Women in Sport: Historical Perspectives

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2017

Abstract

The history of women in sport in America was shaped by Victorian ideals and other belief systems prevalent during the nineteenth century. Medical experts of that era believed that intense exercise and competition could cause women to become masculine, threaten their ability to bear children, and create other reproductive health complications. Consequently, sport for women was reserved for upper-class women until the mid-twentieth century. Title IX of the Education Amendments had a significant and lasting impact on sport in America. Today, girls and women are enjoying sport at the interscholastic, intercollegiate, and professional levels comparable with their male counterparts.

Publication Title

Clinics in Sports Medicine

Volume

36

Issue

4

First Page

603

Last Page

610

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.csm.2017.05.001

PubMed ID

28886817

ISSN

02785919

E-ISSN

1556228X

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