The Lost History of Women's Sports – And Why It Matters Today with Dr. Diane Williams

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What if sports were designed around athlete wellbeing instead of profit? In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Diane Williams shares the buried history of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), an organization that flourished in the 1970s and early 1980s with a radical vision for collegiate athletics centered on education and student development.
Dr. Williams, a professor of kinesiology at McDaniel College and former NCAA All-American athlete, reveals how this women-led organization created a completely different approach to sports governance than the male-dominated NCAA. With her interdisciplinary background in American Studies, Sports Studies, and Gender Studies, she unpacks how the AIAW's educational philosophy prioritized athlete wellbeing while still fostering high-level competition.
The conversation delves into why this history matters today, as athletes across all levels struggle with mental health challenges, restrictive gender norms, and exploitative systems. Dr. Williams shares powerful insights about creating more inclusive, body-positive athletic spaces that welcome diverse bodies and abilities. From her experience as "Lady Hulk" in roller derby to her work with current students questioning athletic norms, she offers a blueprint for reimagining sports culture.
Most compelling is the story of how the AIAW ended – not because its model failed, but because it threatened existing power structures. As Dr. Williams explains, "It wasn't just the organization that disappeared but an entire alternative vision for what athletics could be." This forgotten chapter in sports history offers valuable lessons for anyone interested in creating healthier approaches to physical activity, competition, and embodiment.
Whether you're an athlete, coach, parent, or simply someone interested in how we might build more humane and inclusive systems, this conversation will transform how you think about sports culture and its possibilities.

Learn more & connect with Dr. Williams at: https://www.mcdaniel.edu/about-us/profiles/diane-l-williams-phd

Chapters

1. Introducing Dr. Diane Williams (00:00:00)

2. The History of Women in Sport (00:17:00)

3. The AIAW: A Different Athletic Vision (00:24:00)

4. Mental Health and Athletic Culture (00:35:00)

5. Building Gender-Inclusive Athletics (00:43:00)

6. How the AIAW Ended and Its Legacy (00:50:00)