I have never been one to casually declare my thoughts on a subject =- especially on social media. I've always been too afraid to be so flippant with my personal beliefs, and yet I find myself needing to convey the importance of an issue that is relevant due to the upcoming Olympics. So here it is. I'm going to put it all out there and you can choose to read it or you can choose to ignore it, but it's something I'm compelled to share.

Sexism in the sports industry is one of the biggest issues facing women today. Yes, all sexism is bad, but the media has been blatantly reaffirming archaic gender roles for over half a century. Female athletes in America are often cast as sex symbols rather than role models, and are subject to harsh and petty criticism regarding their appearance, dating life, and eating habits. Many of the ESPN articles I read regarding female athletes contain an unnecessary amount of anecdotes about their looks. In a single article I was reading about Danica Patrick, the author dedicates an entire paragraph to her "perfect" appearance with commentary on how she appears to be a "brunette Barbie Doll " He then goes on to question whether she deserves all the media hype surrounding her, and proceeds to state she is a "control freak" who may or may not be capitalizing on her femininity to gain sponsors.

I am tired of reading articles in which strong female athletes are turned into money hungry, sexy beasts seeking to destroy their male competitors with their looks rather than their skill.

I am tired of women's sports being considered mediocre in comparison to their male equivalents.

I am tired of young girls being forced to set aside their passions out of fear of stepping outside the carefully constructed gender roles we've created in the sports industry.

I am tired of living in a world in which many female athletes are not given the respect and recognition that they deserve.

If some of the strongest women in society are regarded in this way, what does that mean for the rest of us? How long has this negative media attention been holding us back?

I think it is time to take a step back and look at the example we’ve set for girls in this day and age. The media tells girls they can be athletic but not too athletic -- that’s unattractive. If you want fame, you have to have looks that allow you to pose on the cover of magazines like Sports Illustrated. Apparently, in most women’s sports it’s not enough for you to be talented; you have to also be marketable. But I suppose that’s understandable when a mere three percent of media is devoted to female athletics on major sports outlets such as ESPN and Sports Center.

However, the Olympics and the World Cup are the two events where men and women seem to have almost equal representation and fan following. I would like to hope that we can incorporate this excitement surrounding these athletes into the media all the time and reevaluate the media’s current appraisal of female athleticism. I know it's possible -- it's just a matter of time and a shift in focus.