The Progression of Female Athletes
Women throughout history have made extreme progress in expanding their rights and freedoms. They have also made it a point to prove that they are as equal as men through their careers, lives, and their athletic abilities. Women have come a long way in becoming well- rounded athletes, but the discrimination is still present. Although they have substantiated themselves in many ways, women are still viewed as inferior to men, especially as athletes. Women have always participated in extracurricular activities, and some even in sports. However, because women were the members in the households who cooked, cleaned, and took care of the family, they were limited to their activities. Women were to be seen and not heard, or so men thought. Women were present in sports, as far back as 1500 b.c. Here they did such things as fight bulls and wrestle other women. But it was not until the 1930's that women really began to present their athletic abilities to society. From that decade on, women have been slowly increasing their interest and participation in sports. Amelia Earhart, in 1932, flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean. This helped dispel the myths of the lack of bravery, confidence, skil
Guttmann, Allen. Women's Sports: A History. New York: Columbia University Press, 1991. Among the records she held, Didrikson surpassed American, Olympic, and world records in five track and field events in only two years. In a matter of three hours, she won six gold medals and broke four world records. As a golfer she won 34 of the 88 tournaments she entered. She led her Basketball team, the Golden Cyclone, to the AAU national championship in 1931. However, despite making a name for herself, as well as a way for other emerging female athletes, she was criticized for her lack of femininity. Because of her short hair, dislike of wearing make-up and dresses, her tomboy appearance, and her candid speech, there was much controversy about the effects of athletics on females. This started the vicious circle of discrimination towards female athletes that is still present today. Florence Griffith Joyner and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, sister-in-laws, helped in the emergence of African-American female athletes. Florence Joyner, formerly known as Flo-Jo, set world records in the 1988 Olympics, and there she also won three gold medals. She also holds the "notable distinction of being the fastest woman in the history of track and field" (Lifetime 1). Flo-Jo unfortunately died in 1998, at the age of 38 from was thought to be heart-related complications.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Florence Joyner, Atlanta Knights, Athletes Women, Didrikson Rader, Baseball League, American Olympic, Korbut Olympic, Cyclone AAU, Atlantic Ocean, According French, female athletes, women's sports, female athlete, world records, track field, gold medals, gold medal, african-american female, throughout history, billie jean king, wilma rudolph,
Approximate Word count = 1479
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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