Can women compete against men in Sports

      The correct question is, "Can the very best women athletes compete in men's professional sports?" To answer that question we must look at the strength and size of men and women. When you match up men and women with the same lean body mass and size, the differences are small. However, absolute strength and size are not key factor i sports such as soccer and baseball. Baseball and soccer are games involving skills that are combination of timing, coordination, strength, knowledge of the game, strategies,control, competitiveness and desire. There are plenty of examples in major league baseball of the smaller but veryhighly skilled player who overcome disadvantages of footspeed, size, or strength to be an exceptional player. Most soccer player tend to be smaller then atletes in other sports, which is why in some many communitys men and women play on co-ed teams.

     The biggest disadvantage that women players will have to overcome will be the fact that they will be less experienced in playing baseball. Even though baseball and softball are similar games, the smaller size and weight ofthe ball, the longer pitching distances, base paths and field size and the subtle differences of the game will pose more disadvantages than physical size or ability differences. Women players need time to adjust to this new
game with they want to compete with men.
     
     The only women playing men’s professional baseball isIla Borders. Border’s has pitched for three independent Class A Northern League teams in four professional seasons.She became the first woman to pitch in a men's professional baseball game on May 31, 1997 as a member of the St. Paul Saints. The southpaw made her trailblazing debut by facing three Sioux Falls Canaries batters at Sioux Falls Stadium in Sioux Falls, SD. At first people thought she was simply a promotional gimmick but over time she has proven herself as a good relief pitcher with a 1.53 ERA.

     When speck of whether women should plat men sports such as baseball, we most forget there was a time when females ruled the dimond. During world war two team owners started a league for women, to provent losing season profits. Women who played just as good as or better the men were brought in from all over the country and givin a chance tobe paid for playing the game they love. Although the league was adventully ended in 1954 due to the end of the war and growing lack of intrestest in the luegue . The league is honred with a space in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
     
     Another event which in my opuion truely proves women can stick it with the men is      when 17-year-old pitcher Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell strikes out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game for the Chattanooga Lookouts. Landis voids Mitchell's contract, saying baseball is "too strenuous" for women Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis bans women from professional baseball (the bans lasts until 1992) .     

     Times are changing and women are getting the chance to play baseball, basketball, scocer etc. . In 1996 2.8 million females played baseball(SGMA, 1997) and in 1998-99, 1,262 girls played baseball on high school teams in the U.S. (NFSHA, 1999). As the WNBA was formed so women in this country would nologer have to go over seas to live their dream of playing profesional basketball. EIlaBorders proves that women can compete with men inprofessional sports and that they should never be overlooked.



Bibliography

1. The Northern League Official Web Site, “Madison LHP
Borders Profiled by Acclaimed Photographer”
http://www.northernleague.com/releases/112499.html 11/24/99

2. Women’s Sports Foundation, “Women and Baseball”
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/templates/res_center/r
clib/results_topics2.html?article=704&record=75

3. www.britannica.com/women/articles/All-American_Girls_Professional_Baseball_League.html