AMERICAN WOMEN IN SPORTS

Since few American sportswomen, with the redoubtable exception of Babe Didrikson, have achieved superstar status, Ms. Hollander spreads herself powerfully thin in an effort to spin ""tales for every girl to dream on."" The motive is worthy -- pioneers like Eleanora Sears and (in a different sense) Althea Gibson deserve to be as well known as their male counterparts. But the results are essentially trivial. Most of the women athletes are represented only by a few frivolous notes on their appearance and repetitious success stories. Helen Wills' modernizing of feminine tennis attire is mentioned, but current issues, such as the revolt among women tennis players, do not arise. Nor do newcomers like Anne Henning and Cheryl Toussant appear here. Girls with more than a passing interest in sports will find this as dead as last year's tennis ball.