Kendra Cobb
English 102
Short Argumentative Essay
February 24, 2017
English 102
Short Argumentative Essay
February 24, 2017
Women in Sports
There are a number of women who are better than men who are involved in the same sport. These women also have set high standards about how women can achieve all that they want if they work hard to reach those goals. Women have had to overcome the negativity of today's society to get to the place of success that they have today. Venus and Serena Williams, also known as the Williams sisters, were part of a big movement where women becoming participants in sports and becoming successful grew. Women in today’s culture are reaching their goals, dismissing sexist exceptions, and being more recognized.
First of all, women are more than capable of reaching their dreams and goals in sports just like men are. When a woman wants to win the next US Open, she has to put in the same amount of effort and work as any guy who wants to be the next quarterback to win the Superbowl. All of these athletes, whether they are men or women, seem to get noticed once they have achieved their goal. “Athletes who achieve sports success are often held up as role models for people young and old” (Athletes and Sports par 2). There are several examples of women who are figures that people look up to, such as Venus and Serena Williams. The Williams sisters have been a constant role model for a countless number of young girls, especially the girls who are interested in a career in tennis. However, according to Sara Maratta , in her article “Move Over Boys, Make Room in the Crease,” men have always been above women when it comes to sports (Maratta 538). Men have always been more influential in the sports area than women have been. As time goes on women keep proving society wrong.
Another example of how women are continuing to prove today’s society wrong, would be women who participate in cheerleading. Cheerleading is often not considered a sport, and a countless number of people think cheerleading is easy. Jennie Yabroff who is the author of “In Defense of Cheering” says that “...competitive cheerleaders are more like extreme athletes: daredevil adrenaline junkies who often perform exhausted or hurt and love their sport with an addict’s devotion” (Yabroff 524-5). What Yabroff really means is that cheerleading is just as difficult as any other sport that women can participate in. Women are not the only ones who are able to do cheerleading; cheerleading is for men as well. Although cheerleading involves as much work and effort as any other sport, Maratta shows that people tend to think wrong thoughts about cheerleaders when she says that “Most individuals typecast cheerleaders as dumb blond pompom-pushers, attention hogs with a 1950’s veneer who cannot be classified as true athletes” (Maratta 540). The evidence shows that society talks about cheerleader as if they were the cheerleaders on a movie who are rude and dumb. However, women are stepping up and not letting society run their life.
Finally, there are women everywhere who are becoming to be more involved in sports and they are becoming more recognized for their hard earned accomplishments. Michael Kimmelman is the author of “Women Who Hit Very Hard and How They’ve Changed Tennis” and is a writer for the New York Times and New York Review of Books. Kimmelman believes that women have overcome what society says about women in sports by saying, “They’re stronger, bigger, faster, better trained and pushed above all by the example of the Williams sisters” (Kimmelman 513). In other words, Kimmelman believes that professional female sport athletes are becoming the faces on many of the “Got Milk?” ads as well as numerous other ads because of their hard work and talent. Although they are constantly being pointed out for their ability to perform well, people in today’s culture think that women are not as talented as men. Maratta’s point is that “Female players, although most likely as fit and as talented as most men, must constantly monitor and tailor their persona to fit the stereotypical mold of what a female athlete should look like in the eyes of the image-conscious fans” (Maratta 540). Women in sports feel like they have to look and act a certain way for society to accept them.
Women who are involved in sports tend to get criticised as being less talented than men all because they are women. There are women who have overcame all the negative words that society has said to them and about them. Little girls look up to women who have been successful in sports as role models. Women are constantly becoming more successful, proving society wrong, and receiving more credibility for their success.
First of all, women are more than capable of reaching their dreams and goals in sports just like men are. When a woman wants to win the next US Open, she has to put in the same amount of effort and work as any guy who wants to be the next quarterback to win the Superbowl. All of these athletes, whether they are men or women, seem to get noticed once they have achieved their goal. “Athletes who achieve sports success are often held up as role models for people young and old” (Athletes and Sports par 2). There are several examples of women who are figures that people look up to, such as Venus and Serena Williams. The Williams sisters have been a constant role model for a countless number of young girls, especially the girls who are interested in a career in tennis. However, according to Sara Maratta , in her article “Move Over Boys, Make Room in the Crease,” men have always been above women when it comes to sports (Maratta 538). Men have always been more influential in the sports area than women have been. As time goes on women keep proving society wrong.
Another example of how women are continuing to prove today’s society wrong, would be women who participate in cheerleading. Cheerleading is often not considered a sport, and a countless number of people think cheerleading is easy. Jennie Yabroff who is the author of “In Defense of Cheering” says that “...competitive cheerleaders are more like extreme athletes: daredevil adrenaline junkies who often perform exhausted or hurt and love their sport with an addict’s devotion” (Yabroff 524-5). What Yabroff really means is that cheerleading is just as difficult as any other sport that women can participate in. Women are not the only ones who are able to do cheerleading; cheerleading is for men as well. Although cheerleading involves as much work and effort as any other sport, Maratta shows that people tend to think wrong thoughts about cheerleaders when she says that “Most individuals typecast cheerleaders as dumb blond pompom-pushers, attention hogs with a 1950’s veneer who cannot be classified as true athletes” (Maratta 540). The evidence shows that society talks about cheerleader as if they were the cheerleaders on a movie who are rude and dumb. However, women are stepping up and not letting society run their life.
Finally, there are women everywhere who are becoming to be more involved in sports and they are becoming more recognized for their hard earned accomplishments. Michael Kimmelman is the author of “Women Who Hit Very Hard and How They’ve Changed Tennis” and is a writer for the New York Times and New York Review of Books. Kimmelman believes that women have overcome what society says about women in sports by saying, “They’re stronger, bigger, faster, better trained and pushed above all by the example of the Williams sisters” (Kimmelman 513). In other words, Kimmelman believes that professional female sport athletes are becoming the faces on many of the “Got Milk?” ads as well as numerous other ads because of their hard work and talent. Although they are constantly being pointed out for their ability to perform well, people in today’s culture think that women are not as talented as men. Maratta’s point is that “Female players, although most likely as fit and as talented as most men, must constantly monitor and tailor their persona to fit the stereotypical mold of what a female athlete should look like in the eyes of the image-conscious fans” (Maratta 540). Women in sports feel like they have to look and act a certain way for society to accept them.
Women who are involved in sports tend to get criticised as being less talented than men all because they are women. There are women who have overcame all the negative words that society has said to them and about them. Little girls look up to women who have been successful in sports as role models. Women are constantly becoming more successful, proving society wrong, and receiving more credibility for their success.
Works Cited
“Athletes and Sports.” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, Detroit, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PC3021900159/OVIC?u=chil38234&xid=96a52316. Accessed 2017.
Kimmelman, Michael . "Women Who Hit Very Hard and How They’ve Changed Tennis." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 512-522. Print
Maratta, Sara. "Move Over Boys, Make Room in the Crease." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 537-543. Print
Yabroff, Jennie. "In Defense of Cheering." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 524-527. Print
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PC3021900159/OVIC?u=chil38234&xid=96a52316. Accessed 2017.
Kimmelman, Michael . "Women Who Hit Very Hard and How They’ve Changed Tennis." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 512-522. Print
Maratta, Sara. "Move Over Boys, Make Room in the Crease." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 537-543. Print
Yabroff, Jennie. "In Defense of Cheering." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 524-527. Print