Women Athletes and Entrepreneurs: An Exploratory, Comparative Study Between Women Barrel Racers and

Sports athletes are connected to business entrepreneurship due to the relationships of business strategies, psychological, and motivational characteristics according to authoritative research. Barrel racing has become a limitless opportunity for success becoming the second favorite event in the rodeo. However, the barrel-racing cowgirl faces criticisms, perhaps, due to a psychic prison that society continues to live from the lack of knowledge of this type of culture. It is debated this industry is not an efficient entrepreneurship endeavor. However, the woman barrel racer is a sports athlete who participates in her own activity to obtain capital, self-actualization, and achievement. It is further acknowledged she is responsible for her own financial resources to pay for business expenses in order to continue the venture. Cowboys have been studied and confirmed to be entrepreneurs so why would women barrel racers be different? The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast Women Barrel Racers (also referred as World Athlete Entrepreneurs) with Women Business Entrepreneurs and determine if there is an association between women who race and women who have their own businesses. The main areas of concern were business strategies, psychological traits, and motivational characteristics. This study also investigated the Birth Theory and the Only or Eldest Daughter Syndrome. Finally, barriers experienced by World Athlete Entrepreneurs and Women Business Entrepreneurs were analyzed.