Where are the women’s sports?

It’s summer, and every major advertiser of sports activities is coming out in full force to back some sports clinic or competition. But one noticeable trend that hasn’t changed is the disparity between the monies that go to male-dominated sports, and those that go into women’s sports.

Ironically, women are – to put in tritely — about to inherit the earth. Wars, stress and disease have changed the demographics of the planet by decimating men, and more and more women have gone into the workforce to break the glass ceiling that kept them from holding higher positions for decades. Internationally recognized marketer and trend spotter Faith Popcorn’s book, "EVEolution" points out that, in the United States alone, more than 50 percent of all purchases — including those of automobiles — are decided by women.

Slowly, the reservations that parents in the provinces have about sending their daughters to Manila specifically to be student-athletes are melting with the advent of greater communication and transportation and the increased mix of Filipinos from the south in the major urban centers in the north.

So why hasn’t women’s sports really found its independence?

First of all, with the lack of media attention given to the distaff side, majority of us are still possessed of the notion that women’s sports is populated by girls with masculine tendencies. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In this age of women finding opportunities to have a career and a sport or hobby — and in general becoming more well-rounded — more and more women are taking their feminine wiles and strengthening themselves in gyms, taking up taebo, boxing, rock climbing and basketball.

The Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association, for example, is taking its name seriously. "National" will no longer just be a label. The WNCAA has accepted members from all over Luzon, and is expanding into the Visayas and Mindanao. Unfortunately, you don’t read much about the impact of women’s sports, particularly basketball, in Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Cebu, where it has a very healthy following. The WNCAA has also been able to send a team to an international competition in Taiwan, where they placed third.

Coaches are now able to access advances in training and technology, and may learn how to better handle female players physiologically and psychologically. Understanding of the female psyche has become more sophisticated, and women have followed the lead of athletes and coaches who have gone before them.

In this country, women athletes need an example. For this, they can look to the WNBA.

The US women’s Olympic basketball team spent more than a year traveling the globe, even playing against men, to increase awareness for their sport. They won more than fifty games, and even made a visit to the White House, an exceedingly uncommon occurrence for female athletes. By the time the Atlanta Olympics came around, everyone was hyped about women’s hoops.

Immediately after Atlanta, the core of the gold medal-winning US women’s team became the backbone of two professional leagues. Now, although it is only the WNBA that is standing, it enjoys a very healthy following, consistent expansion, and better business. Many of its players see action as imports in other countries.

A movement like that is what is needed to give women’s sports overall a big boost. With ten sports to handle in the first semester alone, the WNCAA has the potential to be that force. Once its leadership finds the proper management and marketing partners to enhance the product (the games) and give it the proper publicity and promotions, there’s no reason why it cannot achieve the success other men’s amateur leagues have reached.

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Watch this week’s episode of The Basketball Show tomorrow on RPN 9 from 2 to 3 p.m. The program is brought to you by Columbia International, Red Horse Extra Strong Beer, Pearl of the Pacific Boracay and Accel sports gear.