Hooray for the Women Who Cleared the Path

For thousands of years, women were discouraged and even prohibited from participating in athletic activities. Considered too frail, too fragile to play anything more strenuous than croquet, they could only watch as men competed for fun and glory.

Not until early in this century did history begin to turn. Slowly, one woman at a time, paths were blazed and ground was broken for the rights of women to compete when and where they saw fit. In 1919, Suzanne Lenglen defied Victorian mores with her grace and athleticism on the Wimbledon tennis court. A few years later, Gertrude Ederle became not only the first woman to swim the English Channel, but also the fastest human to do so.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Babe Didrikson distinguished herself as quite possibly the best all-around athlete of the century. In 1960, Wilma Rudolph captivated the nation with her astonishing gold medal display at the Rome Olympics. And in 1966--1966!--Roberta Gibb and Kathrine Switzer had to sneak into the Boston Marathon to prove to race organizers that women really could run 26 miles without dropping their uteri on the course.

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All of these women, as well as thousands of others, changed the world. Their courage and daring made it safe for women to sweat--and forced Congress to acquiesce by passing a law that outlawed sex discrimination in all federally funded institutions. Title IX, as it was called, mandated equal participation for women scholar-athletes and proportional scholarships. It was passed in 1972, and its impact on women and their athletic accomplishments has been truly seismic.

A straight line extends from Title IX to the Olympic gold medals won in 1996 by the American women’s gymnastics, soccer, softball and basketball teams, and by the ice hockey team two years later. Finally, women athletes have achieved their rightful place among the elite, and female sports is big business indeed.

The history of that thrilling journey--which began less than a hundred years ago--is told in a documentary that debuted last week on HBO. Called “Dare to Compete,” it is a testament to all those women who bravely shattered myths and dispelled stereotypes. These were women who dared to compete.

How fitting, then, that when I returned a few weeks ago from hosting a pre-release screening of “Dare to Compete” in San Diego, I got an excited call from a friend. His 12-year-old daughter plays on a soccer team that just won a five-game tournament and was now headed to the state semifinals. He couldn’t possibly have been more excited, not even if he himself had played.

“I was so proud of her,” he said. “She’d been sick in bed all week and still didn’t feel perfect when the games began. But she dug down deep inside and somehow found the strength to play like a champion.”

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My friend insists that his daughter’s love of athletics and competition is teaching her lessons about life--team play, responsibility, inner strength, commitment, sportsmanship.

I agree. Participating in sports is not ultimately about winning or losing. It’s about learning what you’re made of. Because in all endeavors, from business to science to athletics, you discover your capabilities through competition. The better the competition, the more inspired you are and the better you perform.

The fact that my friend’s daughter, and millions of other girls, are now given the opportunity to experience the joys of athletic participation and competition is a cause for celebration. If you know a girl who plays sports, encourage her to continue. And if you know a girl who doesn’t play, urge her to get involved. Buy her a soccer ball, or a tennis racket, or a softball. Take her to a track meet or a women’s basketball game.

Above all, tell these girls about how far women have come, and about the shoulders they’re standing on when they lace up a pair of running shoes, even if it’s only to walk. Just as we Americans who enjoy freedom must honor those soldiers who gave their lives for the cause, so too must all women honor those who cleared the field before them by daring to compete.

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Copyright 1999 by Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith’s fitness column appears weekly in Health. Reader questions are welcome and can be sent to Kathy Smith, Health, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. If your question is selected, you will receive a free copy of her book “Getting Better All the Time.” Please include your name, address and a daytime phone number with your question.