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. The history of Title IX, 1972's Education Act, is also explored in this article. This Act opened up doors for women athletes and other firsts in women’s sports.
Title IX of 1972's Education Act opened up opportunities for women athletes
The Education Amendments of 1972 included Title IX, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in federally-funded educational institutions. The goal was to combat biases against female students. Although few schools were able to follow the guidelines quickly, the act represented a major step toward equal participation for all women.
More than half of college students now are women. Intercollegiate sports participation among women has only recently caught up to that of men. Up until 2005-2006 women weren't able to match the participation of men in college sport. Since then women's participation have risen exponentially in sports. There are now more than 3.4million high school girls involved in athletics, while more than 215,000 women playing at the college level. Title IX now allows women to play more sports than ever.
Simone Manuel became the first woman to win seven medals at a single world championship
Simone Manuel, the first Black woman to win the world championship in swimming, put the U.S. women's team in the limelight. Manuel has been a strong force in the sport. Her efforts helped Team USA secure a bronze award in the 400 meter freestyle relay. She is an ambassador for USA Swimming Foundation, and advocates increased 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. Manuel discovered she had an overtraining syndrome. The condition causes a rapid heartbeat and muscle soreness. Manuel saw her doctor and was advised to stop swimming for three weeks.
Michele Roberts was the first woman to head a major professional sporting union
Michele Roberts is the first woman to head a major professional sports union. When she applied for this job, she was an outsider. She didn't have much experience in labor relationships and she had no sports background. But, her experience in the legal sector gave her an edge.
Roberts was first elected to her post by the NBPA's executive board in 2014. Roberts worked in Washington, D.C. as a trial attorney. She specialized in complex civil litigation, white collared 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, a former running back for Texas Revolution, is the Arizona Cardinals' special teams coach. She is also a first woman to head a professional men's football team. Welter's goal in football is to make it more accessible for women. After her playing career, Welter helped create camps for girls and women such as the GRRRidiron Football Camp. She has also created a program for youth in underserved neighborhoods.
Welter wasn't looking to become the first woman to head the NFL coaching staff, but she was on her way. Arians is a male coach, and he made it clear that women were welcome on NFL coaching teams. Welter is an exceptional coach, and she has earned the trust and respect of her teammates. Welter is an outstanding example of a coach who values authenticity as well as teamwork.