SportaPolis

Column - "The New P.E. & Sports Dimension" - # 8/1 March 2002

The column that opens your day by opening your mind

DISCUSSION

Women's Sports: Opportunities and Challenges
by
Dr. Corinne Daprano & Dr. Peter Titlebaum
Assistant Professor, Sport Management
Department of Health & Sport Science
University of Dayton

mettegrj@notes.udayton.edu

5. What makes women's sports unique?
Women's sport is unique compared to men's. On the professional scale, I believe the main reason it is unique is that the women are not all about the money like most men are at the professional level. The women are just glad to be at the top level of competition. This is because when most of these women were growing up there was no such thing as the WNBA or the WUSA. Women are there for the love of the game and I believe men take it for granted too much and most of them are in it for the money. I believe this is one thing that makes women's sport unique and better.

6. Would women playing on or coaching men's teams help or hurt the marketing of women's sport?
I believe it would help the marketing of women's sport if women participated or coached men's teams. People would see the female athlete compete with males and notice that they are fun to watch and are athletic. The will see how well woman can play their specific sport. It goes the same with the coaching aspect as well. If people see a woman coaching a men's team and the team does well, it shows that woman can coach men. I seem to remember that Pat Summit (University of Tennessee's woman's basketball coach) was offered the head coaching position for an NBA team, but turned it down. I'm not completely sure of this but I believe this occured. I believed this would have been a great step into helping the marketing of women's sport if she would have taken the job.

7. Is the global community ready for a "star" female athlete to compete in a sport (i.e. basketball or soccer) that is predominately for men?
I think it has already happened in some instances. In soccer, I can name women soccer players before I can name men soccer players. Mia Hamm is the biggest name in soccer (especially in the USA). I can remember a few years ago Chamique Holdsclaw (University of Tennessee) and Rebecca Lobo (University of Connecticut) were huge names in the college basketball world. There are other names as well such as Nancy Lieberman, Dawn Staley, and Sheryl Swoopes. Then in tennis woman are just as known as men tennis players around the world. I do believe the global community is ready for a "star" femail athlete.

9. Is it time to rate how well the sport industry is developing female administrators and coaches?
Yes, I do believe it is time to rate woman administrators and coaches in the sporting industry. In today's society, you see so many articles and numbers about how there is such a low number of African-American adminstrators and coaches, so I think the same can be said for women. I believe both the race and gender arguements is the sports industry are something we all need to look at and attempt to change.

1. What is the best model for managing and marketing women's sports and why?

2. What are additional strategies for contributing to the growth of women's sports worldwide?

3. What can we learn from the Olympic marketing concept?

4. Is the professional sports marketing concept that promotes individual players the only way to sell the product?

5. What makes women's sports unique?

6. Would women playing on or coaching men's teams help or hurt the marketing of women's sport?

7. Is the global community ready for a "star" female athlete to compete in a sport (i.e. basketball or soccer) that is predominately for men?

8. Should women compete in separate divisions for sports such as bowling and billiards?

9. Is it time to rate how well the sport industry is developing female administrators and coaches?

How to participate with the discussion ?

- just copy and paste the above questions into your e-mail program and submit your answers to: guy.vandamme@skynet.be

- he collects your replies.

- The author reads your ideas/reactions and if needed will add his feedback.

- This all - your reactions and feedback - will be posted again onto the list.

April 2002 - Dr. Mike Perko will start with a new article.

Have a good discussion,

co-ordinator

Guy Van Damme