"I'm That Girl:" Chasing Equity in Sports

When the world met track star Sha'Carri Richardson during Olympic 2021 trials this month, there was no mistake: she will be a legend. Women across the country cheered when she said, "I just want the world to know that I'm that girl." With access and equity issues from youth to professional sports for girls and women, how can we ensure that the next generation has an even playing field?

Inequality exists in high school. 
The conversation about equity in sports tends to center on pay disparities, but the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) found unequal treatment at every level, starting in childhood. Those issues are analyzed in their 2020 report “Chasing Equity: The Triumphs, Challenges, and Opportunities in Sports for Girls and Women.” Power Plays, a newsletter dedicated to discussing equality in sports, dissected the key points. In high school, girls have 43% of all high school sports opportunities. That might sound close to half, but keep in mind that each year boys have 1.13 million more opportunities to participate in high school sports. 

And continues in universities.
The disparities continue at universities and the following data can be found in the "Chasing Equity" report. Roughly 87% of schools across all three NCAA divisions offered more athletic opportunities for male athletes compared to their enrollment numbers. Men dominate every aspect of college sports, including leadership of women's teams. For example, since Title IX's 1972 debut, the number of female head coaches for college women's sports teams has dramatically declined from 90% to 43%. 

Pros need media coverage.
The lack of media coverage of women's sports is noticeable, but the statistics are more dire than most of us realize. Despite growing popularity and a soaring fan base, media coverage of women's sports has declined since 1989. In 2014, scarcely 3% of sports coverage was dedicated to women's sports. When you look at individual networks, the numbers are even more alarming. Between 1999 and 2014, ESPN's SportsCenter gave 1.3%-2.2% of coverage to women's sports. Surprising to no one, there aren't many women in sports media. Almost 90% of sports editors, 83% of sports columnists, and 88% of sports reporters are men. The lack of media coverage can possibly be linked to unequal participation of girls in sports. 

Volunteer with WSF. Billie Jean King established the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) in 1974 "to advance the lives of women and girls through sports and physical activity." Today, WSF provides financial support for aspiring athletes, funds critical research, and advocates on behalf of women and girls in sports. To reach communities across the country, they need volunteers. You can sign up to volunteer and learn more here.

Watch "LFG" the documentary. Presented by CNN Films, "LFG" goes inside the U.S. Women's National Team's fight for equal pay in soccer, from the point of view of the athletes and the attorney who represents them. The U.S. Soccer Federation has expressed concerns about the documentary. Girl Friday will cover this ongoing debate and the newly-introduced Even Playing Field Act, which aims to ensure U.S. national teams receive equal pay, investment, and working conditions, on Instagram.