Women's Role In Sports History Essay

Ladies could not always play the same games as men. In the past, women had a lower status than men. Because the men were superior, a lady’s place was in her home cooking meals, cleaning messes, and watching the children. Women fought for a chance to play sports, including basketball. These women were finally able to play the sports, but the audience thought the games to be too rough, so the rules changed. Although rule makers adapted the guidelines when women’s basketball first began, the sport gave women an outlet in sports. Women’s role in society limited their opportunities to play sports. Because the ladies of this time were busy doing the housework, there was not any time to be involved in sports. Basketball stressed grace, beauty, and cooperation, but the women were to be modest and stay at home to do the housework (Duncan 396). When the women were able to work the same jobs as men, the conditions were not fair. Nevertheless, in order for women to have …show more content…
Around this time, showing body parts other than fingers, necks and faces to the public would be inappropriate for the women. Women wore floor-length dresses everywhere, even on the basketball court (Jenkins). Although the players wore women’s bloomers at games which “contained yards of cloth, … mothers thought them immodest and [they] wore [their] skirts over them, to and from games” (Lannin 29). To make the game more proper according to society’s views, the women athletes needed to have combed hair, use proper language, and could not call each other by last names. They also could not lie or sit on the floor. Men wanted women to look beautiful even on the court so women paid more attention to their appearance (Jenkins). Even the local newspapers described “the women’s dress and manner on the court rather than the quality of their play” (Lannin 33). Their appearance was critical to the way they played and went to the