The first women’s professional sports league was founded in 1943. For the next eighty years female athletes fought to be equally represented in the male-dominated sports industry until in 2023, the world saw record-setting attendance and viewership of women’s sports. Was this a fluke, or will these athletes see changes in the near future?

Before the era of reform, a woman’s role was not on a court or in a stadium. It wasn’t until the year 1900 that women were featured in the Paris Olympic Games, their first notable appearance in the world of sports. A few decades later, the United States inaugurated the idea of women competing at the professional level. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was introduced in the 1940s when the military draft drained the men’s league during World War II. The women’s league became quite popular but was dissolved after only a few years once men could return to sports. Despite the short-lived excitement, the league was a step in the right direction. From then on, women continued to compete in Olympic Games, and various professional leagues formed around the world. 

Decades later, women have proven their ability to draw the attention of sports watchers worldwide. There is no women’s sporting event in the world more significant than the FIFA World Cup, and in 2023 it got even bigger. Viewership skyrocketed compared to 2019 and 2015 television and ticket sales. Women’s sports were also showcased at the collegiate level on August 30 2023, now known as Nebraska Volleyball Day. The Huskers hosted and beat the Omaha volleyball team in front of a record-setting crowd of 92,003. This was the highest-attended women’s sporting event in global history. Turning to the professional scene, one of the largest discussion topics in women’s sports is the WNBA. ESPN reported that the 2023 draft averaged 572,000 viewers, up 42% from the previous year. 

So, what do these promising numbers mean for the world of women’s sports? Junior Sarah Lessig has grown up surrounded by sports, currently plays baseball and basketball for Garfield and hopes to continue playing the latter at the collegiate level. “I think it’s super important that women in sports are respected the same as men,” she remarked. The issue of equality has been one of the main concerns of many female athletes around the world. “There’s just such a big gap between women’s and men’s sports and I’m just hoping that it changes,” she continued. Fortunately, the gap between the two may be slimming. 

The surge of attention to women’s sports has inspired many young athletes, including Lessig. What has led to these athletes gaining the respect they deserve? “Women are constantly getting better. The increase in overall skill is just exponential every single year. Younger generations are continuing to grow and improve,” she said. 

While progress has been made, there’s still a long way to go before female athletes will feel fully respected in their industry. The future of women’s sports lies in the hands of generations to come, but it is the responsibility of current society to set the stage for them.