Sports are very exciting to watch and to be a part of. When there is a big game on television, it is not uncommon to find a group of people glued to the couch with their eyes intently fixated on the screen. All of a sudden, something big happens and everyone jumps in excitement. The next few moments are filled with an adrenaline rush of screaming, clapping and hugging. But this moment of pure happiness is not being enjoyed just by guys. There has been an increasing number of women who avidly support either a single team or an entire sport.
The Major League Baseball World Series recently ended. For the entire month of October, I passed by women wearing baseball caps or sweatshirts, overheard women discussing how their team would have won if the pitcher had not blown up in the seventh inning and saw women at local bars, enthusiastically eating chicken wings and screaming at the TV.
Another big time of year is when the Super Bowl occurs. Since this is the consolidation of a series into one championship game, everyone puts all their efforts into making the most of Super Bowl Sunday. I have been to various Super Bowl parties over the years and fanatic-football supporting women have been present at every one of them. Perhaps the most interesting thing was witnessing how these games would make or break a woman’s day. Just picture a female friend of yours walking on cloud nine the day after her team had won – or dragging her feet all day if her team met defeat.
Just like men, women are investing their emotions in the teams they support. They cannot control how their teams perform, but the results still affect their moods. This is a good example of how important sports have become to women.
The point I am trying to make is that sports are no longer considered a “guy thing.” There has been an obvious increase in enthusiasm for sports in the female population. This enthusiasm has been followed by an increased commitment from female athletes to reach the success levels of their male counterparts. The commitment level has soared so much that within the last 10 years, women’s professional basketball and softball leagues have been established, in addition to other professional women’s leagues for various sports.
Women are finally getting the opportunity to continue to play the sports they love instead of being forced to cease playing because they’re too old. Not only are they playing, but they are also loving every minute of it. If you watch any interview with a professional female athlete, there is a good chance that the first thing she will say is that she is grateful for the opportunity to play and really appreciates the continued support from professional women’s sports advocates. With this increase of women in sports, it would not be far-fetched to predict that women’s professional sports could eventually reach the degree of popularity currently held by men’s.
In the near future, perhaps we will hear about the next big basketball contract belonging to Lisa Leslie rather than Shaquille O’Neal. The ultimate message is simple – women love sports just as much as men and are not afraid to show it.
Freshman can be reached at afreshman@campustimes.org.
