Sports

Wilma Rudolph, Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King: these iconic women athletes excelled in professional sports before 1972, when Title IX was passed into law, protecting people from being excluded from federal education programs on the basis of sex. Before Title IX, opportunities for women to play sports at school were limited. Since then, participation in sports has grown exponentially. Today there are several major women’s sports leagues in North America, including the Women’s National Basketball Association, the National Women’s Hockey League, and the National Women’s Soccer League.

skateboard Read the Story Behind This Object Skater Girl Gear

Mia Hamm helped popularize soccer in the U.S. and inspired a new generation of athletes. Kamau, a student, speaks with Eric Jentsch, curator at our National Museum of American History, about Hamm's legacy.

Collection Objects

Historic photographs and objects reveal the stories of incredible women athletes in our collections. 

Rebecca Lobo runs towards the camera, as an opposing player runs behind her. She wears a red and black Team USA jersey.
Collection Item
Rebecca Lobo Basketball Card
In this black-and-white photograph, Althea Gibson poses on a stool with two tennis rackets. Both the rackets have dark colors printed with Althea Gibson in white letters.
Collection Item
Althea Gibson
sia-2004-11285-000002_0
Collection Item
Betsy Jochum's South Bend Blue Sox Baseball Dress
Fencing mask featuring an American flag across the front.
Collection Item
Ibtihaj Muhammad's Fencing Mask
Black ice skating costume with embellishment, worn by Kristi Yamaguchi
Collection Item
Kristi Yamaguchi's Ice Skating Costume
The front of the black-and-white program features a centrally oriented, thatched illustration of Wilma Rudolph.
Collection Item
Wilma Rudolph

Conversation Kit

Let's Talk! Cindy Whitehead’s Skateboard Conversation Kit

Grades 6–12. Time: Variable (1–3 class periods). Aligned to CCSS and C3 standards.

In this lesson plan, students will learn how Cindy Whitehead, a skateboarding pioneer, changed the culture of skateboarding and fought for girls to have greater access to all sports. Students will examine the question: Why does gender equality in sports matter?

Smithsonian American Women book cover.

Smithsonian American Women

Remarkable objects and stories of strength, ingenuity, and vision from the National Collection.

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