Sexism Of Women In Soccer

As a female soccer player, I can attest to the sexism that prevails in professional soccer today. For centuries, society has told women they must always look dainty and pristine to attract a man. When a woman becomes covered in dirt and sweat during a game, she is no longer aesthetically pleasing; therefore, men deem her sport dull and worthless. In soccer, the term “female athlete” is an oxymoron; a female cannot be a real athlete, and an athlete cannot be a real female. Recently, in the Women’s World Cup, this blatant prejudice surfaced when FIFA forced athletes to play on turf despite safety complaints and lawsuits. I attended the game between the United States and Germany, and I cringed as I watched the women’s heads hit the hard ground.