Babe Didrikson Zaharias During The Great Depression

Tough times never last, but tough people do. Mildred Babe Didrikson Zaharias was an athlete who played eight different sports during The Great Depression. In 1930s, American families struggled economically, however playing many sports during these years was a worse time for Babe. She was treated differently because of her gender. She was called “a third sex” because she participated with men in sports like baseball and golf. However, she did not allow people to bring her down and was very confident in herself. One of Babe’s quotes was “All of my life I have always had the urge to do things better than anybody else” (Lewis). During 1930s, Babe Didrikson amazed people with her skills and her athletic achievements despite the discrimination against women in sports.
The Great Depression was a very difficult time for American families, “Nine thousand banks failed during the months following the stock market crash of 1929” (“The Great Depression”). Americans faced problems economically and psychologically because there was not enough money to support their families. In 1933, their income dropped 40%. However, The Great Depression
The rules of the game were never followed since women were too weak. There was a belief that, “Such physical activity for a woman was thought to be especially hazardous because during menstruation she was “periodically weakened” (“A History of women in Sports”). After thirty years, women raised money and joined athletic clubs which made them become more competitive. Although, in college Women’s Division-National Amateur Athletic Federation (NAAF) helped women play in competitive sports; there was still lack of support and limited games and travel. People like Paul Gallico, the sports writer, still had an idea of a woman who was only able to love their husbands and stay home. In his book, he