2. WHY?
Women's teams account for 37% of athletic program operating
expenses
Women make up 57% of college undergraduates but receive only
42% of sports scholarships
Women account for only 42% of head coaches in women's sports
and 2% in men's
Women hold 35% of all athletic administrative positions but only
19% of head administrative jobs in women's athletic programs
Only 8% of athletic directors are females in Division I schools
(GET BETTER STATISTICS)_
3.
4. Women first competed in track and field in the 1928 Olympics in
Amsterdam, and they were offered five events, including the 800 meter run.
Though women had been competing in the Olympics since 1900, the half mile
was a controversial move. Many people weren't sure if women could run that
far without doing damage to their health. They also thought that sport that
required running was not “Lady-like”.
The race itself was a success. Lina Radke of Germany set a world record of
2:16.8, but the aftermath of the race was shocking. Six of the nine runners fell
to the ground in exhaustion and several were carried off the
The London Times reported of the event;
“The half dozen prostrate and obviously distressed forms lying in the grass at
the side of the track after the race may not warrant a complete
condemnation, but it certainly suggests unpleasant possibilities.”
The New York Times wrote;
"The final of the women's 800-meter run . . . plainly demonstrated that even this
distance makes too great a call on feminine strength.”
It was found later that none of the women who competed were in
any danger or had any health risks.
