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Prior to 1870's Part 1
Prior to the 1870’s women did not engage in sports that were determined as competitive. Instead women engaged in sports rather for recreational activity and physical exercise. For a long period of time women were stated to not be able to play competitive sports because, “If this energy were used for physical and intellectual tasks at the same time, it could be hazardous.” It was stated to be hazardous because for a long period of time women were told that they would be weakened during -
Prior to 1870's Part 2
menstruation. Though as women gained more knowledge and gained access to higher education they realized this statement was in fact false. As a result of this new knowledge women started to push for their rights to play at a competitive level. – A History of Women in Sports Prior to Title IX -
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Changes in Women's Sports in U.S. History
Women have always struggled with getting the rights they deserved starting from the beginning of mankind. Playing sports for women and fighting to try and be accepted by men in the world of sports has always been a struggle for women and continues to be a struggle in today's time, especially in the United States. The United States has faced many changes and is evolving every year, and this also holds true with the changes that women's sports has been going through since the beginning of time. -
1890: Bloomer Girls Part 1
The United States was introduced to the “Bloomer Girls” in the year of 1890. The Bloomer Girls were women baseball teams that got paid to travel across the country and play against the men. This was not only an amazing accomplishment and achievement for women baseball athletes, but for men as well. Though most of the Bloomer Girls roster consisted of girls there were some men who played on the teams as well. Some amazing male athletes such as Rogers Hornsby started their careers on a Bloomer -
1890:Bloomer Girls Part 2
Girls team. Even some women held contracts for minor leagues for a period of time. Bloomer Girls changed the world of baseball for women in the United States and gave them the confidence to play with and against the boys. – Exploratorium.edu -
1892:Women Introduced to Basketball Part 2
Womens Basketball
first championship game was held at Smith College between the freshman and the sophomores. Ever since then the game of basketball has skyrocketed. Basketball today is one of the most famous watched and played sport not only across this nation, but also all around the world. –YouTube Clip -
1892:Women Introduced to Basketball Part 1
1892 was a big year for women’s sports, because it was the start of a new sport for women across the nation which was called basketball. Women actually began playing this sport a year after basketball was invented. Smith College was the first college to implement this sport into their program. The head athletic director changed the world of sports without even knowing it. They used two waste paper baskets as there what is now called hoops, and they used a football as their ball. In 1893 the -
1900:Olympics Part 2
United States to win a gold medal. Margaret made history by becoming the first gold medalist for the United States in the sport of golf. Women continued to impress everyone by showing what they could accomplish in a world were sports were predominately for men. –northnet.org -
1900:Olympics Part 1
The year 1900 was a huge year for women in the United States, because for the first time ever nineteen American women competed in the modern Olympics games in Paris, France. The sports these nineteen women competed in were tennis, golf, and croquet. This was a huge push for women athletes in America. History was made for women in the United States in this year not only by having the first females compete in the Olympics games, but also by Margaret Ives Abbott who was the first women from the -
1901:Women Introduced to Field Hockey Part 2
to play it. It took many years and was not until the year of 1922 that an actual foundation was formed which was named the United States Field Hockey Association. – d125.org -
1901:Women Introduced to Field Hockey Part 1
In the year of 1901 another sport was introduced to women in the United States. Field Hockey became an instant hit and was introduced by a British physical education teacher. She showed her hockey exhibit at Harvard University. She helped with the growth of this sport in schools, colleges, and in clubs all across the United States. Since this sport was a contact sport a lot of people did not approve of it. Many educators believed that it was a masculine sport and so girls should not be allowed -
1907:Women Introduced to Bowling Part 2
women bowling league. They soon too held their own tournaments and would have cash prizes for the women winners of the tournament. – bowl.com -
1907:Women Introduced to Bowling Part 1
Yet another new sport emerges for women in 1907. For the first time ever a women’s bowling league was formed in St Louis, Missouri. Men had been bowling for years and had tournaments annually where they received cash prizes for winning. Women soon found out that they could be just as good as any of the men bowlers so that is why they picked up the game. Men leagues though forbid women from joining, so the women got together and decided to form their own organization, thus creating the first ever -
1922:AAU Part 1
Another change occurred in the year of 1922, when women were allowed to compete in track and field events. The AAU was known for being a leader in international sports. The AAU helped women athletes get ready for the Olympics, and they had a lot of critics. Many people still felt during this time very strongly against women playing sports. They were especially critical of sports were women used speed and their endurance. This outraged many but women proved many of their critics wrong by how well -
1922:AAU Part 2
they competed. Though for these runners it was still about twenty years until people really accepted women runners in the United States and in other countries around the world. – Title IX -
1943:All-American Girls Baseball League Part 1
As stated in history the 1940’s brought a time of war to the United States. Millions of men across the nation joined the war efforts by entering the military. This left many jobs open, so women stepped up and took over the work force. Thus showing that women were just as capable and equal to do a “man’s job.” This gained a lot of momentum for women’s activists and helped women’s self-confidence and self-esteem all across the country. Women believed that if they could be capable in the work force -
1943:All-American Girls Baseball League Part 2
then they could also be just as capable on the athletic field. So in fact the war actually helped to create the first ever All-American Girls Baseball League in 1943, in order to replace the Major League Baseball during World War II. This was a huge turning point for women in the United States and their dream of playing at a more competitive level in the United States. - A History of Women in Sport Prior to Title IX -
1960:Wilma Rudolph Part 2
Olympic. Rudolph paved the way for women athletes all over the United States and was an inspiration for millions. Her track coach stated that, “She's done more for her country than what the U.S. could have paid her for.” – ESPN -
1960:Wilma Rudolph Part 1
Wilma Rudolph became an instant sensation in the 1960’s Rome Olympics. She changed the world of running forever for women and not only made a difference for the world of track, but set a milestone for all women athletes in the United States. Rudolph was named “The fastest women in the world”, winning an astonishing three gold medals in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and the 4 by 1 relay. She was also the first women athlete coming from the United States to win this many gold medals at one -
1967:Boston Marathon Part 2
Katherine Switzer
out of my race and give me those numbers.” In 1972, five years after Katherine’s historical run, women were officially allowed to compete in the Boston Marathon. Switzer actually became an activist for female runners and became successful in her attempt to include the women’s marathon in the Olympics. – Sports Now and Then / YouTube -
1967: Boston Marathon Part 1
In 1967 Katherine Switzer became the first woman to compete in the Boston Marathon. This event had been an all-male event for 70 years. She entering into the race under the gender-neutral name “K.V. Switzer,” which K.V was her initial. Since her name was unrecognizable as a female she was given her racing numbers. During the race many people were in awe and some were even outraged. One man who was one of the event directors ran after her and tried ripping off her numbers screaming “Get the hell -
1972:Title IX Part 2
girls from their own schools in intermural sports women could finally be noticed and the NCAA was forced to look at women as real competition. The passing of Title IX opened many doors for women athletes across the country to become noticed nationally. – Sports Then and Now -
1972:Title IX Part 1
Finally with the help of President Nixon and the many supporters of women’s rights and activists the Title IX was passed. Title IX specified that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” So finally women had the rights to play at an actual competitive level in college. Instead of playing just against -
1973:Battle of the Sexes Part 2
playing sports changed their minds after this match. The New York Times stated, "Most important perhaps for women everywhere, she convinced skeptics that a female athlete can survive pressure-filled situations and that men are as susceptible to nerves as women.” King was a hero to women everywhere. – ESPN -
1973:Battle of the Sexes Part 1
In 1973 the famous women’s tennis player Billie Jean King competed in the first “Battle of the Sexes.” She was an infamous tennis player that was number one in the tennis world for five years. Her famous match that changed women’s tennis forever though was her match verse Bobby Riggs another famous male tennis player. She ended up blowing Riggs out of the water winning all three matches 6-4, 6-3, and 6-3. It was called "the drop shot and volley heard around the world." Many skeptics of women -
1974:Women's Sports Foundation Part 1
Billie Jean King was not done after winning the Battle of the Sexes, not even close. In 1974 Billie Jean King founded the first ever Women’s Sports Foundation. This establishment helped women in all sports across the nation. King was not done after having helped the world of tennis for women, she also wanted to make a difference and see a change in all of women sports across the nation and the world. This foundation is "a charitable educational organization dedicated to increasing the -
1974:Women's Sports Foundation Part 2
participation of girls and women in sports and fitness and creating an educated public that supports gender equity in sport." This foundation created yet another huge jump for women and their goals of having equal rights in sports. Billie Jean King changed the world of sports for women forever. – PBS.org -
1977:Women Introduced to Soccer Part 2
Soccer has become one of the most popular sports in today’s time that young women everywhere want to try and play. Changes were occurring at this time with not only with soccer, but sports all over the nation and world, and women were finally getting to shine in all of these magnificent sports. – htmlplanet.com -
1977:Women Introduced to Soccer Part 1
In today’s time the sport called soccer or otherwise known as futbol in other countries is the most popular played sport in the world. For women though the dream of playing at a competitive level began in 1977 after the Title IX legislation was passed. Before this time women could only play soccer as an intramural sport at the college level. So in 1977 Brown University became the first varsity’s soccer program. Since then this sport has blossomed and boomed for both men and women everywhere. -
1991:First World Cup Part 2
legends that came out of this World Cup were players such as Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, and Julie Foundy. The one that will forever be remembered as a true legend though out of all these amazing players was superstar forward Mia Hamm who changed the game of soccer for women across America forever. The United States actually won the 1991 World Cup thus spreading the love and passion for this game all over the nation. – USSoccer.com -
1991:First World Cup Part 1
In the year of 1991 the FIFA staged its first ever world cup in China. The spread of soccer was growing not only in the United States, but in countries all over the world. The world cup though is what really changed the game of soccer. After this tournament was really when the sport of soccer or otherwise known as futbol officially skyrocketed. It was stated to trigger a national fever for the game of soccer. For the United States, players that stood out and are still known today as soccer -
1996:Olympic Gymnastics Team Part 2
Amy Chow, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Jaycie Phelps and Kerri Strug. The United States blew millions away with their performances and blew away their competitors such as Russia and Romania who were known for having very outstanding women’s gymnastics teams as well. –USAGYM.org -
1996: Olympics Gymnastics Team Part 1
The year of 1996 was a huge milestone in the world of women’s gymnastics. This sport was a very popular sport in the United States, but its real recognition came in 1996. During the Olympics in Atlanta of that year United States Women’s Gymnastic Team made history. The United States Women’s Gymnastics Team won the United States first ever Olympic team gold medal making this year very historical for gymnasts in the United States everywhere. This team consisted of gymnastic legends Amanda Borden, -
1996:Soccer Olympics Part 2
even a bigger name in the world of sports. The win over China inspiring millions of women across the nation to follow their dreams of playing professionally. Soccer was truly changing the world of sports for women everywhere especially in the United States. –universalsports.com -
1996:Soccer Olympics Part 1
Soccer continues to grow in response to its many fans. In 1996 the United States competed in and made its debut in the Olympics held in Atlanta. From the huge response of the world cup, one could only imagine what the Olympics would look like. Since soccer had headed to the Olympics it helped keep some of the all-stars from retirement. The United States did not fail their millions of fans and won the gold medal that year against their opponent China, giving soccer all-stars such as Julie Fouly -
1997:Womens Basketball Part 2
The first inaugural league held eight teams and some of the greatest women’s basketball players known today came from the start of the Women’s National Basketball Organization. –wnba.com -
1997:Womens Basketball Part 1
From the very beginning basketball became an instant hit to women nationally, especially in the United States. So after many years in 1997 the NBA approved the concept of a Women’s National Basketball Organization. The season was going to start in the month of June during the summer and was televised on live television. This was a huge milestone in women’s basketball. Not only did they finally have a name and an organization for themselves, but they were getting noticed by even the men. -
1999:Second World Cup Part 1
In 1999 the United States Women’s Soccer Team won its second World Cup. This win though was even more significant than its first because it was on home turf. Never before in the history of the United States did people rally behind a women’s team like they did for this game. “People forgot about the gender distinction and instead just rode the wave of patriotism to the final.” Even more shocked by the support was the athletes themselves. The most memorable part and an infamous moment in the world -
1999:Second World Cup Part 2
WINNING GOALin the world of soccer remembered even today was the moment after the winning penalty shot when Brandi Chastain ripped off her shirt in the spur of the moment. This game became most-attended women’s sporting event in the United States history. It’s ratings where even more popular than the summer NBA finals. The game of soccer was forever changed again from this amazing win, and led to many young girls wanting to play and become just like the famous Chastain. - Sports Then and Now -
2000:Womens Football Part 1
In 2000 women jumped another hoop in the world of sports. After many years of fighting and having men tell women that could not play contact sports women finally were winning the battle. So in the first year of the 20th century the National Women’s Football League was formed. One of the biggest contact sports in history and women were playing it just like the men. Since this sport is known as one of the manliest of all sports to play it was a huge accomplishment to have women playing in such a -
2000:Womens Football Part 2
“manly” sport. The 20th century was when women could finally say that they could play and do well at any sport a man could do, and finally women proved that they were right from the very beginning.
