The feminist movement was a success in regards to sports because Title IX was established which makes sure that female athletes get the same opportunities as males. The goals of the feminist movement varied depending on the wave. “The first wave refers to the feminist movement of the 19th through early 20th centuries, which focused mainly on women suffrage”("Feminist Movement." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_movement>). “The second wave (1960s-1980s) was concerned with gender inequality in laws and culture”("Feminist Movement." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_movement >). “....The third wave was less reactive, and had a greater focus on developing the different achievements of women in America”("Feminist Movement." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_movement>). Female participation in sports was a main concern in the second wave of feminism. The leaders of the feminist movement pushed for bills to be passed so that women could get equal rights. In 1964, “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act bars discrimination in employment on the basis of race and sex”(⁴ Infoplease. Infoplease. Web. 30 Apr. 2012 <http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline2.html>). They pressured congress and made them realize that they are just as important as men and in-turn Title IX on June 23, 1972 was enforced. “Title IX of the Education Amendments bans sex discrimination in schools. It states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance"( Infoplease. Infoplease. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline2.html>.). Title IX played a major role in female participation in sports and still does because of Title IX the number of women in athletic programs increased dramatically. After women were able to participate in sports and athletic events like the marathon they excelled. In the graph below it shows that five years after women were allowed to participate in the marathon the time it took them to finish dropped to 2 and a half hours. 

"Sociological Images." Gender: Sports ». Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/tag/gender-sports/>.

Although the men recorder is faster it is only by ten minutes which is much less than the hour it was when women first were allowed to run. This shows that with commitment and practice women can be just as good as men in athletics. The goals of the feminist movement were me. Women are treated more like equals and are given more opportunities to excel then they were in the 60’s and 70’s. They aren’t treated completely like equals but they have the same opportunities and chances to be what they want to be because of the feminist movement. The feminist movement was a success because the percentage of females participating in sports has increased according to the latest study in 2003. The chart below shows that 45% of 60 females attended PE class only and 55% of 60 females played on one or more sports teams. Females are excelling thanks to the hard work of the feminist movement. 

"About the USASportsSchool&College Sports." About the USA. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://usa.usembassy.de/sports-youth.htm>.