They Shoot and They Skate

I was always picked last for teams during gym. Granted, that may be due to my extreme lack of hand-eye coordination, however, that’s not the case for many women of extreme athletic talent. Despite having made significant progress over the years, many women continue to be held behind in terms of their monetary compensation or recognition due to the fact that sports are still considered to be a boys’ club. The perception is that women can’t play sports because they’re seen as being too “soft” or “gentle” whereas men are rougher and more aggressive. However, in reality, that’s not the case at all. Women are just as capable of playing sports as men, and the only issue is that they aren’t given the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

These statistics can be scary. The idea that as a woman or as someone of non-binary identity, we have to work two times harder to get halfway there is disturbing. Thankfully, though, we are beginning to see positive change. Yes, there is a lot of discrimination in the sports industry towards people who do not identify as men. Yet, the resistance is just as strong, if not stronger. Remember the teams that got cut due to the pandemic? Those college girls today are filing multiple lawsuits under the guidance of Champion Women, an organization that advocates for women in sports, and they’re winning! The wage gap we talked about? Today that gap is slowly closing as more people are showing interest in women’s sports. Take tennis for example: not too long ago tennis tournaments used to have different prize values depending on the gender of the players. Today, this is no longer the case as women are making strides on the court.

Sometimes it seems like womxn and non-binary folks will never get the right opportunities. It can be frustrating to deal with the discrimination, and it’s easy to think, what’s the point of even trying? But there is a point. This issue extends far beyond the sports realm and is about the fundamental principle of equity. No one’s identity, whether it be their gender or otherwise, should ever prevent them from achieving their goals. We have to fight for our rights now, in order to secure a more equitable and inclusive future for the next generation of skateboarders, basketball players, and race-car drivers. So even though I’m definitely no Samarria, I think I might consider picking up my skateboard again.

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