By Ashleigh Sargent UConn Women’s Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma believes the women’s hoops should be lowered seven inches from the standard 10-foot height (or 7.2 inches for 1972 when Title IX passed). Why? He says lower rims would yield greater offensive production – more scoring … [Read more...]
Golf power play: As women ascend, men’s-only clubs look foolish
By Laura Pappano Augusta National’s decision to invite two female members (former Secretary of State Condi Rice and financier Darla Moore) to join reminds us that private golf clubs are not just about golf. And this is where I do some head scratching: Why wouldn’t all … [Read more...]
Olympic mettle has no gender
By Katie Culver How can one not be inspired by the Olympics?! The 10 days of coverage I’ve watched remind me of my spirited Olympic dreams. As a young gymnast, I was rapt by Nadia Comaneci (the first perfect 10!) in 1980 and by Mary Lou Retton in 1984. Women’s soccer years ago lacked the … [Read more...]
Marathon Olympic challenge: More female athletes, but fewer events
By Laura Pappano In 1963, a Sports Illustrated story headlined, “Why Can’t We Beat This Girl?” got at one tender aspect of the Cold War conflict: U.S. Olympic medal counts suffered in comparison to the Soviets because American women, we learned, “will not even … [Read more...]
Third Generation of Title IX: I have always felt qualified to compete
By Molly Lynch Title IX has always existed for me, and sports have always been part of my life. In kindergarten, I played YMCA soccer. By third grade, I was on my town’s travel team. Throughout elementary school, we played “girls vs. boys” soccer at recess (and we usually won). In … [Read more...]
Radio talk on the coverage challenge for female athletes: Getting ink and airtime without playing the sexy card.
Ahead of the 2012 Olympics, a show today on blogtalkradio explores where we are on the media and female athletes — attention, sex appeal, image, behavior. How do we get better coverage? JoAnn Kawell talks with Jane Schonberger, Ariel Dougherty, and FGN’s Laura Pappano, a panel assembled … [Read more...]
Sport parent wallet check: Is money driving kid’s play life?
By Laura Pappano It’s often there in the background, points out journalist and author Mark Hyman: The financial cost of youth sports. It’s not just the equipment and the registration fees, the commemorative team photos, or recruiting videos, or the extra coaching, or hotel and travel … [Read more...]
Results are in: Farther 3-point line makes a (small) dent in scoring
By Ashleigh Sargent One foot might not seem like a major difference – unless it’s on a basketball court. And unless it’s the three-point line you’re talking about. Last year, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel decided to move the traditional women’s three-point arc … [Read more...]
Women and weights: Don’t hate on me because I’m strong
By Mariah Philips After an hour-long 6 a.m. lift, I can feel my hands shaking, residual adrenaline pumping through my veins. Sweat trickles down the side of my temple. My muscles are limp from exhaustion. But the most prominent thing I feel when I walk out of the weight room is … [Read more...]
Obama Bracket Challenge: Only guys got game? C’mon.
By Laura Pappano Sports are political. This year’s March Madness tournament has made that point even more clearly than usual as President Barack Obama’s campaign announced the “Obama Bracket Challenge:” Out pick the President and your name appears on the campaign … [Read more...]