Sue Macy's exciting, inspiring history traces women's participation in both recreational and organized sports from the corseted croquet players and adventureous bicyclists of the 19th century to the many amateur, professional and recreational pursuits of thousands of women and girls today. Her narrative addresses the many changing beliefs about women's physical abilities over time, beliefs affected not only by a growing understanding of human physiology, but also by the very fact that there were women out doing the very things it was said they couldn't do! She also discusses how these changes were interconnected to women's changing socio-political status over time. A rich collection of black-and-white photographs of women athletes, a chronolgy of Firsts, Records and Other Noteworthy Events, and a list of organizations and other resources related to women and girls in sports, rounds out a unique and welcome book. (Age 11 and older)

American girls, teenagers and women now eagerly compete in every sport from soccer and swimming to basketball and baseball. It was not always this way, for, in the 19th century, coaches, teachers, advertisers and promoters have fought over which games women should play, and how they should look doing it. Here is a social history of women in sports that readers can browse like a program and pore over like a box score. Photos.