Sports and sex segregation

[Ennuid]

The Roland Garros and the women's football WC this week reminded me again what I hate about sports : sex segregation. It simply reinforces the idea that men's sports are the real deal, while women's sports are a second-class. What we need to do it stop segregating boys and girls at young ages, just let them play in the same teams or events as they do before the teenage years. This way society won't see women as ''physically inferior'' and a sort of sub-par version of men. No team should be called the male or female this or that and not allowing the other sex to join, if good enough, should be illegal. Something similar happened in the US around the middle of the last century : black athletes were not allowed to compete against whites not only because of pure racism, but also because blacks were considered inferior athletes. The moment they were allowed to compete against whites was the moment they started taking over US sports and these days they almost completely dominate the most popular sports across the pond.

Women are not inferior, sub-par or a lesser version of men. They shouldn't be forced to compete in their own leagues and events. Sports are a huge part of our society and great for building confidence and teaching structure to young people. What kind of message do girls get so early in life when they are told that they should go play in a league of their own because boys are better? No wonder women grow up believing they can't go for a STEM degree or negotiate their salary ''like a man''!

[Mengog]

If this happens female sports would die.

Blacks weren't considered inferior athletes. It was more to do with the fact when blacks competed against whites, they won.

Serena Williams is an all time great female tennis player. She would probably be outside the top 100 in the men's game. Jessica Ennis is a great athlete. If she competed against men she wouldn't be professional and would struggle to be sixteen year old boys.

Men and woman are physically different.

[Childrenofthestones]

I don't post here very often so I don't know many people's posting history, but the OP is so ridiculous that I'm tempted to think it is a bloke on the wind up.

[Ennuid]

Hi, TBR. I see your point. I've heard about women being better at long distance running. But looking at men's/women's ultramarathon records, there isn't a single one where women even come close.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarathon#IAU_World_Best_Performances

[YonicScrewdriver]

MNHQ always welcomes reports, stones...

[YonicScrewdriver]

OP, do you basically not want to watch women in individual sports at all?

[LeBearPolar]

Start by making the women's tennis slams best of five sets rather than best of three and then consider integrating the tournaments.

[YonicScrewdriver]

I agree LeBear - it makes the matches materially different if you need to display form over five sets sometimes.

[YonicScrewdriver]

By integrating I thought LeBear meant pkaying at the same time which happens in the slams but not otherwise. I think? Masters etc z

[messyisthenewtidy]

"Women are not inferior, sub-par or a lesser version of men."

OP, I think that you are caught up in the idea that physical strength implies superiority. It doesn't.

The reason that we need to a) keep sport segregated and b) accord women's sports with the same status is because it's fair and just to encourage everyone equally. And also because status and money will improve the quality of womens sport in the same way it has the men's.

[Ennuid]

Sadly, respect and status are earned, not offered on a plate. You earn them by competing against the best and beating them. And no, physical strength is not superiority nor it is relevant in many sports.

Those who say men are better by default, did you watch the Champions League final last night? Most of the best players in the world are tiny . Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Neymar are around 5'6''-5'8''. Pele, Maradona and other all time greats were very short as well. So size is not the issue. What matters in football and many other sports is skill. Don't you think women can be as skilled?

Or take tennis for ex: do a image search for ''female tennis players arms'' and tell me those women are frail. The only male player I've seen with arms that big is Nadal and it's only his left arm, the right one looks liked it stopped growing when he was 12.

[LassUnparalleled]

I'm not interested in sport (apart from the (mens')World Cup every 4 years and that's as much a part of the fact that it is huge global phenomenon as the fact it's sport) but this is a ridiculous suggestion.

There are sports such as equestrian events where teams compete on a mixed basis and individual competitors compete in the one mixed event.

The reason is obvious -the gender of the mounted person is irrelevant to the ability of that person to control and work with the horse and if a horse is going to bolt it's not the physical strength of the rider which prevents it.

Archery and shooting have mixed teams as well.

(Sorry but the women's world cup does not grab me)

[YonicScrewdriver]

Did you just say that female tennis players have greater muscle mass on their arms than male tennis players?

I don't think you are serious, OP

[LassUnparalleled]

"Sports are a huge part of our society and great for building confidence and teaching structure to young people."

That makes me laugh too. Only if you are interested in it and/or good. I'm hardly lacking in confidence. I loathed sport at school.