How Equal Are Male and Female Sports?

When talking about gender inequality in sports one of the most discussed topics is the difference in salaries in bonuses between male and female athletes. The most primary example is the NBA compared to the WNBA. The NBA started in 1946 and the WNBA started in 1996. Even though the men's league has been around longer the difference in salaries is crazy. The minimum salary for a WNBA athlete is $37,950 which compares to the salary of the top 10% of bank tellers and many other job. The maximum salary was $107,000 which can only be earned if you have played six seasons, that is equal to the top 10% of editor's salary. On the other hand There are at least 52 athletes in the NBA who made more than the total WNBA's salary in 2013-2014. Kobe Bryant made $30,453,805 which is almost three times the WNBA's salary of $10,368,000. He is one of many men professional basketball players who's salary is not only equal to but more than the entire WNBA's salary. http://www.buzzfeed.com/lindseyadler/52-nba-players-who-make-more-than-the-entire-wnba#.qfk6zrGEW

Candace Parker  WNBA All-star MVP in 2013

Kobe Bryant who was the first player in NBA history to get 47 points in a game in 2013

                                                 
Not only is it between the NBA and WNBA but in any sport do the salaries have a drastic difference. During the PGA tour the total prize money is $265,000,000 which makes it five times the amount of LPGA award of $50,000,000. Also in 2003 when the U.S. women's  national soccer team came in third in the world cup each player got a bonus of $25,000 and would have gotten $58,000 if they won. While the U.S, men's national soccer team in 2002, got a bonus of $200,000 for reaching the quarterfinals in the world cup.

The effort of making male and female sports equal started with the passing of Title IX in 1972.  This made it required schools who received federal money to give equal opportunities between male and female sports programs. The improvement of female sports teams over time has be awesome in expanding in size and requiring a female's team for every sport and if not the females are allowed to play in the male league.The main reason of the salary gaps is because male sports are more popular than female. More people watch a NBA than a WNBA so the money goes into the male program than female which is the same with any sport. That also goes with sponsors and endorsements since more people watch the male games than women's they put the effort and money into backing up a male team than women's. Being a girl myself I personally don't think there will ever be a time in the near future where female athletes will be making the similar salaries to male athletes. It is hard to compare because of the much greater popularity male sport teams have over female ones. It just creates a much larger airing time for the male athletes than female athletes causing their popularity to decrease along with the money towards that sport.

Coach Mommy and Daddy

        We probably all have experienced a time when we were on a team where the coaches son or daughter was your teammate. To many people that's where you draw the line in your relationship with your child but to others that's how you get involved and become closer as a family. The question is should parents be their child's coach?When talking about this situation there are many opinions but it really depends on how it is handled.

        There are two types of parent coaches. You could be the coach who draws the line between coach and parenting and treats your child like every other player or you could be the coach that favors their child and only wants whats best for them.

        The first type of parent coach knows how to handle the situation and doesn't favor their child. They treat their child like everyone else on the field. They actually know the tactics of the sport. This creates the least amount of favoritism on the team. But when talking about favoritism you cant be overly hard on your child to eliminate it because that will just create a horrible experience for your kid. They may feel pressure to be better with their mom or dad coaching them.This situation also creates conflicts between the parent child relationship. The child could be frustrated with your coaching tactics and avoid all conversation after any practice or game. Also tension could be created at home because the child may get the wrong idea and expect special treatment since it's either her mom or dad as a coach. The type of parent coach really draws the line between parent and coach and knows the difference of being a coach on the field and a parents at home making it the best experience for the child.

        The other type of parent coach is the one that wants to get involved and wants to create the best experience for their child. This could create a great relationship between parent and child but kind of eliminate the team chemistry that is essential. In this situation the parent doesn't know how to draw boundaries between being a parent and being a coach. The parent them self may not even take into account the sports tactics or anything they just want to be involved with their child. The parents wants whats best or their kid so they favorite them and may give them the starting position or more playing time not taking talent into account. This could improve the parent and child relationship because the child is getting that special treatment but creates an unfair advantage to them. The other kids may be better but aren't getting the playing time they deserve due to the favoritism. Also the kids may feel uncomfortable talking about the team or give an opinion since the coaches child is on the team. This type may create a good experience for their child but doesn't create a good team or fair opportunities.

        I personally believe that parents shouldn't be their child's coach. I know it's fun and all but it eliminates all the things that could happen. I think the parents should be the kid's biggest fans if anything and be there to support them from the sideline not the bench.

Can it get better.....

         Now that fall sports are over we are preparing and starting the regular routines of the winter sport schedule. The Lady Lancers winter track team is starting back up coming off of their best record and best finish ever at the TVL meet last year. But by the looks of it, we could move onto bigger and better finishes this year than ever before.  Not only are we introducing new freshmen but additions from other classes will be a helpful hand. Getting everyone back into track shape is only the start of what the season offers.

        We graduated 4 seniors who were consistent point earners so filling those gaps won't be too easy but by the looks of it we should be able to manage it. Returning many veterans while adding rookies in the mix, will be key components to the successful team we can have. Entering the season with almost no injuries allows us to all get in the swing of things and enter the season as a healthy and strong team. Listening what teammates and coaches have to say about this team is really encouraging and everyone really believes this could be our year. "I think the girls have a great shot this year. We have some experienced runners ready to take the lead and some new talent to fill in some gaps we've been missing in the last few years." stated by girls head coach Lindsay Nastri. Coach Nastri has been the coach since I was a freshmen and now being a senior it's weird to think how far this program has come within those 4 years.  Now being a senior captain I have been on this team for fours and believe this is the most talent I have seen on the winter track team.

        While introducing many new faces to the team will comes many new school records. Last year the ladies have recorded a total of 8 new school records, but by the look at just the past week at practice this could be a historic year. Through all the time trails we are going through the team is still holding up and have impressed the coaches with the times we have posted as our starting place. Opening the season to Holliston will no doubt be hard since they are a strong team themselves but this will be the true test of our ability and what we are able to do within the season. But from what I've seen we could be a major threat to schools who won't see us coming, foreshadowing a great season ahead of the team.

Importance of Preseason Training

It may seem hard to get the motivation to practice and condition before the start of the season but the importance of it isn't stressed enough. It doesn't matter the sport, age or your skill level it is crucial to get out there to strength and condition months before the season. This practice or preseason training not only builds up your skill and knowledge of the game but also prevents injuries from happening. Training of 6-8 weeks prior to the start of the season will allow the body to adapt to their demanding sports.

The skipping of preseason could really set you up for a bad season ahead of you. The main reason coaches emphasize to condition before the season is to make sure you are in "match shape" when starting back up. This will allow you to get right back on the field feeling great instead of always being tight. This time will help give you an advantage on the field with strength and power. It not only gives you time to get in shape but also gives you time to improve your skills and weaknesses. Not taking advantage of preseason is silly because you start behind everyone. This is an important time but you have to find a happy medium of how much your body can handle before being fried fro the real season. Over training can effect performance and health; increasing intensity too fast can slow down aerobic activity but some is needed. You need to allow time for recovery while conditioning.  Most teams tend to focus on core, balance and endurance then rotate into their sport specific workouts. Why start from scratch?

Preseason is a huge help in preventing injuries at the start of the season. Entering the season on a stiff body increases the chance of injury. Going from doing no physical activity to aggressive workouts right away will demand a lot from your body. Most injuries during the start of the season is from a poor preseason which could have been prevented. Those who didn't participate in a preseason training put a huge strain on their body when entering the season which explains tendinitis and muscles strains. These happen from a weak body trying to apply itself too thin when its not in the condition to do so.You may be an athletic person but still have to work to be in the proper shape from your sport whether its a contact or non-contact one to perform your best and prevent injuries.

Sample Off Season Training Phase

Off Season Training Schedule
MON	Functional strength, core training, stability exercises.Swimming 20 mins
TUE	Rest
WED	Badminton, tennis, squash etc. 30-60 mins
THU	Rest
FRI	Functional strength, core training, stability exercises. Cross trainer 20 mins
SAT	Rest
SUN	Rest

The Role of Media on Sports: Positive? or Negative?

In our world today some people will argue that the role media plays on sports have a negative effect, while others say its a positive effect. Sports are covered by TV, the radio, the internet and the newspaper. With the technology we have today it is impossible to erase the national media in the sports world even though some people find it necessary to get rid of.

The people that argue that media has a negative effect on sports say that it is bias, there is a 

lack of attendance to the games, too much attention and just or the money. They consider it bias because there is usually more coverage either on the league favorites or the team with the most money. People would defend their argument by saying that only the really popular sports get the attention for example men's basketball over women's which is not fair since they are both professional sports. With all the media people have access to they find it easier to watch the games at the comfort of their own home. They say why spend the money to go out to watch a game and pay for all the additional costs like parking and the expensive food when I can watch it at my own house with anything they want. The people that believe media is a negative effect look at this in a bad way because the stadiums don't fill up as much wasting money since there is all this high definition technology you can have in your own house. Not only do the fans thing there is a negative effect but the players themselves believe that the attention on them is a bit much. They don't have a private life anymore since they are a celebrity now. Anything a good athlete does is all over the news and internet right away whether its a rumor or not. The main thing people argue is that all the professional sports is just a way to make money. They argue that teams pick up players that will make them the most money and not based on the image they want to create for the team. They just use it as a profit and show commercials every chance they get to get the money from the sponsors. Some people just want to enjoy the game. 

While some people see take away only the bad things other people view media as a positive effect in the sports world. People will back up the role of media by saying it educates people, creates role models, brings people together, and is a money maker. When talking about media in sports people look at it as a chance to educate people about the sports. They look at it as an opportunity to help people understand the different sports and its rules so they can follow the games better and get into them. Also it gives kids people to look up to and view as their role models. If the kids see these players on TV playing the same sports they do or even wear the same number, they tend look up to that player and create an image for that kid what they want to be like. This is also a to enjoy the games and bring people together. For example when its football Sunday people have parties to watch the games and creates friendships and possibly healthy competition. It tends to bring up a conversation topic too over what you either saw on TV or heard on the news. But the big positive effect media has on sports is the increase on money. When people watch sports on TV, listen to sports radio, and read the sports news its just increasing the money going towards the sports. The media helps pay for the sports and keep them around with all the sponsors and adds shown during a sporting event.  Not only do people love the sports but they think its so cool that these athletes are getting paid to play the sport they love. 

This is an argument that could go either way if you agree with these points or not. Media plays a huge role on the sports world whether you think it has a positive or negative effect is your opinion. But in the end the role it plays will stick around for a while with the world we live in. 

What Kind Of Player Am I?

When entering the collegiate level of athletics you never know where to start looking and what division you would fit best in. You may ask yourself what even is the big difference between division l, ll, and lll because some Dll schools are better than Dl schools.

Division l (Dl): This division needs to provide 14 sports in total either offering 7 male teams and 7 female teams or 6 male teams and 8 female teams. This consists of the largest universities in the country, with the larger schools means the better facilities that will meet your needs as a athlete. This is the highest level you can get at the collegiate level so its cut throat competition. Recruiting is how these schools make their teams, they try for the athletes they want no matter the country they are from. These schools given out the biggest scholarships but have a maximum budget so they choose their players wisely. These athletes are focused more on their athletics than school work, so they are setting up the future for their professional appearance. The teams have to play 100% minimum number of games against Dl teams and anything over has to be 50% Dl. These schools are also more media oriented and are the more watched teams as if they are professional sports. This is the level where you are focused on one sport. Examples: Bryant University, Duke University, St. John's University, and Florida A&M University.

Division ll (Dll): This division has to offer 10 sports in total either providing 5 male teams and 5 female teams or 4 male teams and 6 female teams. This contains the smaller universities or colleges in the country. The sports at this level are considered at an intermediate level and you will find more local or instate players. There is no age limit for the players in this division. This could be said to be the happy balance between school and athletics for the students. The school is allowed to provide scholarships or financial aid for students athletic ability but has a maximum budget. The school gets its athletic budget through other educational departments in the school. At this level football and basketball have to at least play 50% of their games against Dll schools but other sports there are no scheduling requirements. This is the level where you are mainly focused on one sport but depending on the school you could play two. Examples: Southern New Hampshire University, Franklin Pierce University, Bentley University, and Rockhurst University.

Division lll (Dlll): This division has to provide 10 sports split evenly with 5 male teams and 5 female teams. This is the largest out of the three divisions consisting of over 420 schools. At this level there isn't much recruiting mainly walk on tryouts or just keeping in contact with the coach. This means there is no scholarships or financial aid for players athletic ability or academic scholarships. At a division lll school the level of play may vary depending on where you go, since the school encourages as much participation in the sports. This is a more academic or community set institution. This is the kind of school you would want to go to if you still want to play sports but need to focus on school more. Also this level is more understanding about playing more than one sport. Examples: Bridgewater State University, Springfield College, Wheaton College, New York University.

New beginning for the Norton Lady Lancers Soccer

This fall soccer season of 2014 the Norton Lady Lancers are putting a young squad out on the field. After graduating 11 seniors its hard to determine the best players to fill those shoes. After having a long week of tryouts and double sessions the coaches still had tough decisions to find the best team to put out there for such a competitive league. The team will be welcoming 8 new players to the varsity program. With such a young team its will be a learning process and will take time to get all the kinks out but they show a will to do it.

Starting off the season with what you could say are the best teams in the Tri Valley league the lady lancers soccer program had a difficult start to the season. Going into the first game playing the defending league champion Medway, the team fell short of what was needed to get the win in a 5-2 deficit. After the lose the girls moved onto Medfield coming out with a new attitude and trying new players in positions they may not be comfortable, as they try to hold off the Warriors they end up losing 3-1. Into their third game of the season facing the Dover Sherborn girls, the team to knock out the Lancers of the tournament, the girls go in knowing this will be a challenging game but still had their heads high. Losing that game 3-2 Norton Coach Evertt Clark looked to mix around players and change the formation based on the next game which was Hopkinton. The girls went in knowing this team has been strong in the past but felt confident with the work they've put in at the previous practices. Coming out of this game with  0-0 tie that's all the girls needed to put them on the right track.

 The team knows they have to get 18 points to qualify for the state tournament and with having 1 after 4 games they know it will not be easy especially replaying the teams they already lost to but still have a positive mind they can do it. "There are times of beautiful soccer so we know we can do it but the girls just have to set their mind to it and want that success we know we are capable of." said by Norton senior captain Holly Beaucage. The game of soccer is hard to read since teams can be very inconsistent and you never know who could be playing in that game. Injuries have been a weakness for the lady lancers with having 3 injured at the moment, key contributors to the program. "If everyone stays healthy and we continue with the improvements that were already shown I believe we will have a better record that is a reflection of what we are capable of." said Norton Coach Evertt Clark. The future of the season looks bright for the Norton Lady Lancers soccer program with the attitudes they have moving forward onto the next games soon to reach the middle of the season and the try to clench the sport in the state tournament.