You're in the right place if you are interested in women's firsts in sport. This article highlights women who have made a difference in sports history, such as Michele Roberts leading NFL's coaching staff and Simone Manuel winning seven medals at the world championships. This article also discusses Title IX's history, which opened doors for women sportspeople in 1972.
Title IX of the Education Act of 1972 opened opportunities for women athletes
Title IX of The Education Amendments of 1972 prohibited discrimination on the grounds of sex within federally-funded educational institutions. The goal was to eradicate biases that discriminate against female students. While few schools quickly followed the guidelines, the act represented an important step toward equal participation for women.
More than half of college students now are women. However, women's participation in intercollegiate sports has only just caught up to men's. In fact, the number of women participating in college sports was not as high as that of men until 2005-2006. Since then women's participation have risen exponentially in sports. Today, over 3.4 million girls in high school participate in athletics and more than 215,000 women compete at the collegiate level. As a result of Title IX, women athletes are now able to participate in more sports than ever.
Simone Manuel became a first woman in history to win seven world championship medals.
Simone Manuel became first Black woman swimmer to win a World Championship. This spotlight put the U.S. women’s swim team in focus. Manuel has been a major force in the sport, and she helped Team USA capture a bronze medal in the 400 meter freestyle relay. She is currently an ambassador of the USA Swimming Foundation and promotes diversity in the sport.
Manuel's World Championships success is especially impressive as she broke many records. She won the 50 meter freestyle and the 100 meter freestyle events, earning seven medals overall and participating in two world-record-breaking relays. Despite her success, Manuel recently revealed that she was suffering from overtraining syndrome, which causes an overheated heartbeat and sore muscles. Manuel saw her doctor and was advised to stop swimming for three weeks.
Michele Roberts became first woman to lead major professional sports organizations
Michele Roberts is the first woman to head a major professional sports union. She was a long shot when she applied for the job. She did not have any previous experience in labor and sports relations. Her background in legal matters gave her an edge.
Roberts was first elected to her post by the NBPA's executive board in 2014. Before assuming her current position, Roberts had worked as a trial lawyer in Washington, D.C. and specialized in complex civil litigation, white collar criminal cases, and administrative proceedings. She is an American College of Trial Lawyers fellow and speaks frequently about litigation and trial topics across the country.
Jen Welter is the first woman to become a coach for an NFL team
Jen Welter was the former running back of the Texas Revolution. Now she is the special team coach for Arizona Cardinals. She is also the first woman to coach in the men's professional football league. Welter's goal is to promote football among women. She helped start camps for women and girls after her playing career. She also started a program that helps young people from underserved areas.
Welter was already on her path to being the first female NFL coach. Arians is male and has made it abundantly clear that women are allowed to coach in the NFL. Welter has the respect and trust her teammates have shown in her as a remarkable coach. Welter is an outstanding example of a coach who values authenticity as well as teamwork.