Concluding Women in Pro Sports

We have completed our research in Boston. Our group had many eventful and enlightening meetings. From our opening tour at BU with coach Derosher, to lunch with sports caster Chris Collins, to the Bruins game, concluding with an eye-opening meeting with Boston Blade's manager Paul Hendrickson. Throughout the trip our group was left with an overwhelming sense of respect for these individuals who approach their professions with an impressive work ethic. We feel lucky that all of these people took the time to meet with us, because they underscored the work that lies ahead of all female athletes. From our trip, our group became increasingly aware of the lack of publicity for women's professional leagues in the United States and the detrimental effects it has on fledgeling leagues such as the Boston Blade's. We were also able to deduce that the general public's respect for female athletics is significantly decreased due to lack of media coverage. It is now the job of all female athletes to prove to all of the doubting that female's work with extreme intensity equal to men, to achieve high caliber levels of play. Not only was this message proclaimed clearly from the professionals we met with, but also was demonstrated in the random public survey we conducted. As we spoke with people on the subway, in Faniel Hall, and throughout the city of Boston, we discovered that men's athletics are overwhelmingly more preferable to watch. Of course, this is not unexpected, but what we did find surprising were the explanations we received as to why. Interestingly, not everyone was quick to say the watched the men's game "because the men's game is more exciting." Some people spoke about the inaccessibility of viewing women's athletics. This led us to believe that there is hope for cultivating a fan base for women's athletics and increasing respect for female athletes across the nation. In reflection, female athletes should approach the challenge of increasing the popularity of their sports with excitement, because it is an opportunity rather than a burden.