Perception of Women in Athletics

The New York Times Illustration

The low numbers of women in the athletic department continues to attract the attention of MANY in the athletic industry. One specific area of interest is how people perceive women as leaders in athletics. Historically, males are the dominant figures in  sports, both on and off the field of play. But is that honestly the truth? If you really sit and think about it, men and women can possess the same qualifications, knowledge, and leadership abilities related to athletics and sports. As a leader, the same leadership qualifications apply when it comes to being a leader in the athletic/sport industry. According to Burton, Grappendorf, and Henderson, “While the data regarding participation opportunities show significant increases in the number of women and girls playing sports, data regarding coaching and administration opportunities show declines in the representation of women.”1 Do you ever wonder why this is happening? If so, this blog will investigate what people REALLY think of women in the athletic administrations field.

To understand  why women are underrepresented in the athletic department, one must consider why people perceive women in a particular way. We must first understand how the world perceives the nature of sport, the nature of power, and the nature of gender in our society. People automatically assume that sports  are designed and operated as a way to showcase power and masculinity. With that being the case, women are often  denied access to sports due to  the associations with power and masculine focus. This issue is unquestioned and also unseen as a problem. Erin E. Buzuvis said it best when describing perception, “The hegemonic nature of this phenomenon means that men and women alike perpetuate the association of masculinity and power through sports. Women are excluded from opportunities within sports or athletics, whether through lawful or unlawful means, or their interest suppressed by external social forces that make their actions appear to be internal and agentic…”2 Obviously, there are many barriers and obstacles that  women must overcome in order to get jobs in the field of athletic administration. The misguided perceptions of others not realizing women have interests in sports contribute to the gender imbalance of leadership in the athletic departments.

In closing, the fact that people perceive women as inferior, and the fact that sports and athletics is a male dominated industry. We should all know that the sports industry is for both men and women; who both can be successful in the industry. For instance, Mollie Marcoux, athletic director at Princeton University, is a successful leader and obtained her position because of her knowledge and skills not because of her gender. I hope that society will provide  more women like Mollie Marcoux a chance so that athletic administration departments will more closely mirror the student populations. In my next blog, I will be discussing women who are and were successful in athletic administration. Stay tuned!

Reference Page

1Burton, L., Grappendorf, H., & Henderson, A.(2011). Perceptions of Gender in Athletic Administration:Utilizing Role Congruity to Examine (Potential) Prejudice Against Women. The Sports Journal. Retrieved from:

http://www.naspspa.org/AcuCustom/Sitename/Documents/DocumentItem/04%20Burton_jsm_2009_0142.pdf

2Buzuvis, E. (2015). Barriers to Leadership in Women 's College Athletics. Introduction to Intercollegiate Athletics (Eddie Comeaux, ed., 2015). Retrieved from: http://digitalcommons.law.wne.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1304&context=facschol