It’s time for the Kennedy community to stop using the term “Lady Cougars.” It is completely degrading and inappropriate. Kennedy High School is one of many schools that use the word “Lady” in front of their team name when referring to female sports teams and their athletes. From the people who write the school announcements to the editors in the town newspaper, this title has become established and widespread. And while it may be done innocently, it is demeaning.
My whole life I have been surrounded by sports. I started playing travel soccer and basketball in 3rd grade. I’ve attended Knicks, Mets, and Jets games since I was young. I loved watching the competition and how professional athletes dominated the game. In a way, I was inspired to be like them. When I was asked what I wanted to do when I was older, I always said that I want to be a professional soccer player. In elementary school, I was the only girl who played basketball with the boys during recess time. The boy captains never picked me last, because they knew I could keep up with them and score baskets. Still, today when boys or older men see me on the court they say, “Wow, you don’t shoot like a girl,” or, “You’re very physical.” What does that mean? Do they not know that there are thousands upon thousands of talented female athletes who can outperform men? Several males are even surprised that I know so much about professional sports. Through my experience, sports have become so stereotypically male-dominated that when females have an ounce of skill or knowledge about the game, our male counterparts are shocked.
The media and production companies are complicit in gender marking, which designates male athletes and men’s sports as the default, while presenting female athletes and women’s competitions as secondary. On television, viewers see “Women’s Final Four” or “Women’s FIFA World Cup.” When most people see this on their screens, they do not think anything of it. They think it is normal. A small percentage of viewers might question this labeling. For example, why is it that the Women’s Final Four is labeled but the men’s game is simply titled “Final Four”? Gender marking is a form of gender bias. It indicates and assumes that male events are the accepted ones and do not need anymore qualification. It makes it sound as though the female competitions are the “other” category. Imagine if we started to call the NBA the Men’s National Basketball Association.
Sports broadcasters also portray female athletes and competitors in stereotypical ways. They talk about her looks and appearance rather than their ability and talent. They will use the phrase, “She’s a strong girl.” They take both a positive and negative adjective and place them together. While the broadcaster might think they are giving the athlete a compliment, they are undermining her hard work and talent. The word “girl” connotes someone gentle, delicate, and (of course) “feminine.” Think about it: Would an announcer ever describe a male football player as “a strong boy?” Kids are raised with the traditional ideas that females do not belong in sports or male-dominated fields, and the media’s gender biases contribute to these sexist beliefs.
Not only do female athletes have to break the barrier of gender marking, but they also are fighting unequal pay. In the past few years, the U.S Women’s National Soccer Team has worked to bring public attention to this issue. The team has even sued the United States Soccer Federation for its gender discrimination. Many players in the WNBA have also taken a stand. A'ja Wilson who was the first-round pick of the WNBA in 2018 earned about $50,000 in her rookie season, while the first-round pick of the NBA in the same year (Deandre Ayton) was expected to earn just under $7 million. According to the New York Times, the highest-paid female athletes earn eight times less than the lowest-earning NBA players. This is a troubling statistic because they play the same amount of games and have similar training routines. And yes, I understand the women’s leagues draw less revenue; however, the Jacksonville Jaguars draw less revenue than the New York Giants. Do the players in Jacksonville have lower salaries than the Giants? No.
For these reasons, I am calling on Kennedy High School to stop using the term “Lady Cougars” when speaking about the female teams and athletes. It perpetuates gender bias and stereotypes that reinforce sexism and inequality. Kennedy must initiate this step so it can be the model for other high schools and colleges. If we are not saying “Boy Cougars”, then we sure do not need to say “Lady Cougars.” Let’s start the new school year by treating all student-athletes equally.
