If you love following women in sports, then you probably know about Angel City FC which has debuted in Los Angeles. As the US is not well known for its love of women’s soccer, the news in itself is not that remarkable. The fact that the group was founded by female only investors is the reason why Angel City is newsworthy.
The vision behind the club is also usually one because it comes from actress Natalie Portman who was never known as a sportswoman. Portman, having never played or watched sports as a youth was no stranger to athletics. She studied ballet and modern dance and is married to French ballet dancer Benjamin Millepied, all of which helped her to play the role of Nina in the Black Swan.
The vision behind Portman’s founding of the club was to do her part for equal benefits and pay in sports for women. So far, her initiative is not lacking in interest or investors and has sold in excess of 16 000 season tickets.
The fact that such a famous star would start a women’s soccer club for the purposes of equality for women in sports demonstrates sportswomen have been saying all along: that they are equal contenders.
In this article, Superprof looks at famous sportswomen and the reason they receive attention besides their athletic ability.
By taking a holistic look at women in sports, it may be possible to find the disconnect that every sportswomen feel and which Ms Portman has committed to changing.
A Brief History of Women in Sports
Interestingly, part of the brevity of this section is less to do with word count and more to do that women have only been playing competitive sports for about 100 years.
Looking at the life of Madge Syers offers a great starting point. She became one of the famous sportswomen of the 1900s when she became the first female competitor at the 1902 World Ice Skating Championships. Not only that she beat male skaters walk away with a silver medal. Instead of inspiring organisers to allow men and women to compete together, they segregated women in sports by forming a separate even for women skaters.
In fact, it is worth mentioning the Dick Kerr Ladies as a women’s soccer team formed by ammunitions workers during World War 1. Their desire, to raise funds for wounded soldiers gained them over 53,000 fans for the first match. From there, their following grew from strength to strength.
Despite their success and encouraging women in sports, the Football Association bizarrely banned women’s soccer in 1921. Undeterred, they continued to play another 200 games after that, winning every single one.
Assuming that is was unlikely that they were engaged in sports doping, they must have had a real talent on the pitch.
Women in Sports Broadcasting
In itself, media broadcasting is a fairly recent innovation. Even so, for over 40 years, it remained the exclusive job of men.
In the UK, Barbara Mandell confronted the status quo when she became the first woman newsreader in 1953. Elsewhere, it took somewhat longer for women to begin reporting on subjects other than fashion, gossip and home economics. One example is Dorothy Fuldheim who even though she had worked in television since 1947, only launched her own commentary and news show in 1959.
Sports broadcasting was still off limits. In 1963, Jane Chastain was the first sportswoman sports broadcaster in the United States. Even so, seven years later, women sports reporters were so scarce that Lesley Visser, who is known today as the Number one sports broadcaster of all time, was mistaken as an imposter trying to con an interview out of a player.
Today, Ms Visser is the epitome of the trailblazing woman in sport. She is the only broadcaster, male or female to cover every major even from the NBA to the Super Bowl to horseracing and ice skating.
Women in Sports: Controversies
Controversies over women in sports are mentioned throughout this article, however, they are really just the tip of the iceberg.
Consider women's sports clothing for instance. Serena Williams' version of a catsuit was banned in France's prestigious Roland Garros event. While it is mandatory for women tennis players to prance around in miniskirts under the pretext of respecting tradition, men are allowed to wear loose, long shirts and shorts.
This is much the same for Olympic Beach volleyball where the men’s attires are loose and comfortable and women essentially have to play in their underwear.
The issue of sexualising women in sports reached a crisis point when septuagenarian Rudy Giuliani relayed a story about golfer Michelle Wye's putting stance. By disclosing, rather gleefully, that he was treated to a hint of her underwear, he bore the full brunt of her outrage on social media.
Other sports have since caught on. In 2018, Formula One racing finally stopped using grid girls, based on the sheer logic that pretty girls who have nothing to do with racing need not participate in racing. Sadly, MMA and Boxing still have a way to go before they put an end to what they call a fun tradition.
Finally, as we come full circle to the Angel City's raison d'être: inequality in soccer
As mentioned, the United States is not known for its football prowess. In 2018, the men’s team failed to qualify for the World Cup, but to add insult to injury, the US women’s team is extraordinary! Not only did they manage to qualify, but they also won all of their tournaments.
Even so, they are less paid and have fewer benefits than their male counterparts, which in itself says a lot.
As a result, Meg Rapinoe spearheaded a lawsuit in 2019 that has taken years to wrap up. Meanwhile, the US women’s football team have won their fourth world cup, showing that politics in football cannot stop true talent.
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