Throughout history, there has been the constant struggle for women to be recognized as men’s equal.

While society today has done its best to absolve these gender issues, I am still amazed at what women are criticized for doing, and the areas that still lack equality between women and men.

One such area is sports.

More and more women are taking up active roles in sports media by broadcasting games for the NFL, NBA and throughout the recent NCAA basketball tournament. This season, women made up the entire panel of broadcasters for ESPN’s coverage of the women’s basketball tournament.

And while it is true women do hold positions in the world of sports, some men continue to ridicule these women on television.

Often times men claim they don’t know what they’re talking about, and that they are just there because they look good for all the men watching at home.

While the common names and faces of Dick Vitale and Bob Costas are associated with the world of sports, the lesser known names of Bonnie Bernstein and Leslie Visser have been emerging in recent sports seasons.

Even as you are reading this article, I stand as one of few women to hold the sports editor position at The Daily Eastern News since its founding in 1915. And even now I have to work around locker room privileges while often times being the only female in a press conference.

Four years after my first story, in my final week as sports editor, I realize I have learned more about battling the line between men and women than I have about the rules of football.

More people have asked me why I have a desire to cover sports than have ever asked me what newspaper I write for. I have spent countless minutes waiting for players to emerge from locker rooms to interview because often times I don’t have access to go in and talk to them.

I may not know who won the World Series in 1972, but I can tell you the name of every coach at Eastern and how many Ohio Valley Conference championships they’ve won.

And as a female sports editor, the positive experiences I’ve had as a journalist outweigh those obstacles by far. I know some people may never take a female sports journalist seriously as a commentator or reporter, but I feel that my time here has changed a few perceptions.

I have been able to meet outstanding athletes who have left a mark on Eastern’s athletic department, as well as talked with intelligent coaches. I’ve dealt with teams that were in the midst of a nine-game losing streak and those who went to the national level.

I only hope after leaving here, that those who believe females do not have a qualified interest or knowledge of sports have a different viewpoint, whether from reading The Daily Eastern News or simply turning on a game and listening to what the female commentator has to say.