People generally think about gender inequality in terms of pay in corporate America today, but something that is not typically addressed is the issue of women in sport. It is so common for professional sports to be commandeered by all male management, coaching, and staff because of the "nature of the game." Women have always been held to a lower standard than men in sport because of supposed physical and social differences, however women are becoming increasingly more powerful in the world of professional sport. While this growth is good, the glass ceiling is still very much an issue concerning women in professional sport management. These women who are trying to make a name for themselves in sports are being hindered by factors that are out of their control, such as doubt of their knowledge of professional sport, differences in salary, influence of technology, and the constant concern of whether or not there actually is a future for them in professional sport. Women are dealing with these issues while also trying to perform at the top level needed to be taken seriously in this field. Becoming more knowledgeable about these issues can help women to become a stronger force in the professional sports industry and help men to be more open and accepting of women in the sports workplace. 

The reality television show The Voice enforces a rule where contestants must sing while the judges' backs are turned to them, this way physical appearances cannot in any way influence the decision of the judges, only the talent. If organizations were to take this same approach when reviewing applicants to hire, more women would be employed in the sports industry. To look at two entry-level applicants who have just completed sports management programs at the same University, with the same qualifications and practically identical resumes, the only difference is that one is male and the other is female.  According to the Center for American Progress Action Fund, women experience internal promotion rates that are 34 to 47 percent lower than for men and are less likely than men at every level to be promoted the following year (Covert). And in some instances the woman may even be more qualified for the job than her male counterpart, and he still receives the job. While not only being a poor business decision, it is also sexist, prejudiced, and wrong. Why would a woman who worked hard to complete the same degree as the man not be given the same chance to be hired by the sports organization? According to a study performed by students from many universities in sport management programs, women are showing significant progress in sports management programs while they continue to be male dominated (Aicher, Fowler, Grappendorf, & Veraldo 34).  If young women are getting the same sports centered degree as the young men they are in competition for jobs with, why are they not getting hired? And why are the women who have proven themselves able and worked hard not being promoted to the positions they deserve, but instead staying quiet and eventually leaving? Society paints this picture of sports only being for the boys and males having the knowledge and power in the sports world. There are so many mediums that reinforce this idea as well. For example, the beer industry that capitalizes on the sports industry and its fans, advertises almost exclusively to men. This sends the message that women are not really expected to be a part of sport or the sporting experience. 

Another controversial topic that is prevalent not only in the sports world but the business world as well is the difference in salary between men and women. Many women have been performing at the same or higher rates as men at the same job but getting paid a fraction of what the man is. This sexism is astonishing and a part of a greater issue that needs to be fixed. In an article on Inequality.org, the United States women's national soccer team has done a good job of bringing the gender pay gap to light, the team was awarded $2 million for their first place finish, while the US men's national team was awarded $9 million for a sixteenth place finish(Clark). And it really highlights the differences when the Germany men's team received for winning: $35 million(Clark).  So even for such a sought after accomplishment as the Women's World Cup, which the USWNT dominated in, they still do not get the recognition they deserve by such a huge gap. The proof is in the numbers and there is no mistake that this is discrimination. By doing this and making men believe they are worth more than women it has opened up to other problems. However, the argument arises that women should be hired because they are cheaper and they can make the company money (Rampell). According to Rampell and the Washington post, women should be hired not because of their abilities in the workplace, but because of their ability to make money and their low monetary upkeep.  Rampell goes on to say, "Whether women earn less than men because of discrimination (deliberate or unconscious) or other factors is debatable. Many have attributed the pay differential to the fact that women don't negotiate as aggressively over their compensation as men do." This being mere speculation, giving a horrible stereotype to women, and making women again look weak, put women in a lower position than men. If this is the way that society views women and advertises them as some sort of corporate investment rather than an actual human employee, then no progress will be made for women in terms of equal pay or anything else. 

A larger factor that is typically forgotten about is the influence that technology has in the way that women are treated in professional sport. An example came from something so common in today's modern technology driven world we live in. A social media post on Twitter from some professional male athletes that are seemingly normal comments are actually incredibly offensive to women and are taken as normal. A tweet sent on Mothers Day from Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora to Eagles running back LeSean McCoy saying "Happy Mothers Day Lessean Mccoy! Enjoy your special day!!"(Spain). Umenyiora later explained, "I refer to "[McCoy] as she because that is something that a woman would do(Spain)." Apparently merely being a woman is now an insult to all of mankind. This football player was a large public figure and broadcasting his sexist comments on a very public forum, generating a lot of attention from men and women alike. The kind of attention that makes women again look bad for no particular reason. Another problem that women are facing in sport is the way that sports media portrays them. A campaign called #CoverTheAthlete, strives to reach out to major news networks and ask them to #CoverTheAthlete and protect female athletes from being sexually or physically exploited in interviews and television. They have created a video for their platform that shows what happens when men are asked the same questions in post game interviews as men. The only thing different is the responses. When the men are asked questions about their weight, love life, outfits, and specific body parts, the men are obviously surprised and answer with something along the lines of "are you kidding me?" By the end of the video, two phrases are flashed up on the screen: "Male sports coverage would never sound like this." "How come female coverage does?"  This campaign just goes to show that women in sport are not being treated with the same general respect as men, therefore contributing to the list of hardships that women are dealing with in professional sport. 

Possibly the most disheartening challenge that may be the reason that sport management programs at colleges and universities are so vastly male dominated is because of the uncertainty of job security for women in sport. Like any career choice, there are going to be some doubts about the hiring process. And whether there is in fact a need for entry-level employees, but factors that should be considered are whether or not you are qualified or have enough experience, not whether they will mind that you are not a man. A study done in 2011 at St John Fisher College explores the reasons that women are not being considered for these top management positions in sport giving a list of reasons for why women have not made it to the top including: inadequate career opportunities, gender-based stereotypes, the old boy network, and tokenism. These "gender-based stereotypes" are a large factor in why women are not even being given a chance in some sports offices. Men assume that bringing in a woman is going to make them look weak and their business not to operate as it should because through history and society that was the role of women. For centuries, women have been expected to be seen and not heard in life. The societal role that women have held is that of a quiet wife or mother who keeps the children and maintains the home. Now, in this day and age, women are more commonly becoming single mothers and the primary breadwinners in their homes. The quiet, reserved lady has been long gone and replaced is a smart, business savvy badass who has come to get the job done. Breaking these gender stereotypes has started to intimidate men and the insecure ones do not even give women a chance when a position becomes open for fear of change. This leads into the good old boys network mentioned. This "old boys network" is an informal way that rich, white men through money and power attain business relationships (Simmons 6). This network is practically completely exclusionary of women, the meetings generally occurring on a golf course or country club or executive boxes at big games which traditionally were no place for women(Simmons 6). These kind of business transactions and meetings that are an all boys club are the reason women are not getting the jobs they deserve. Men fraternize with one another and have fun and make these informal business transactions where as a round of golf can turn into a full time position or a hefty promotion and the women in contention are never even thought of. A series of anonymous interviews asked men's college basketball coaches "Yes or no: In light of Becky Hammon's increased role with the San Antonio Spurs, do you see a female coach on your staff in the next three years? Why or why not (Norlander)?" The answers given were quite shocking and the results were an overwhelming 75 percent no and 25 percent yes. From some of those who said that yes they would hire a female coach in the next three years: "Yes, but it has nothing to do with Becky Hammon. We're always looking to hire the right person, regardless of gender." "More importantly, just as men have been coaching women for years, there's no reason why women cant coach men, and do it well(Nolander)."  And some of the comments from those who said no: "I would have a hard time being myself daily." "I know a lot of other people that I would have in line before a woman. I usually hire somebody I know, and I just don't know any female coaches that well(Norlander)." It is plain to see that the old boys network is very strong in college basketball with some claiming that they only hire people they know. This is what women are facing coming into the sports management field; men already doubt them before they even have a chance to prove themselves. 

While these aforementioned issues are a problem for most professional sports in the United States, an example from the NBA being that out of 60 executives working in the league only 13 are women. The discrimination is alarming. But this is not just an issue for America's top sporting industries; it is a global issue as well. There is a considerable favor to men in the management of sport organizations as organizations such as Women's Sport Foundation, the Canadian Associate for the Advancement of Women in Sport, and Womensport Australia have attested (Simmons 5).  These global foundations and associations all work in part to better the world of sport and help women to have a larger role in it. Women need the help in this area worldwide since only three percent of top management positions in the world's largest organizations are held by women (Simmons 6). Also in a TedTalk presentation by Denise Watson, a radio presenter for BBC and a long time advocate for women's sport and women's rugby, she presents the problems she has faced in sport and her response after being asked a rather inappropriate question by a man. This man asked her "Who gives a f**k about women in sport?" To this, Watson responded by using personal examples of growing up and her father playing club rugby and her mother and the other men's wives taking care of the men as they played and how that community was built around the sport but in large part due to the women. And Watson also spoke of how she wants equal opportunity for her daughters to play rugby or basketball or any sport they wish to because it is the right thing to be done for them. Women like these who are making a path for themselves in sport are part of the solution to the drawn out problems that have been going on in the world of sport. 

Now, to say that no women have overcome these challenges and made it to a top management level in professional sport is wrong. Many women have made headlines for being the first woman to work in a specific sport. A few examples being Becky Hammon as the first NBA assistant coach, Sarah Thomas as the first female referee in the NFL, Beth Mowins as the first female NFL broadcast announcer, and Jessica Siegal as the first MLB instructional coach(Roberts). These women have been some of the first to break the mold for professional sport and make way for other women to advance as well. A woman who has been battling for the top spot of a sports organization for years is Kim Ng, current senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball(Caple). Ng played the good old boys game and used her golf skills to get to the big meetings and it paid off for her. She has since worked for the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the New York Yankees(Caple). As these are terrific accomplishments for women in the sport industry, if you pay attention to those in the management field, they never reach the absolute top level. The vice president position and assistant position is becoming more common for women but not president or manager. So while there has been progress, there is still a long way to go until equality is present in sport. 

The world of professional sport will get to equality in all aspects eventually but it is going to be a long drawn out fight. Women will continue to work hard to become established and pave their own path for themselves in sport. More women and young girls are watching, playing and learning about sports in today's society and it is becoming more acceptable. With more women graduating from colleges than men in all programs, this will eventually become a reason women are more hirable than men. If women continue to educate themselves about sport, deal with the lack of professionalism in the workplace, and break through the mold that the media is trying to put them in, women will become a force in the front office of a sports team or organization. The truly challenging part will be convincing a man to take the chance to hire a woman and completely change the way that sport has been viewed and break the mold of what is considered normal. This change is coming and eventually woman will be the given fair treatment and acceptance in the sports world in all aspects especially management. 

