Womens Sports 1920s Final

Jumping Through Hurdles
Shannon Enzenberger
Mrs. Baker
Literature Analysis 11
9 April 2014
Enzenberger 1
Shannon Enzenberger
Mrs. Baker
Literature Analysis 11
9 April 2014
Jumping Through Hurdles
The 1920s was a great era of prosperity and change. Womens roles were changing in
society and they were gaining more freedoms. Among the changes were womens sports.
Womens sports were becoming popular due to fights of opposition, the infiltration of sports into
society, and achievements in womens sports.
Womens sports gained a lot of opposition. Women were thought of as delicate, proper
ladies who should act the same way. Women in Sports states, Over the years, females have
competed against the stereotype of being too fragile to play strenuous sports. With this
stereotype came growing concerns about the tolls that sports take on the body. For example,
Many people believed that girls couldnt handle the stress of interscholastic competition
(Women in Sports). The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), which was created in 1888 to
promote mens athletics, was in agreement with this belief and refused to allow women athletics
(Woolum; Bridgewater).
Despite these oppositions, women put up a fight and managed to make progress in the
push for womens athletics. Many women were now able to go to college, where they could
create sports teams and get an education. According to Peterson, As young women began to
experience educational freedom and claim the independence to subtly move away from the realm
of domestic responsibilities, female sports became more than social interactions. Although
college was very beneficial, graduation left many females not knowing where to take their love
Enzenberger 2
for athletics. Having nowhere to go but recreation, women took sports to private clubs where
they could play and develop their skills. Many of the elite women athletes took part in these
private clubs. These clubs grew so much that by1920, national championships were held for
women (Woolum). After these events, The AAU succumbed to public pressure in 1924 and
allowed womens athletics with the establishment of a womens track and field association
(Bridgewater).
The fight for womens athletics led to some great achievements in the societies of the
1920s. The shift toward increased acceptance of womens sports within American society
coincided with the shift toward decreases in gender discrimination. During World War I,
women took on more male roles in the industry and household. They were even allowed to
become more involved in sports because mens sports werent available for speculation at the
time (Peterson). Women used this as a means to help fight segregation and earn suffrage. They
used their athletic abilities and entered some of the same sports that males did. Women not only
competed; some of them won and broke male records. For example, Gertrude Ederle was the
first woman to swim the English Channel and she was able to swim it two hours faster than any
man had done (Bridgewater). When the war ended, society had a new respect for women, which
helped their causes. According to Peterson, Women over the age of eighteen gained suffrage,
and with increased political responsibility came the opportunity to expand female participation in
other areas, such as athletic endeavors. However, amongst these successes, African Americans
still faced racial discrimination and few were accepted into mainstream athletics. Despite their
segregation, many joined in on the sports action. For example, In 1916, tennis players from the
Washington, DC, area came together to form the American Tennis Association (ATA) to develop
tennis among Black people men and women in the United States (Woolum). In years to
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come, Women would gain a monumental boost with the establishment of Title IX in 1973 that
gives women equal opportunity and equal access to educational programs and activities
(Bridgewater).
The 1920s experienced many changes. Womens sports triumphed over opposition,
infiltrated society, and heralded many achievements. These achievements came in all shapes and
sizes and contributed to a greater cause equality. Athletics among women in the 1920s
changed how society viewed females. Women were no longer thought of as only feminine, stayat-home moms. They were able to participate in things that appealed to them and change their
roles in society. This is self-evident in todays society as well. Although not everyone is treated
equally, great strides have been made toward this goal, many of them having begun in the 1920s.
The 1920s was an exciting period of change with many great achievements and womens
participation in sports was influential among them
Enzenberger 4
Bibliography
Bridgewater, Emma. The History and Significance of Womens Achievements in Sports. The
Public. WordPress. Mar. 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
History of Women in Sports Timeline. Northnet. St. Lawrence County Branch. n.d. Web. 19
Mar. 2014.
Peterson, Mallory. Changes in Societal Perceptions of Womens Sports. Penn State. 26 Oct.
2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
Vaillancourt, Berklee. Womens Athletics in the 1920s. Prezi. 22 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Mar.
2014.
Women in Sports. Riverdeep. n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
Womens Sports. The College at Brockport State University of New York. 24 Jun. 2010. Web.
19 Mar. 2014.
Woolum, Janet. Outstanding Women Athletes. Phoenix: The Oryx Press, 1998. Digital.
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Works Cited
Bridgewater, Emma. The History and Significance of Womens Achievements in Sports. The
Public. WordPress. Mar. 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
Peterson, Mallory. Changes in Societal Perceptions of Womens Sports. Penn State. 26 Oct.
2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
Women in Sports. Riverdeep. n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
Woolum, Janet. Outstanding Women Athletes. Phoenix: The Oryx Press, 1998. Digital.

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Jumping Through Hurdles

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