Women's Sports

One doesn't risk much by saying that the Carano-Cyborg fight to be held August 15 is important to the future of women's MMA. But neither is it mere hyperbole to say that this fight matters nearly as much to the future of all women's sport. Already there is plenty of evidence to support such a claim.

Among many firsts in this MMA bout will be women fighting five five-minute rounds (which, of course, the guys have been doing for some time). This has sparked debate, not unpredictably, as seen in an MMAjunkie.com opinion piece and its attendant comments. The issues so contentious there and elsewhere apply to other women's sports, and consequently expose difficulties facing all female athletes.

So we find that many of our hopes for the future of women's sport ride on the shoulders (or rather fists) of two very talented women. A great fight showing an abundance of heart and athleticism will go a long way toward silencing critics. I expect that is what we will see.

(As for who will be the winner? That's tougher to call.)

Today is the 37th anniversary of Title IX. I considered how best to mark the occasion and decided on something that would palpably show what Title IX helped emancipate: female strength; better still for this purpose, female strength in its most lethal form yet.

If you've seen Gina Carano in action, you undoubtedly have some sense of her otherworldly striking power; even her glancing blows can injure an opponent. Now, thanks to Sport Science, you can supplement your intuition with actual numbers. The finale—a chokehold applied to the show's host—is equally impressive, and rather frightening.

Alison Macleod says something in this interview that I find telling. When asked whether a female racer has an advantage or a disadvantage, Macleod mentions strength first: "Most girls are clearly disadvantaged when it comes to strength. Racing does require a lot of strength and lot of training so we have to work twice as hard as the guys do just to kind of keep that muscle up and everything, so we're at a little bit of a disadvantage."

So again we see how much strength training helps female athletes, even in sports where, at first glance, it wouldn't seem applicable, like auto racing.

I sometimes hear a female athlete say that she has cut back her weight training because it makes her look "too big," "too manly," etc. Moreover, often this is one of our exceptionally talented female athletes.

Strength is important (often decisive) in sport. Thus it is, to my mind, a pity that female athletes feel pressure, still in 2009, to conform to archaic ideals of femininity.

Perceptions are slowly changing, however. Society will grow up, eventually, but until then female athletes must carry on and lead the way.

Monday afternoon, softball star Danielle Lawrie pitched to members of the Seattle-area media, in an exhibition match of sorts. The media hacks did their best, but their efforts begot little other than embarrassment (theirs) and funny scenes in the following video:

Finally! the fight we've been waiting for. Mark August 15 on your calendar, and make sure you have Showtime by then.

With a dominating performance that won't soon be forgotten by softball fans, much less the Husky nation, Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie took the Huskies to their first NCAA softball championship yesterday. In the process Lawrie also attested that her selection last week as USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year was indeed judicious.

Lawrie already draws comparisons to baseball legends of yesteryear (even Babe Ruth), her talent, grit, and work ethic all routinely cited. This is well and good, I suppose, but she embodies something more—the ascendant female athlete of the 21st century.

Earlier this year point guard Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir completed her dismantling of Rebecca Lobo's high-school scoring record, which had stood for 18 years. Much attention has understandably been given to the traditional Muslim attire Bilqis competes in—the modest dress required of both female and male adherents, though for some reason scrutiny falls mostly upon women, in athletics as elsewhere. But there is much else remarkable about this young athlete that shouldn't be overlooked; expect to hear more from her as a Memphis Tiger.