Two women fishing on the Mulberry River
Courtesy of a private collection

The numbers of women participating in sports increased during the twentieth century. This trend occurred throughout the United States and Arkansas was no exception. Female athletes have struggled and continue to struggle with their place in the sports community. Traditionally, women have excelled at individual sports such as tennis and figure skating, but now they are making advancements in team sports previously dominated by men such as soccer and basketball. Even sports journalism has seen an increase in women reporting from the sidelines of college and professional stadiums and arenas.

Women's basketball game during Hoopfest, Little Rock, AR
Courtesy of a private collection

Early in the century social convention limited women to involvement in only a few athletic pursuits. Male doctors frequently gave infertility as one of the main reasons women should not participate in sports. Generally, women who did participate in sports were expected to curtail or quit their activities once they reached marrying, and consequently child bearing, status. The female participants in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League exemplify this trend. Two former baseball players, Delores “Dolly” Brumfield White and Mary Lou “ML” Studnicka Caden retired to Arkansas. Similar to other women, they used sports to finance their education. Today American women participate in all levels of individual and team sports from elementary school to adult professionals.

Official program for the All American Girls Softball League (before it became the All American Girls Professional Baseball League)
Courtesy of the AAGPBL web site

While sports provided one type of recreational activity for women, the majority of Arkansas women have enjoyed other leisure activities such as card playing, gardening and needlework at one time or another. Some of these hobbies, such as book clubs and quilting bees, foster a sense of community among women and allow them to socialize with friends and family. In the African American community especially, quilting bees enable older women to pass the tradition of quilting onto younger generations while women work together to produce decorative and useful pieces of art.

High school softball team pitcher, 1999.
Courtesy of a private collection

“My family didn’t have the money to send me to college; I always knew I‘d have to get a scholarship. Basketball was the only way I could achieve my career goals.”