Women and Sports

The challenges and achievements of female athletes in the U.S. are the focus of this collection of nearly 300 articles and biographies that portray the diversity, depth, and meaning of their sports experiences. Written by prominent experts as well as by the athletes themselves, these articles offer a unique, authoritative perspective on topics ranging from women's earliest involvement in sports through recent events at the 1997 world and national championships.

The sculpted speed of Marion Jones. The grit and agility of Mia Hamm. The slam-dunk style of Lisa Leslie. The skill and finesse of these sports figures are widely admired, no longer causing the puzzlement and discomfort directed toward earlier generations of athletic women. Built to Win explores this relatively recent phenomenon--the confident, empowered female athletes found everywhere in American popular culture. Leslie Heywood and Shari L., Dworkin examine the role of female athletes through interviews with elementary- and high school-age girls and boys; careful readings of ad campaigns by Nike, Reebok, and others; discussions of movies like Fight Club and Girlfight; and explorations of their own sports experiences. They ask: what, if any, dissonance is there between popular images and the actual experiences of these athletes? Do these images really "redefine femininity" and contribute to a greater inclusion of all women in sport? Are sexualized images of these women damaging their quest to betaken seriously? Do they inspire young boys to respect and admire female athletes, and will this ultimately make a difference in the ways gender and power are constructed and perceived? Proposing a paradigm shift from second- to third-wave feminism, Heywood and Dworkin argue that, in the years since the passage of Title IX, gender stereotypes have been destabilized in profound ways, and they assert that female athletes and their imagery are doing important cultural work to that end. Important, refreshing, and engrossing, Built to Win examines sport in all its complexity.

Although female athletes are successful in all types of sport, in many countries sport is still a male domain. This book examines and compares the sporting experiences of women from different countries around the world and offers the first systematic and cross-cultural analysis of the topic of women in sport. Sport and Women presents a wealth of new research data, including in-depth case-studies of 16 countries in North and South America, Asia, Eastern and Western Europe and Africa. In addition, the book offers comparative assessments of the extent to which women are represented in global sport and the opportunities that women have to participate in decision-making processes in sport. The book illuminates a wide range of key international issues in women's sport, such as cultural barriers to participation and the efficacy of political action. It is therefore essential reading for anybody with an interest in the sociology, culture and politics of sport.

Heroines of Sport looks closely at different groups of women whose stories have been excluded from previous accounts of women's sports and female heroism. It focuses on five specific groups of women from different places in the world South African women; Muslim women from the Middle East; Aboriginal women from Australia and Canada; and lesbian and disabled women from different countries worldwide. It also asks searching questions about colonialism and neo-colonialism in the women's international sport movement. The particular groups of women featured in the book reflect the need to look at specific categories of difference relating to class, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, religion and sexual orientation. In her account, Jennifer Hargreaves reveals how the participation of women in sport across the world is tied to their sense of difference and identity. Based on original research each chapter includes material which relates to significant political and cultural developments. Heroines of Sport will be invaluable reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of sport sociology, and will also be relevant for students working in women's studies and other specialized fields, such as developments development studies or the politics of Aboriginality, disability, Islam, race and sexuality.

Women have made significant strides in the sports world over the past 30 years, one of which has been moving into the ranks of coaching on both the collegiate and professional levels. Readers will meet 42 of these outstanding women, contemporary coaches in the world of sports today, some of whom had to overcome major obstacles to get where they are in this male-dominated profession. Entries, uniquely based on interviews with the coaches themselves, bring to life the commitment to excellence, hard work, and service which these women have portrayed in wide-ranging sports from basketball to soccer to lacrosse.

Today, one in every three high school girls plays sports, and the number of sports offered to these young women has increased dramatically in the past decade. This unique resource explores these sports from a girl's perspective, while examining sports issues as they pertain to young women. Individual chapters cover the most popular sports offered at the high school level, such as basketball, field hockey, and track, and provides practical advice on training and practicing techniques, trying out for the team, and organizing school teams. Other sports possibly less familiar, such as badminton and crew, are also explored, each in a chapter of its own, as are sports like football and baseball which are typically offered only to boys.

Crashing the Old Boys' Network is the first book to examine the intense, and sometimes hostile, debate about Title IX and its application to girls and women in all areas of athletics. The facts and figures are highlighted by spirited commentary from Billie Jean King, Donna Lopiano, Pat Summitt, Chris Berman, and many others. By using the commentary of well-known personalities and experts in a variety of relevant disciplines, this book uncovers the roots of this controversy at all levels of athletics. While many believe Title IX and gender equity apply only to intercollegiate athletics, their reach touches girls in high school athletics as well. While not protected by Federal law, girls in youth sports, women in professional sports, and women in the sports media also suffer the negative effects of gender discrimination. While detailing many personal accounts and documenting a host of legal battles, the greatest value in this book lies in the successful examples it provides. Many opponents proclaimTitle IX to be a grim reaper for football and men's basketball. The author provides examples demonstrating how Title IX and gender equity can be achieved with rational, well-designed plans of action.

This book presents the first comprehensive review of factors leading to exclusion from participation in sport in the UK. Structured around key excluded groups, such as the elderly, ethnic minorities, the disabled and rural communities, the book offers an important assessment of sports policy in contemporary Britain, as well as a unique case study of policies to combat social exclusion under New Labour.

Women's soccer is one of the world's fastest-growing sports but has been subjected to little academic scrutiny. This collection considers women's football in a global context and analyses its progress, and the challenges and problems it has faced.