ABSTRACT
Professionalisation of women’s sport leagues has led to the development of further opportunities and pathways for women and girls in sport. The Australian sport landscape in particular has experienced growth in the professionalisation of women’s sport and thus had an impact on grass roots participation of women and girls throughout the country. The influence of professional women’s leagues is highlighted in this chapter through Australian examples of basketball, netball, football, Australian Rules and cricket. Discussion focusses on the implications of the growth of women’s sport including career opportunities, wage disparity and the role of player associations, multi-sport participation or ‘code-hopping’ and the creation of sport development programmes and pathways to develop a larger talent pool of athletes. Challenges exist for sport in balancing the investment between developing elite athletes and professional leagues with sustainable grass roots participation and talent pathways.
