Abstract of

Will I Be a Player? A Sports Resource Guide for Girls and Women

by

Dawn Gerak

Summer 1998

California State University, Sacramento

Although girls and women have made great strides into the world of sports, the experiences and information are still limited and inequitable due to minimal media exposure, gender binding social constructs, and lack of educational emphasis. Therefore, it is the author’s intent to equip the reader with research and resources which will increase the exposure, challenge societal constructs, and stress education for girls and women in sport.

This project was developed with the following intentions: (1) to provide a centralized sports resource guide for girls and women to be utilized by students and teachers at the junior high school, high school and college levels; (2) to assist parents in locating information, resources and activities for their children as a supplement to formal education; (3) to educate students, teachers and parents about the importance and benefits of sports for girls and women; and (4) to equip the reader with research and resources in order to individualize experiences and knowledge in sports.