Created as a product of student research in association with the History Department to explore the history, impact, and legacy of the women's softball program and Title IX at Utah State University.
“Prior to 1870, activities for women were recreational rather than sport-specific in nature. They were noncompetitive, informal, rule-less; they emphasized physical activity rather than competition. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, women began to form clubs that were athletic in nature. Efforts to limit women sport activity continued as they became more involved in competitive sports.[1]”This example illustrates that like most sports women sports started as recreational activities, but with the development of women athletic clubs for sports like “Tennis, croquet, bowling, and archery[2]”
The evolution of women's participation in sports reflects a journey marked by resilience, struggle, and triumph. This paper offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of women's sports history, from its inception to the early 1980s, focusing on softball's rise. Despite initial non-competitive and recreational roots, women gradually formed athletic clubs, paving the way for organized tournaments and sponsored competitions. Pioneering athletes like Billie Jean King, Wilma Rudolph, and Toni Stone defied social norms, becoming icons and laying the foundation for women's sports today. However, challenges persisted, even after implementing Title IX, as female athletes faced resistance from traditional views on competitiveness. Yet, women persevered, with examples such as Utah State University's intramural softball teams showcasing their determination. Softball, in particular, emerged as a cherished sport within the women's community, offering a playing field and pathways to successful careers, thus permanently shaping the landscape of women's sports.
Impact of women is sports:
What impacts occurred after athletes like mentioned above. Continued in their journey of establishing women in sports? After the establishment of women in sports due to title IX thing started to look up for the women in sports and started to develop fair play in sports but with the fair play being implemented and still being a new view on sports and how they were played lead to challenges for the women in sports like an example that is explained in the article Women’s Sports by Randy Roberts it states that some of these problems were “that female physical educators rejected the male competitive sports ethos. They were disgusted by the excessive competitiveness which bred dishonesty and corruption-of college football and other male dominated sports.[3]” Which is a foolish reason not to let the women at the time to play sports but because of this many women at this time fought back and got involved for example here in Utah state University many of the intramural teams largely consisted of women who wanted to play sports such as softball because it was one of the few sports that let women play in the “intramural[4]” sport.
By Cecil Wilkinson
[1] Richard C Bell, “A History of Women in Sport Prior to Title IX,” The Sport Journal, October 12, 2016, https://thesportjournal.org/article/a-history-of-women-in-sport-prior-to-title-ix/.
[2] Richard C Bell, “A History of Women in Sport Prior to Title IX,” The Sport Journal, October 12, 2016, https://thesportjournal.org/article/a-history-of-women-in-sport-prior-to-title-ix/.
[3] Randy Roberts, “Women’ s Sports,” Journal of Sports History 20, no. 2 (2012).
[4] Intramural Women’s Softball, 1950s, photograph (Logan, ut, 1950), Logan, ut.
Women’s Basketball Game in Smart Gymnasium at Utah State, 1950s,
Bibliography
Primary:
Intramural women’s softball, 1950s. Photograph. Logan, ut, 1950. Logan, ut.
State, Utah. Women’s basketball game in Smart Gymnasium, 1950s. Photograph. Logan, ut, 1950. Logan, ut.
Secondary:
Bell, Richard C. “A History of Women in Sport Prior to Title IX.” The Sport Journal, October 12, 2016. https://thesportjournal.org/article/a-history-of-women-in-sport-prior-to-title-ix/.
Roberts, Randy. “Women’ s Sports.” Journal of Sports History 20, no. 2 (2012).
