Beyond the Bottom Line

This is the fourth installment in our ongoing series commemorating the 40^th anniversary of the passage of Title IX into federal law, which will be celebrated on June 23, 2012.

Men’s sports leagues are highly lucrative affairs. Sports entertainment is a multi-billion dollar industry, and athletes, coaches, administrators, and owners all reap the financial benefits of a world that loves to watch professionals compete.

Women’s sports leagues fall at the other end of the spectrum. Players, coaches, and administrators are paid a decent wage, but rarely in excess of 5 figures. And many outfits, including the WNBA lose millions of dollars a year.

So why do women’s leagues exist? Just like all other business ventures, they are profit-seeking entities with investors to whom executives must report. Shouldn’t leagues like the WNBA close up shop? Personally, I cannot tell you the individual decisions made by a team or a league to continue operating at a loss, but I can hazard a guess: they see something beyond the bottom line.

In 1972, when Title IX was passed into law, there were two professional sports that had women with any kind of presence: golf and tennis. The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in the 1950s and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) was not even established fully until 1973. Neither league saw tremendous success at its beginning, and the salaries of all people involved with men’s sports dominated their counterparts in women’s. Public attention was minimal, but the competition was fierce, both on and off the field. WTA founder and tennis legend Billie Jean King fought tirelessly to attract sponsors, media coverage, and increased youth participation in tennis. She also challenged and defeated former Wimbledon Champion Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973. Her tenacity galvanized women everywhere, and began a revolution that would change the outlook of women’s sports forever. Not only did her efforts on the court debunk any kind of myth that somehow women are inferior to men athletically, but in her groundbreaking efforts, she laid an example for millions of young women to pursue what they are passionate about, regardless of preconceived notions of what is possible. And not that it should be the ultimate litmus test of something’s worth, but now the WTA, as well as the LPGA are now extremely profitable.

When stakeholders in women’s sports leagues pursue their advancement, there is more history to be made than money. They are pioneering a cultural sports landscape that is still laden with in equalities between men and women. Although Title IX has been passed, colleges spend nearly double in recruiting male athletes as they do females. Although the ratio of high school males playing sports to females before Title IX was 12:1, there are still more than 1 million more boys playing than girls. Significant progress has been made, but there are still mountains to climb.

We need women’s sports leagues. They provide role models for young women and career paths for accomplished athletes. They can be profitable. They just need more people like Billie Jean King, who can see the inequalities, and demand more of their culture. They need savvy business people to find ways of making their operations sustainable. And they need you: the parent who encourages your daughter to try a new sport, the teacher that chooses not the perpetuate gender stereotypes, and the friend who never lets a friend settle for anything less than her best. The bottom line is that they need people who can see things far more important than, the bottom line.