Ladies don’t sweat
Posted Under: Women's Health & Wellbeing
“Ladies don’t sweat, we gently glow” a high school teacher reminded us one hot, summer afternoon in Brisbane many years ago. It was a conservative catholic school and the‘English madam’ as we liked to call her did not like us running around, then piling into her classroom for afternoon geography. This was just one of the many confusing messages we were taught when growing up, about becoming a woman and how to behave.
Times have certainly changed and women’s health is now a billion dollar industry in Australia. But what about women’s sport?
Women’s sport in Australia has not quite caught up. Although we pride ourselves on sporting heroes, there are many sporting female legends that are only now starting to shine in the spotlight, with many still standing back waiting. Men’s sport and women’s sport are at polar opposites in terms of popularity in this country.
The way men bond over sport is something I have always admired from afar. Two men who don’t know each other and have nothing in common, will bond instantaneously over kicking a football, whacking a cricket bat or throwing a frisbee around. But many women in this country do love sport too. Some prefer to watch and cheer from the sidelines but for others, this is simply not enough. These women would like nothing more than to get active and throw the ball around. They revel in their fitness and make sporting achievements, not only their passion – their vocation.
Some good news has emerged for women and sport in Australia recently, groundbreaking news in fact. Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Westfield recently announced a landmark agreement in support of the fastest growing team sport for women in the country – women’s football. What a series triumph for these footy mad ladies.
The new W-league team of footballers are heading home this weekend, to kick off the first female football league here is Australia. All the leading Matildas from last year’s historic World Cup quarter-final campaign are expected to participate in the 43-game competition spanning 10 rounds and a two-week finals series ending in January 09.
The W-League is the top level women’s association football league in Australia. Established in 2008, it will be composed of eight teams - the seven Australian A-League clubs, and one team based in Canberra. Its inaugural season (2008-09) will start in October 2008. One game per week (the 4pm Saturday game) will be broadcast live nationwide on ABC.
"This is not only an exciting new era in women’s football, but it’s also another landmark for women’s sport," said Football Federation chief executive Ben Buckley. "The women’s game globally is growing in popularity and stature and is one of the few sports available for talented women athletes to represent their country from an early age. We are delighted to announce this new and historic agreement for women’s football.“
Women’s football is now a huge growth sport here. “The Westfield Matildas are one of the highest achieving sporting teams in Australia, having made four Women’s World Cup tournaments and several Olympic Games, and football offers an unrivalled career path for talented elite women athletes,” Buckley said.
Our talented young female athletes may soon be in a county that embraces their talent and a government that will help support it.
”A league for women has been overdue but the time is now right thanks to the support of Westfield, the ABC and the Australian Government. The Westfield W-League will help improve the skills and match preparedness of talented women athletes, and give them greater opportunity to play high quality competitive sport to their potential. The women’s game globally is growing in popularity and stature and is one of the few sports available for talented women athletes to represent their country from an early age,” Buckley said.
Australia’s history is rich in sport and women have contributed significantly to that history. But the many champion women of Australian sport have largely triumphed over a system that worked strenuously against them.
I can’t help but admire these women. Imagine the conviction they must have to play and succeed in their chosen fields. Our footy ladies are not being paid nearly as much as their male counterparts but it is a step in the right direction for women passionate about playing sport in Australia.
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How do you think women and sport are viewed in Australia? How important is sport in your life? Do you play sport competively?
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Reader Comments
I admire these women too. It is a great step for them. I am not particulary sporty but I have friends who are and I think they will be thrilled with this news.
I laughed at the men bonding over sport bit, it is soo true. I was at a bbq recently and was so amused at the way the men kicked the footy around and the women talked and drank champers. It was the Australian culture in all it’s glory and both sexes seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.
Good luck to them I say. Personally I could thinkof nohting worse tahn running around a football team getting sweaty but that is just me
I do believe women should follow their passion and if it is football, not there will be more opportunity.
I have tried to play competitive sport before but I find it too aggressive. I played netball for a while and some of those women were very scarey. Our receptionist turned from a people pleasing pussy cat into an abusive, ranting fire-ball. I wanted to have fun - needless to say I did not last very long.
I must admit, I am an ex-football player (im guessing being the matildas in this article we are talking my one true love, soccer, or the original football), and it is aggressive when women play! I loved it for the stress relief!
It’s a great game and women are very good at it, but have never been given the recognition. As the same in all sports us women play.
It is mandatory for the beach volleyball girls to wear bikini bottoms no thicker than 6cm across the hip, and yet the men can wear shorts and shirts? equal, I dont think so, they dont even get paid the same to be paraded the way they are.
Many men discredit women in sport, they think they are there just to look at. Would be nice if sponsors would get in and sponsor teams based on their performance.
I believe our women’s cricket team have just as many wins under their belts, but it is never televised.
I’m with Jane on this one. Great news for girls who love sport!