While going through LinkedIn and making connections, looking at staff on company/organizations websites, and throughout media, I have come to realize there are a few problems in the sports industry.
One of the things I have noticed is that the sports industry is predominately male. Women in the sports industry are looked at as incapable and dumb when it comes to sports. Men think women do not know the rules of sports as in-depth as they do. This is part of why there are still problems with diversity and inclusion in the sports world. Obviously, it has gotten better with the number of women working in sports now but for us women, we are still a minority in the sports industry.
When a company struggles with diversity and inclusion the company can be looked down upon. The minority that is present will cause a backlash from customers/clients and bring the company down altogether. Employees will start to protest and it is just a whole mess for the company to deal with.
Another problem is that the sports industry is heavily based on looks when it comes to women. As you can probably notice every sports broadcaster has a certain look to them. Most of them are blonde and all of them are physically attractive and appealing to the eye. This goes hand and hand with the industry being predominately male. If males are the ones hiring then they want someone that is pretty. It is honestly very messed up. If a candidate is more qualified for the position but isn't the most attractive, an attractive candidate will get the job over them most of the time even if they aren't as qualified.
With me wanting to go into this sports industry this is a high concern for me. I do not want to not be hired because I am not pretty enough. I do not want to feel discriminated against just because of my looks. I am hoping that this is not the case when it is my time to start applying, but it always sits in the back of my mind. We need to fix this and fix it fast. It is not fair that some people cannot pursue their dream job just because someone doesn't think they are attractive enough. Looks and work ethic are two things that should not go hand and hand.
The rise of transgender athletes has also started a controversy in the sports world. A transgender woman named Lia Thomas recently competed in the women's 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA championship and won. Because of her biological advantages, people think it is not fair that she was able to compete among non-transgender women. I agree I think that transgenders have the right to be respected and included, but should have a league of their own.
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