoke out against the new equal prize standards set for Grand Slam matches. Though he “praises” the female players for fighting for what they deserve, he then claims that men should do the same. Djokovic stated, “They [women’s tennis players] fought for what they deserve, and they got it. On the other hand, I think that our men’s tennis world should fight for more because the stats are showing that we have much more spectators on the men’s tennis matches.” (ESPN 2016). Others have opposed equal pay, arguing that women’s sports are less exciting or interesting, and that female sportspeople are not as athletic as men.

Many female athletes have also made a stand against the discrimination and unequal treatment they face in their workplace. Beginning as early as the 1960s, female athletes in the US defied common stereotypes and became involved in sports. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer entered the Boston Marathon under a false male name, as women were not officially allowed to enter the race. Even though two miles in, officials tried to force her off the course, she finished the race strong and became the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon as an official entrant (Mervosh and Caron 2019). In 1977, Janet Guthrie became a star on the motor racing scene as the first woman to earn a starting position in the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. Danica Patrick follows suit and has smashed records in motor racing, becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar race. She finished 8th in the Daytona 500 in 2013, holding the best finish by a female in the history of Nascar racing (Newsday 2019). These women fought against oppression and media slander to pursue their dream careers. They made a leap for women’s equality in all aspects of life and experienced great success despite being discriminated against.

Women in sports deserve equal pay, not only because they work hard every day to be successful, but also because  they play an extremely important role in sports. Every child looks towards famous icons as an inspiration. When they see someone just like them on television or in the news being successful, it shows that they can be successful in that same field, too. For young athletes, professional sports players can be heroes, idols and the people they look towards for inspiration. In studies focusing on role models in sport, researchers explain the relationship between young athletes and professional ones stating that, “The description of role modeling applies to any situation where a learner is able to observe a model. A young athlete is likely to have followed the careers of outstanding athletes. . . and thus [be] motivated to pattern his or her behavior by at least one of them” (Whitaker & Molstad 1988). But if young girls don’t see female athletes on TV and in the news, who are they supposed to look up to? Who will be their role models? Who will be their heroes?

These strong women are role models for millions of girls across the globe who dream of success in life. If they see Serena Williams win a tennis match, they will know they can do it too. If they watch US Women’s National Team win the World Cup, they will know they can do it too. If they see Missy Franklin win five swimming Olympic medals at the age of 17, they will know they can do it too. So it is time for people to recognize the amazing accomplishments of female athletes. The public needs to give these athletes the respect and attention they deserve as worldwide champions. We need to show the next generation that regardless of your sex, you can be an athlete and you can be successful. Young women must realize that strong, powerful successful women are out there, and they can be one too. Female athletes show that with hard work, dedication and loads of passion, you can achieve anything. So pay up and end pay inequality. Pay attention and increase media coverage, and most importantly, pay respect to female athletes, as they are crucial to the world of sports.

Works Cited

Banschick, Mark. “Why Are Sports Important?” Psychology Today , Sussex Publisher , 5 Feb. 2012,www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-intelligent-divorce/201202/why-are-sports-important.

Bodenner, Chris. “Why Aren’t Women’s Sports as Big as Men’s?” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 9 June 2015, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/women-and-sports-world-cup-soccer/395231/.

Bodo, Peter. “Follow the Money: How the Pay Gap in Grand Slam Tennis Finally Closed.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 8 Sept. 2018, www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/24599816/us-open-follow-money-how-pay-gap-grand-slam-tennis-closed.

Casper, Andrea. “Examining the Gender Pay Gap in Elite Sports.” WITI, www.witi.com/articles/1324/Examining-the-Gender-Pay-Gap-in-Elite-Sports/.

ESPN Staff. “Novak Djokovic Questions Whether Women Deserve Equal Pay in Tennis.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 23 Mar. 2016, www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/15031425/novak-djokovic-questions-whether-women-deserve-equal-pay-tennis.

Gowdy, Kristen. “The Interest Is There – It’s Past Time to Start Giving Women’s Sports Equal Media Coverage.” Women’s Sports Foundation, 13 Dec. 2018, www.womenssportsfoundation.org/education/interest-past-time-start-giving-womens-sports-equal-media-coverage/.

Graf, Nikki, et al. “The Narrowing, but Persistent, Gender Gap in Pay.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 22 Mar. 2019, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/03/22/gender-pay-gap-facts/.

“Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2018 | Statistic.” Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/202944/female-athletes-with-the-highest-income-worldwide/.

Mertens, Maggie. “Women’s Sports Is a Feminist Issue.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 5 June 2015, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/womens-soccer-is-a-feminist-issue/394865/.

Mervosh, Sarah, and Christina Caron. “8 Times Women in Sports Fought for Equality.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Mar. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/sports/women-sports-equality.html.

Mumcu, Ceyda, et al. “Examination of women’s sports fans’ attitudes and consumption intentions.” Journal of Applied Sport Management, vol. 8, no. 4, 2016, p. 25+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A480030009/AONE?u=udel_main&sid=AONE&xid=31c88fc4. Accessed 17 May 2019.

Scheadler, Travis, and Audrey Wagstaff. “Exposure to Women’s Sports: Changing Attitudes Toward Female Athletes.” The Sport Journal, 25 May 2018, thesportjournal.org/article/exposure-to-womens-sports-changing-attitudes-toward-female-athletes/.

Pavlovich, Lahnee. “The Gender Equality Debate; A Boost for Women In Sport.” Athlete Assessments, 2017.

“Women Pioneers in Sports History.” Newsday, Newsday, 8 Mar. 2019, www.newsday.com/sports/women-s-sports/women-pioneers-in-sports-history-1.4711159.

Paper Prompt

Writing Project 3: A Researched Argument

80 points

The prompt

• Join an important national or cultural conversation by using your own outside research to support A STRONG ORIGINAL ARGUMENT
  about an issue of national concern. Use one of the prompts listed on
  the other side of this page to develop your thesis. Like project 1, this
  project asks you to synthesize sources. Like project 2, this project
  has rhetorical components.  You should consciously use 2 of the three
  main rhetorical appeals.  (Logos is a given.)

Length and formatting

• 1300-1600 words (not including the works cited page. Lower limit fixed, upper limit flexible)
• double spacing, Page numbers in the bottom center
• Title page with relevant, arresting image and a descriptive, engaging title

Source Requirements

• At least 7 different sources, with the stipulations that
  • You need a mix of scholarly and popular sources
    • Scholarly:  academic articles meant for professors
    • Popular: publications/websites meant for the general public
  • At least 1 must be a scholarly journal article (we’ll discuss what that is)
  • At least 1 must be a visual (graph, chart, illustration, etc.)
  • At least 1 source must advance an argument or make a point with which you disagree
• Sources can do “double duty.”  That is to say, the source with which you disagree can also be an academic article.

Citation Requirements

• MLA format, internal citations
• Works Cited page (also MLA format) must be included at the end

The steps

1. Brainstorm & look at examples
2. Hunt for facts to give context for the pattern or problem
3. Hunt for arguments
4. Have a conference with Prof. Williams to discuss your own argument
5. Create topic outline (you’ll have a model)
6. Create sentence outline (you’ll have another model)
7. Compose rough draft (we’ll look at templates)
8. Receive feedback from peers & from Prof. Williams
9. Revise and edit
10. Submit final version via Canvas