Women in Sport

With the World Cup in full flow (bye bye England!) and Wimbledon starting today, it's got me thinking a lot about Women and sport.

Now, when I was a teenager I was well into my football and was a season ticket holder at Reading FC for several years. I'd love to say that this had nothing to do with boys, and everything to do with me being an independent gal who didn't care if she was the only girl in the stand- but really I got into it because my best (guy) friend, who I was in love with, was football crazy and would go to every match with a load of our guy mates. Well, this was very appealing; I got to spend more time with him, and a load of other boys, whilst watching fit men run around in little shorts! Win win! I did genuinely really get into it though, and loved the bones of that club. I still do.

                      CHAMPIONS!!!

But as the years went on I did start to lose interest- I just can't get my head around the fact that it happens every year, so what does it really matter?? I mean even if you're the best team in Europe and you win all the cups; what does it really mean?? You still have to try and win them again next year, and if you don't, everyone will berate you! Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the odd game, but I cannot watch it like I used to. It just seems, dare I say it, meaningless. 

So have I lost interest in it because I am female? I don't want to sound all sexist or anything, (and I know there are many many women who love football) but men and women do have differently wired brains. I don't know of any guys that feel the same way as I do about football- they're all thrilled that it's never ending! Am I just not designed to enjoy it like a guy? 

Or is there another reason?

When the World Cup started a couple of weeks ago my Facebook and Twitter timelines were clogged up with excited men and pissed off women.

(This is also the case when the Rugby/Cricket/Golf etc. is on)

Wimbledon is starting today and my timelines are rife with excited guys AND girls anticipating the tournament. 

So why do (most) women love Tennis and despise all other sport???

The premise is the same- they have to come back year after year to defend their titles; it is never ending just like other sports.

But Tennis tournaments are the only ones that give as much coverage to the women's competition as they do to the mens; and clearly this is having a huge impact on women and girls and how they view their abitily to participate in enjoying sport.

I have never thought about this before, but now that I have it's like a lightbulb has gone off in my brain. And it's made me angry.

DaddyBear said the other day, whilst he was watching a World Cup match, that he'd like our next baby to be a boy, "so I can watch football and cricket and stuff with him, and take him to matches"

Obviously I replied "why on earth couldn't you do that with a daughter??!"

I genuinely believe that if we expose Boo to a wide variety of sports, played by both men and women, and expect her to be interested in them, then there's no reason why she won't have as much interest in sports as a son of ours would have.

And it is my mission to achieve that.

Long live women in sport!

Thanks for reading,

MummyBear X

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