Women have always struggled with getting equal rights, and athletics are no exception.

When it comes to political representation, pay equity, general treatment and even family dynamics, women tend to be the lesser gender. Some people discriminate women and do not even realize that they are doing it.

In the athletic arena, it’s the same story. Sports play a big role in today’s society, by attracting many viewers and influencing people of all ages.

At American International College, coaches treat women’s and men’s teams with equal respect and appreciation. Fans flock to teams such as the football team, which his all male, and the women’s soccer team, whose members enjoyed the limelight last fall with amazing national wins and stature.

Still, there are many more male athletes than female athletes, and in the world of professional sports, we all know that women’s teams aren’t nearly as popular and men’s teams.

But that may be changing.

The rising popularity of women’s sports has a history dating back 40 years.

On June 23^rd 1972, Congress passed Title IX, which was made to eliminate sexism in sports, especially when it comes to women’s sports. Ever since this law has been passed society has seen a huge growth in women competing in sports. Standards were set which gave men, women, boys, and girls an equal opportunity to participate in athletics. This was a huge thing because women were interested in playing and finally got a chance too.

At AIC, we have a lot of successful women’s sports teams.

Why is it students still choose to attend men’s sporting events instead? If it is the same sport like basketball, why choose men over women especially if the women’s teams are better.

Sophomore Stefanie Dufresne, who plays on the AIC lacrosse team, said the popularity of men’s sports over women’s can be frustrating.

“People choose men’s teams over women’s teams all the time, even if they have a loosing record,” she noted.

No one can really explain why men get choose over women. Even AIC students are part of this stereotype, are men’s teams more interesting?

“Women work just as hard to achieve the same goals as men do, why do they get all the credit,” asked sophomore Brianna Bishop.

Bishop is also an athlete here at AIC, playing on the basketball team, and she said she wishes that more students would support her and her team. Students are so quick to watch women once men loose and women get to continue on playing.

On the national level, sexism shows the lack of women athletes in male dominated sports. Also women athletes have lower salaries compared to males and they are rarely highlighted with media coverage.

But the worst is women rarely get hired to coach men’s sports. Where did these stereotypes come from? Society created them.

If society starts to treat women more equally, then people all over will too. People pay attention to what they see on TV.

If we start to cover a little more women each year, soon enough this discrimination could be eliminated. People think women aren’t as tough, but if anything women are tougher than men.

They had to prove their spot!

They had to show people that they can do whatever they put their minds too. Men were just given the right to play and did not have to earn much. Women have more fight in them, and should be able to play, coach any sport they want and be recognized for it.