The Negative Roles Of Men And Women In Sports

For decades, the controversial topic of men versus women has been a part of our culture; however, it has become more noticeable in recent years as women are becoming more involved in the sports world. Men and women are known to have diverse communication styles, emotional responses, self-confidence, and leadership skills in a variety of settings. One setting in particular is coaching and that role in the sports world. In this environment, a number of questions arise: do athletes prefer men or women as coaches? If they have a preference, is it due to their coaching style? Could this be a result of one gender being generally more competitive, because of genetic makeup, than the other? Because men and women differ in their coaching abilities

Men tend to be much more assertive and confident in how they perform and communicate, while women usually are more open-minded and willing to take suggestions into consideration. Studies show that females tend to be more coachable and open to improvement compared to males (Janssen). In an article called Are We Speaking a Different Language? Men and Women’s Communication Blind Spots, written by Lisa Evans touches on John Gray’s writings Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. In Evan’s article, she discusses how women tend to ask more questions when approached with a certain situation and want to stimulate the flow of ideas whereas men just think (Evans). In addition, Evan’s refers to Gray’s article when she goes more indepth of how men are essentially more impulsive whereas women tend to listen. She states that “Gray argues we owe this difference to our two opposite hormones again: oxytocin and testosterone. Women have higher levels of oxytocin, the hormone that promotes a feeling of connectedness—as in "we did this together," "I have a team that supports me." Men, on the other hand, experience a tremendous release of testosterone when they take credit for something, so naturally want to be the stars of the show.”