In this ever-changing society, sports are no longer perceived as just a “guy thing.” More and more women are getting involved with sports, whether it be by watching or participating. Growing up, I remember playing many different sports such as soccer, basketball and softball. I played from the age of five and up until I finished my senior year of high school at age seventeen (and still occasionally do when I have the time). While it’s amazing that I see more and more girls playing sports, why is it still surprising that older women like and watch sports?
I want to preface this by saying I’m not an expert on feminist issues. I do believe in everything that feminism stands for, but it’s not one of the subjects I am most passionate about. However, the one thing I do get very angry about is when sports are involved. On Superbowl Sunday this past February, I was scrolling through the Yik Yak app and saw many posts reading somewhere along the lines of, “Do any girls watch sports here?” This angered me more than ever. It is 2016, of course there are women who watch sports. Why is it still a mystery to people that girls like sports? Why is this even still a question?
Here’s some facts for you: females make up more than a third of the 14 million people who watch major events, such as the World Series or Stanley Cup Finals. In 2011, women accounted for 45.9% of the Super Bowl’s viewers. While the majority of viewers are still men, women make up around 30% of sports viewers. Women love their sports, and we’re especially excited when the United States’ women’s national team made it to the finals in the Women’s World Cup last year. It’s not uncommon to walk across campus and hear conversations about hockey or baseball. When the Toronto Blue Jays made it to the playoffs last fall, I saw both men and women on campus sporting their Blue Jay caps and t-shirts. Women can care for sports just as much as anyone else. It seems that while the evidence concerning female sports fans are all around us, the question is still constantly asked yet the answer is ignored. It’s not asked by one gender either; I have heard the question from both men and women around me.
This is not to say that every single person believes that women don’t like sports and not that every girl does like sports. I am a passionate fan of Formula 1 Racing, but that doesn’t mean my friends watch the races. I have some girl friends who could care less about sports, and some who are huge sports fans. It depends on the person. In my opinion, I’d love to see the questioning of girls liking sports to be eliminated altogether. It should be assumed that there are women who watch, play and like any kind of sport activity.
It’s the 21st century and times are changing. Let’s all get together, have some nachos, and discuss the upcoming Olympics, Stanley Cup Finals, or Major League Baseball season. And most importantly, let’s remember that anyone can be a sports fan regardless of gender.
Sources: Forbes
Picture Credits: blogpost