As sport has become increasingly commercialized, opportunities for girls and women in the sport industry have also increased. Though women may not be the major beneficiaries of the contemporary sport system, they have gained greater access to a wide variety of roles, including participant, spectator, coach, trainer, journalist, agent, and promoter. This feature will present several aspects of the changing sport enterprise, focusing on both equality issues and increased sport participation and career opportunities for girls and women.
Before Title IX, fewer than 300,000 young women participated in interscholastic athletics nationwide. Today, that figure has reached approximately 2.25 million. In the wake of this participation explosion, interest in the impact of these increased opportunities has grown. Identifying problematic aspects of girls' involvement in sport includes, but is not limited to, gender stereotyping through the media, disordered eating associated with sport, and overcoming barriers related to participation and sport careers. Scholars and practitioners alike need to keep pace with the diversification of female involvement with sport and physical activity.
With respect to sport, girls and women have traditionally been neglected by researchers, the mass media, and corporate sponsors. Glamorized presentations of commercialized sports in mass media sometimes mask the basic fact that physical activity is a public health resource for millions of American girls. Efforts by organizations to increase participation in sport and physical activity among females of all ages have helped. Yet, more needs to be done. The growing trend among adolescent females to engage in extreme dieting or excessive exercise is alarming. Also disturbing is the dramatic level of inactivity among obese adolescents. Although an awareness exists regarding adolescent females' concern with body image, social status, or performance, there is too little understanding of how these psychological and physical elements affect the development of lifelong participation behaviors. Deborah J. Rhea addresses these issues in 'Physical Activity and Body Image of Female Adolescents: Moving Toward the 21st Century.' As a result of increased education and awareness, female athletes are creating a new definition of what women can look like and still be considered successful.
To understand the real and potential contributions of physical activity and sport in the lives of millions of girls, a unique interdisciplinary perspective is needed. A subject of importance to sport scholars is the growing influence of women in the sport industry. Topics of considerable interest are the current status of women in sport, the efforts being made to improve women's access to sport-related careers, and the importance of mentoring and networking programs. In the United States, women currently make up 46 percent of the work force, and that figure is expected to increase to 48 percent by the year 2005. Without question, women significantly influence the American economy, and that influence has ramifications for the sport industry. Lori K. Miller discusses job-related issues in 'Promoting Career Opportunities for Girls and Women in the Sport Industry.'
The increased marketing of women's sport has provided girls and women the opportunity to witness accomplished female athletes in a wide array of sports and sport-related careers. Television coverage of women's collegiate and professional sport grows each year. Messages of improved health, self-esteem, body image, and physical competency are being communicated through television commercials that use female sport role models. The importance of the mass media's presentation of females in sport will be presented by Janet S. Fink in 'Female Athletes and the Media - Strides and Stalemates.' Previously, studies regarding the coverage and depiction of female athletes have found that the media has not advanced the image and concomitant societal acceptance of female athletes. Historically, the media has perpetuated 'appropriate' female characterizations, rather than being a mechanism for change. Fink illustrates how recent media exposure has been a welcome and needed change. It is encouraging to see that the skills and abilities of female athletes and the needs and wants of female sport consumers are receiving more attention from the media.
Using media coverage to promote special events can be an effective method of creating awareness and support. The importance of 'National Girls and Women in Sports Day' (NGWSD) as a promotional tool for involvement and communication of sport for girls and women will be discussed by Sue G. Mottinger. In 'Girls and Women in Sports: From One National Day to Gold Every Day,' Mottinger suggests that 'NGWSD is a powerful tool for bringing attention to girls and women in sport. Ideas are contagious. Celebrations all get their start when someone takes charge to bring recognition to female athletes.' National organizations, schools, colleges and universities, corporations, parents, and individuals are all major players in the game of providing equal opportunity in sports.
Although the commercialization of sport has some negative aspects, the contribution of sponsorship dollars has enabled many vital programs to grow and prosper. As Lisa A. Delpy indicates in 'Career Opportunities in the Sport Industry: Women on the Mark,' 'Corporate sponsorship of women's sports has more then doubled in the past five years to $600 million in 1997, compared to $285 million in 1992,' according to Matt Suomi of the International Events Group. Corporations are realizing that women's sport can be profitable. With contributions increasing, sport administrators are less likely to ignore the economic potential and appeal of women's sport.
The potential benefit of targeting women as a funding source for women's sport programs has been given little attention. M. Elizabeth Verner addresses this strategy in 'Seeking Women Donors for National Girls and Women in Sports Day.' As Verner suggests, corporate sponsorship is of prime importance as a potential funding source, however, the process of securing financial support from private donors should not be overlooked. Verner notes that women are considered the 'forgotten private donor constituency.' As a group, women can use their philanthropic dollars to help bring about equality for female sport programs by providing funding that serves women and girls.
The intent of this feature is to give valuable insight from a variety of perspectives that will contribute to the continued growth of lifelong sport opportunities for girls and women. Some of the topics have been discussed in research-oriented circles, but most have been underrepresented in works of application. We hope that this feature will contribute to a greater understanding of current issues involving girls' and women's sports.
Nancy L. Laugh is an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at Iowa State University, 243 Forker Building., Ames, IA, 50011; e-mail: nlough@iastate.edu
