At Lambert High School, almost every sport is played by female students; however, the number of people attending these tournaments and games played by female students is less than those where male athletes are playing. Purdue University reported that women’s sports coverage only totaled 5.4% in 2019.

Women’s sports have recently received more attention and support than ever before. Women’s sports still frequently struggle to draw the same level of viewership as men’s sports, despite more advocacy for equal pay and viewership. It’s time for people to realize that this is simply untrue and that women’s sports can be just as entertaining as those played by men. 

“I do not understand why this stigma of gender is showing itself in the audience,” former Lambert Volleyball player Ananya Suresh said.

Women’s sports are, first and foremost, every bit as thrilling and impressive as men’s sports. Female athletes compete at the same high level of athleticism and skill as their male counterparts and put in the same amount of effort to succeed. According to The Guardian, people frequently regard women’s sports as being less significant or captivating. 

Women in sports are important role models for young girls, yet another reason that they should receive more attention. Young girls may be motivated to pursue their athletic goals if they observed and watched women competing at a high level. According to Human Kinetics, young girls are strongly influenced by social media’s view of female athletes. More viewership encourages more representation of various body types and races of female athletes. Seeing that girls can succeed in sports can also help to dispel gender norms and stereotypes. By encouraging more people to watch women’s sports, we can give young girls who want to participate in athletics more opportunities and support.

According to The Columbia Journal, it is critical to acknowledge that women’s sports frequently receive inadequate funding and support. Women’s teams and leagues may find it challenging to compete on an equal footing with men’s teams due to a lack of resources. This imbalance can be addressed by addressing this imbalance and establishing a more level playing field by raising interest in and supporting women’s sports. At Lambert, a larger audience at female sporting events would help grow the team and provide them with new ways to prosper. More frequent advertising through social media and 

“We work hard all season and just want people from school to come see us play,” Suresh said. “It’s 2023, there should not be any negative stigma around women’s sports. Sports are sports, and they are meant to be played and watched”

Ananya as well as countless others have realized that the issue goes deeper and presents itself on a global level. National funding and support for Female teams has increased within the past few years, however, it still remains unequal to male sports. It’s time we address these issues within our school, communities and world.