Women’s sports have taken a leap in recent years, but still don’t have the recognition they should. Women have always had the talent and ability to play, but don’t receive the acknowledgment they deserve. It’s important that we start to acknowledge the issues and work to resolve them. I think BSM can improve with their support regarding the girls’ sports teams. We need to change the narrative on all women’s sports both here at BSM and throughout the world.
Recently, the women’s NCAA teams have had viewership skyrocket. With players like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Hailey Van Lith, and Paige Bueckers headlining women’s basketball right now, engagement has increased. Viewership has increased 103% from previous years in women’s basketball. Social media platforms Overtime, ESPN, and Sports Center have started to cover more and more teams, like South Carolina, Uconn, and LSU, which have received more TV time for the upcoming season.
While there’s been an increase in recognition, there’s still not enough. Men’s players and teams nationwide still lead headlines and receive more TV time. It’s shown that 95% of sports shown are for men’s sports and women receive 5 percent TV time with recent studies from Purdue University and the University of Southern California. It is not due to viewership issues; the problem is with coverage of women’s sports.
I’ve experienced this lack of recognition personally while participating in an event this summer. There was an Under Armour Elite 24 game, one with the women, one with the men. The girls were supposed to play before the boys, but there was a two-hour delay because of rain and lightning (the game was being played outside.) To ‘optimize’ TV time, ESPN decided to have the boys play first and us after. The boys played the first half and it was very wet, so they canceled the rest of their game and all of ours. This is just one example of current unfairness in the sports industry regarding female athletes.
In my opinion, this concept also correlates with BSM Girls’ sports teams. People often come to sections and beyond for girls’ basketball, but not many regular season games. Many girls’ teams don’t get the students’ attention and attendance that they deserve. The boys’ hockey, lacrosse, and basketball draw students at almost every home game. When you look at other schools, they have a big student section with good chants at almost every game. However, girls’ basketball won the state championship this past season and didn’t have a student section.
All in all, attention to women’s sports is increasing and at a higher viewership than ever before. Here at BSM, we can help raise awareness even more by supporting our girls at their sporting events. Around the world, it is important to demand more coverage of women’s sports and gain as much support as we can.