It’s no secret that women have been treated as second-class citizens throughout American history, and in many ways they still are. In March, during Women’s History Month, the latest egregiousness in the struggle for equal rights for women occurred on a national sports stage, when the NCAA was exposed for significant disparities between the men’s and women’s tournaments. In a letter to staff, the NCAA president said “a number of balls were dropped” at the women’s basketball tournament after pictures of amenities revealed a stark disparity with those at the men’s event. This is the latest in a long, long list of gender inequality in sports.
On March 30, we invited six amazing female leaders whose organizations are members of the Fight For Children Institute to the Ringside Roundtable for a rich discussion about women and girls in sports. Participants included Glenda Fu Smith (Dreams for Kids DC); Brenda Gilmore (Prince George’s Tennis & Education Foundation); Katrina Owens (DC SCORES); Beth Wenger (KEEN Greater DC-Baltimore); and Monica Stephenson (The Washington Ballet). The discussion was moderated by Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley (LeagueApps), and while the NCAA debacle was not the impetus for the gathering, it did serve as a poignant example of exactly how far we still have to go, both in and beyond the sports arena, to achieve equity. The topics addressed in the discussion ranged from the urgency and importance of gender equity in leadership roles to the value of girls’ participation in sports. Here are some highlights:
On the importance of providing girls with role models and being role models themselves:
A recurring theme of the discussion was “you can’t be it if you can’t see it,” and none of these women had to look far for examples. They all talked about their mothers as influential role models, but also trailblazers. Benita’s mom led the charge to desegregate a school district in Virginia, Glenda’s mother was first to emigrate to this country, and Katrina’s mother was the first college graduate in her family. It was clear that these women had strong women role models in their households and this presence had positively influenced their lives. On the flipside, setting an example for others and having a sense of responsibility to lead for women is a major priority for them all – from modeling an active lifestyle at any age, to helping young people with disabilities to overcome their fears and reservations about physical activity, to modeling a happy lifestyle beyond the sports arena.
“There’s a lot to be said for us seeing our moms in our homes and in our lives for years,” said Benita. We saw their struggles and those firsts, and just being there for us while being professional women and raising their families was empowering. We were able to do it ourselves because we saw it before our very eyes.”
“I think it’s important to be a role model not just athletically, but in how you carry yourself with these kids and how they see you,” said Brenda, who, as one of the most accomplished wheelchair tennis players in the country, is a trailblazer in her own right. “It always amazes the kids when they actually see me play in a wheelchair. When they see me rolling around being active, doing other things and being positive about things it makes a difference. These kids are bombarded with so with so many social and visual negative things. They need to see a different standard in their lives, someone who is living above the fray.”
Beth said “If I’m not out there exercising, doing sports and leading the active life I encourage all our kids to live, to me I’m not being the best role model. It’s important to walk the talk.”
On the importance of advocacy and empowering girls to believe in themselves:
In spite of some progress in gender equity, change has been painfully slow. Equal pay, lack of media coverage of women’s sports, and the disproportionate representation of male leadership are still the rule. Men are still calling the shots even in female-dominated spaces such as ballet, and even regarding important issues that affect women directly such as maternity leave. Until more females ascend to leadership positions, this will continue to be the case. In the meantime, the panelists said, it will continue to be vitally important for women to speak out forcefully against injustices both big and small.
“I feel a responsibility to be an advocate for young girls…to create a space where they can thrive and feel success and find their own voice through sport.” said Katrina.
Beth commented that, “We as women generally settle for less. Too often we say ‘it’s okay, you can have the basketball court’…we accommodate in ways that sometimes make us smaller. And then others start to think that we don’t need it. We need to be louder and say this is our space, and we need all of it.”
Benita added, “The more successful we are in our roles the more likely it is that a young woman will follow in our footsteps, the more likely it is that people will see that and be more inclined to hire women in those roles themselves.”
On keeping girls involved in sports:
During middle school, girls’ participation in sports drops precipitously. This means that they also lose the benefits of sports participation, which include the development of social and emotional skills that promote resiliency and self-efficacy – attributes that are very necessary in a male-dominated world. Some of the problems related to girls involvement are systemic, such as lack of access to sports opportunities in low income communities, and the persistent perception that sports are “not for girls.” The keys to keeping girls involved in sports, the roundtable said, are to making sure that they’re having fun, making friends, involving their families, and engaging in authentic experiences that are fun, enriching, and help them build relationships with coaches who are credible messengers. This not only benefits the young girls themselves, but the coaches and teachers as well.
Glenda, whose organization offers water sports for young people with disabilities, said, “Get them out on the water and it’s about them experiencing the freedom of gliding across a lake even if they don’t have use of their legs. It’s about empowerment. And us showing them that if we can try it, [they] you can try it too.”
“Teaching is the most rewarding way to be a part of the art form (of ballet),” said Monica. “Performing is so self-consuming, that when you’re able to give selflessly as a teacher and see young people developing skills in something that you love so much it is incredibly rewarding.”
“Feeling good while you’re learning and developing skills is also so important,” said Beth, whose organization provides a judge-free zone for young people with disabilities to play.
Katrina added, “Coaches as mentors are huge. Kids are going to come and stay because of their peers and those coaches that are really supporting them, helping them, seeing them, and hearing their voices.”
These are just a few highlights from the 90-minute discussion, which was part of an ongoing dialogue between members of the Fight For Children Institute, a collaborative that is working to harness the power of sports to improve the quality of life in underserved communities across the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.