Women in Sports: Bowdoin and Beyond

Women in Sports: Bowdoin and Beyond

Introduction

My name is Leah Ferenc and I am a senior Gender & Women’s Studies and Government major. I created this website as an independent study for my Gender & Women’s Studies major under the guidance of Professor Ghodsee. The website is for current, past and prospective Bowdoin students to give insight into what it means to be a female athlete at Bowdoin College as well as to bring awareness to female athletics in general and their importance. Being involved in athletics has always been a part of my life and I know it has contributed greatly to the person I am today. My college experience has also been shaped by my participation on the field hockey team. The lack of coverage for female athletics especially on television both college and professional has always been apparent to me. This website is my attempt at highlighting women in sports and the athletics culture here on campus.

What is Title IX?

I chose to write about Title IX because it is important to understand how women were able to become so much more involved in athletics. This section addresses the history of Title IX, what it provides athletes, statistics comparing female participation and scholarships over the years as well as analysis of female athletics in the world today.

Participation in Athletics=Higher Self-Esteem

Leah Ferenc I have always thought that playing sports helped me to become a more self-confident person so I wanted to see if there was any research out there to help me convey this point. Participation in sports also provides women with life skills.

History of Women’s Sports at Bowdoin

One cannot think about the female athletes at Bowdoin today without first looking at how women were integrated into sports at Bowdoin in the 1970s. Women’s sports have greatly developed since then. We owe much of our success to the Bowdoin women who fought for the creation of many varsity sports and the athletic staff who encouraged their participation.

The Relationship between Athletics and Academic Achievement

This particular section was written to challenge the belief that athletics detracts from academic achievement. Through research and student interviews it has become clear that student-athletes at Bowdoin are in fact both students and athletes and maintain a high standard of academic achievement both in and out of season.