Slam dunks, diving catches and spectacular goals can often be seen on primetime sports programs; however, these plays are performed by an overwhelming majority of male athletes.

Despite growing participation by women athletes in high school and college sports since 1971, media coverage of women’s professional sports has declined from 8.7 percent of total sports coverage in 1999 to only 1.3 percent of coverage in 2013, according to a report issued by Communication and Sport.

This issue is certainly noticeable in Minnesota. The Minnesota Lynx, the state’s WNBA franchise and winner of the WNBA championship in 2011 and 2013, had an average game attendance of 9,381 in 2013. In contrast, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the state’s NBA franchise which last qualified for the playoffs in 2004, had an average game attendance of 16,340 in 2013, according to ESPN.

As women’s sports grow, it is imperative for media to provide equitable coverage.

The current lack of coverage creates a societal implication of women being unable to compete at the same level as men when in fact professional women’s sports are equally elite.

Although men’s teams have more fans and generate more revenue on average than women’s teams, this still does not account for the enormous disparity of coverage.

Even the 1999 rate of women receiving 8.7 percent of media coverage allowed the public at large to recognize women’s sports. With the current rate of 1.3 percent of media coverage, women’s sports are practically invisible.

If the trend of coverage declining continues at the same rate, in only a few years women’s sports will have no coverage at all.

Female athletes represent 40 percent of all athletes. The current lack of media coverage of women’s sports creates a society in which  those athletes rarely get to see athletic stars and role models on the professional level.

For male athletes, the inspiration of witnessing professional athletics through media can help promote sports and convince athletes to participate.

If women’s sports fail to have this same representation, participation in sports by women may decline and athletics may become more one-sided.

In addition to an imperative of increasing coverage of women’s sports by major media, students and sports fans should take the initiative to explore women’s sports at the professional and amateur level.

For those who have never seen a live women’s sports event, make an effort to attend a sports game.

By giving women’s sports a fair share of media attention on major television networks, greater respect in society will grow for another population of athletes and inspire men and women.