Women in Professional SportI. Early Professional Sport for WomenII. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball LeagueII. The AAGPBL (cont.)Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7III. Individual Women’s Sports PioneersIV. The Era of GrowthIV. The Era of Growth (cont.)V. The Present Status of Women’s Professional SportsV. Present Status (cont.)Women in Professional SportA Brief History and Contemporary A Brief History and Contemporary ChallengesChallengesI. Early Professional Sport for WomenTennis offered one of the Tennis offered one of the earliest opportunitiesearliest opportunities--Charles “Cash and --Charles “Cash and Carry” PyleCarry” PyleWomen and professional Women and professional rodeorodeo--Tad Lucas--Tad LucasWomen and professional Women and professional golfgolf--LPGA (1949)--LPGA (1949)II. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball LeagueFirst night game First night game played at Wrigley played at Wrigley Field: 1943 women’s Field: 1943 women’s all-star gameall-star gameFounder: Philip K. Founder: Philip K. WrigleyWrigleyAdapting the popular Adapting the popular sport of women’s sport of women’s softballsoftballII. The AAGPBL (cont.)Wrigley’s Management Wrigley’s Management TeamTeam--Branch Rickey--Branch RickeyThe Search for BallparksThe Search for BallparksOriginal four teams: South Original four teams: South Bend Blue Sox, Rockford Bend Blue Sox, Rockford Peaches, Racine Belles, Peaches, Racine Belles, Kenosha CometsKenosha CometsHybrid of softball and Hybrid of softball and baseball playedbaseball playedII. The AAGPBL (cont.)Search for playersSearch for playersThe distinctive design The distinctive design of player uniformsof player uniformsSpring Training: Spring Training: practice by day, practice by day, Charm School at nightCharm School at nightRules of ConductRules of ConductPlayer chaperonesPlayer chaperonesII. The AAGPBL (cont.)Women’s Professional Women’s Professional Baseball game evolved Baseball game evolved over timeover timeUnique challenges for Unique challenges for team managersteam managersExperimenting with Experimenting with Women’s Baseball in Women’s Baseball in Major League ParksMajor League Parks--Minneapolis Millerettes --Minneapolis Millerettes and Milwaukee Chicksand Milwaukee ChicksII. The AAGPBL (cont.)Wrigley sells the League to Wrigley sells the League to Arthur Meyerhoff in 1944Arthur Meyerhoff in 1944Over one million in Over one million in attendance in 1948attendance in 1948Women players as good as Women players as good as men?men?The downfall of the The downfall of the League by 1954League by 1954Fort Wayne Daisies Fort Wayne Daisies dominated the League in dominated the League in final yearsfinal yearsIII. Individual Women’s Sports PioneersSonja HenieSonja HenieEsther WilliamsEsther WilliamsStrictly speaking, neither Strictly speaking, neither woman engaged in woman engaged in professional sport; they professional sport; they participated in athletic participated in athletic exhibitions, not exhibitions, not competitionscompetitionsBabe DidriksonBabe Didrikson--AP Female Athlete of --AP Female Athlete of the Year six timesthe Year six timesIV. The Era of Growth1960’s and 1970’s 1960’s and 1970’s were pivotal periods in were pivotal periods in the growth of women’s the growth of women’s professional sportsprofessional sportsPrize money in golf Prize money in golf and tennis grew and tennis grew dramatically in the dramatically in the 1970’s1970’sIV. The Era of Growth (cont.)Gains of earlier years Gains of earlier years solidified in 1980’s and solidified in 1980’s and 1990’s1990’s--Monica Seles earned $6 --Monica Seles earned $6 million in 1998 in million in 1998 in endorsementsendorsementsCreation of a viable Creation of a viable women’s professional women’s professional basketball leaguebasketball league--First WNBA game in Los --First WNBA game in Los Angeles in June of 1997Angeles in June of 1997V. The Present Status of Women’s Professional SportsStill enormous Still enormous disparity between the disparity between the magnitude of men’s magnitude of men’s and women’s and women’s professional sportprofessional sportWomen Women underrepresented in underrepresented in administrative posts in administrative posts in professional sportprofessional sportV. Present Status (cont.)Continuing Continuing ambivalence about ambivalence about gender roles, if not gender roles, if not outright sexismoutright sexism1999 U.S. Women’s 1999 U.S. Women’s Soccer team wins Soccer team wins World CupWorld CupNo pay increase for No pay increase for team players despite team players despite their victorytheir