Running for a Purpose Have you ever just looked at someone and assumed that they do a specific sport based on their body type? That the tall, muscular girls play intense sports like soccer or volleyball, and that the short, skinny girls do something easy like golf or bowling? My body type, which is short and skinny, allows people to think that I fall into that second category. Although it’s true that I am short and skinny, and that I am on the bowling team, I’m also on the Varsity cross country team, and here is my story on how I proved these stereotypes to be incomplete. It was a hot, summer afternoon when I decided to join the high school cross country team. It was an abrupt decision, but I believed that this would be best for both my body and my mind. I thought it would be easy to run a couple of miles a …show more content…
The Varsity group was supposed to run 5 miles, the Junior Varsity group was supposed to run 4 miles, and I, along with the rest of my group, was supposed to run a measly 2 miles. Because my group was so slow and inexperienced, everyone had to walk at least once during the run. I didn’t give up so easily. I ran at a relatively easy pace as I thought about how I could prove my coach wrong. As I ran, I felt the air blow against both my face and my body. I saw cars going back and forth on the road, and bikers pedaling along the path smoothly. I smelled the fresh air that was laced with the smell of my sweat, which had developed due to the heat. I heard my soft, even breaths and my pounding feet hitting the gravel path. Before I knew it, I was ahead of everyone else in my group. Then it hit me. “Maybe this is it,” I thought. “This is how I can make the coach reconsider her decision. I can run faster than everyone else, and then she’ll see that I’m not what she thought I was.” This simple verdict made me push my legs to run even faster, as I was elated to prove my coach wrong. I kept
Ice hockey, a sport that has been in existence for over two hundred years, has become a fan favorite across the globe. From Canada to Sweden, you will be able to find some of the best ice hockey players in the world; both male and female. This pastime has instilled a unique tradition throughout the years of its practice by a combination of both physical skill and mental strength. Although it did not provide aid to globalization, it has created a worldwide culture that many people are proud to be a part of. Since its inception until now, there has been a great deal of gender stereotyping concerning the sport. Regardless, ice hockey will continue to be a lucrative market, as well as a cherished hobby for many years to come.
In the United States, softball provides a useful platform to observe and reflect on the numerous gender based inequalities seen within sports. The film, Burn the Ships, provides a holistic understanding of these inequalities through showcasing the Akron Racers who are one of five teams that participate in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). The NPF consists of altruistic women who dedicate their time to a job that lacks compensation and numerous other privileges seen in Major League Baseball (MLB) and men’s baseball in its entirety. Through a socialistic lens, the Akron Racers are a microcosm for gender based inequalities within softball and female sports as a whole, ultimately suggesting why the gap between softball and a full-time job exist;
The Sporties. The Sporties is a sitcom that focuses on the Australian love of sports and cheeky behaviour. It is set around the time of the Rugby State of Origin and follows a group of supporters on each side. It will be set in multiple location, such as the football field, pub and the characters homes.
In almost all the movies we have seen, the women go through a series of changes as they grow older. They might or might not choose to continue with their sport (although movies are usually shy of showing women who actually choose to abandon a blossoming sports career in favour of something more 'socially acceptable'). However, when we first meet the female heroine in almost all the movies, she is a young tomboy. The figures of Jess in 'Bend It Like Beckham' or Monica in 'Love and Basketball' are remarkably similar as children. They both wear boyish clothes, shun typically girly clothing, and prefer to spend their time with boys. Of course, the movies make it amply clear that these girls only want to play sports with the boys – they have no sexual interest in them. In 'Bend It Like Beckham', for example, Jess is clearly contrasted with the other Indian girls who watch the local boys playing football not because they like the game but because they want to see the boys with their shirts off. Even in 'Love and Basketball', Monica loves Quincy, but she never lets him see that until after prom night; before then, they are simply neighbours, friends and ballplayers. Even in a movie like 'Remember the Titans', which has no clear female protagonist, the little girl is shown hanging around boys all the time with her father, but she too has no interest in them except as sportsmen.
Women have forever had this label on their back of being too small, too weak, too feminine, and too boring. The traditional gender roles of the female interfere with the extortionate nature of competing in sports. Men are usually the ones to go 100% and give whatever they got, and to show masculinity while doing it. The standard masculinity of being strong, smart, and taking charge over dues the feminine traits of being soft, gentle, and polite. That’s what society has taught us to learn and accept. But the traditional female gender role is diminished when participating in athletics and people may think it’s weird to see females compete at the same level as males do. Men have always had the upper hand in the professional, collegian, and high
Simultaneously, the NFL has more gradually and aversely moved to allot black men an equal opportunity to succeed at the quarterback position. Some spectators have come to the conclusion that the NFL does not want running quarterbacks; an aspect that often throws black dual-threat quarterbacks for a loss.
What are the social and cultural costs and benefits of an individual (male or female) entering a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex (e.g. women enter body building, power lifting, boxing; men enter synchronized swimming or field hockey)?
Sports come along with a lot of things fame, riches, and last but not least stereotypes. One of the most recent stereotype that comes a lot in sports is who makes the most money women sports or men sports. In my opinion men make more money then women and why does it have to matter we all are doing something we love so does money really matter.
Although my main focus within sexism in sport is on women, I believe that the unrestrainable issue caused essentially by stereotypes effects men as well, for example, male cheerleaders, dancers and gymnasts are often assumed to be gay and are homophobically discriminated against accordingly just because of the sport they do. (Likewise, while the world is prepared to take advantage of the elegance shown by women in sports like ice-skating, ‘tomboyish lesbianism’ is connoted by women hockey, football or cricket players.)
I was so excited to start my new journey in school. I knew that being involved in a sport was going to help me become more confident. Running has taught me how to achieve my goals, be tough; both physically and mentally, and appreciate life. The first week of cross country was difficult.
African American male athletes face stereotypes about their intelligence and their performance. They are characterized as “dumb jocks” or seen as a machine. The stereotypes given to them can truly impact their performance in the classroom compared to their counterparts. Outside of the classroom the African American athlete’s counterparts are compared to them because of their God given talents.
Whether someone is male, female, black, Caucasian, a doctor, a thief, etc., society has a stereotypes about them. According to google, a stereotype is "a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing". This belief is typically held by the majority of people in society and is usually difficult to disprove. If someone tries to discredit their associated stereotype, they will find it very hard to accomplish partly due to their foe, the media. The media is not always reliable. They sell stories and magazines in order to make money and oftentimes rely on current stereotypes in order to accomplish this. One group that has been in a long-term battle with the media is female athletes. As more female
I have designed a logo and slogan that is relatable to affected females who are not receiving enough recognition in sports. I have chosen two classical sports, American Football and Association Football. My design choices are unlimited to these specific sports, instead, are for a powerful movement. In effect, the pink background color and the symbolic symbol of the unspecified gender demonstrates a concise idea of which gender advocates the protest. In addition, I positioned my sports icons near my symbolic representation of the unspecified gender, to create proximity.
The start of the 2002 track season found me concerned with how I would perform. After a disastrous bout with mononucleosis ended my freshmen track season, the fear of failure weighed heavily on my mind. I set a goal for myself in order to maintain focus and to push myself like nothing else would. My goal for my sophomore track season was to become a state champion in the 100 meter hurdles. I worked hard everyday at practice and went the extra mile, like running every Sunday, to be just that much closer to reaching my goal. The thought of standing highest on the podium in the center of the field, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, overcame my thoughts of complaining every time we had a hard workout. When I closed my eyes, I pictured myself waiting in anticipation as other competitors names were called out, one by one, until finally, the booming voice announced over the loudspeaker, "...and in first place, your 2002 100 meter hurdle champion, from Hotchkiss, Connie Dawson." It was visions like these that drove me to work harder everyday.
The world of sports is by no doubt dominated by males. Sports like football, soccer, basketball, baseball, or hockey all somehow pervade our social media, TVs, and sometimes even our lives. Interestingly enough, I don’t recall the last time I saw a women’s soccer match on TV, if ever. And, it seems like in some sports, hockey or football, for example, women are simply nonexistent. Most of us see women on sport channels when they’re playing beach volleyball, or every four years in gymnastics during the Olympics.