Sports Management Women in Sports Term Paper

This increased presence of women in professional sports management positions is considered significant by Watt and this author suggests these trends will very likely continue; however, there are some skeptics who argue that the increase presence of women in sports management positions has been a token efforts by the top managers and in actuality only involves a limited number of sport and physical activity areas, such as aerobics; however, there has been a perceptible increase in the number of actively participating females during the past three decades or so, yet there is still a great deal to be accomplished to achieve equality of action in many sporting venues (Watt, 2003). In this regard, Watt points out that, "There are several major sports where women are still treated very much as second-class citizens, and in some cases they are almost not recognized at all" (emphasis added) (2003, p. 32).

Furthermore, at the collegiate level, the number of women in sports management positions has actually declined in recent years. According to Cunningham and Sagas (2004), following the inception of Title IX in 1972 (which prohibited sex discrimination in schools thereby enhancing the funding provided to women's teams), the number of women in leadership positions in collegiate athletics (e.g., coaching and administration) has dramatically decreased. These authors emphasize that at the amateur level, "Women essentially have been squeezed out of key leadership positions over this time frame.When Title IX was enacted, a female administrator directed over 90% of women's athletic programs. However, by 1984, 31.6% of all collegiate programs did not employ any women in athletics administrator positions" (p. 411). While the most recent reports indicate a slight increase in the number of women in sports management positions at the collegiate level, almost 20% of all collegiate athletic programs still do not employ any women in their administrative structures (Cunningham & Sagas, 2004).

The studies of female sports managers in intercollegiate athletics have cited a number of reasons for these declines, including discrimination in hiring, but there remains a paucity of timely research concerning the continued underrepresentation of women in intercollegiate athletic administration positions (Cunningham & Sagas, 2004). Based on their investigation, these authors conclude that, "An understanding of these career success determinants can prove to be invaluable toward understanding and establishing career theories of women's career progression in sport. Further, this information can be beneficial to practice as employers often require specific guidance on how to ensure that men and women experience equally successful careers in management" (Cunningham & Sagas, 2004, p. 411).

References

Cunningham, G.B. & Sagas, M. (2004). Does having 'The Right Stuff' matter? Gender differences in the determinants of career success among intercollegiate athletic administrators. Sex Roles: A….....