Female Role Model

Female athletes have been overlooked as primary role models especially by aspiring male athletes. Many guys feel they cannot relate themselves to how a woman plays the same sport they’re involved with. They may think that women aren’t aggressive enough, or too physically different to relate toward. I beg to differ because my main source of motivation to be a better athlete comes from my older female cousin, Taren. Although she is not an elite athlete, she had once proven herself as a sufficient basketball player on an all male team.
In high school, she was allowed to play on a male youth basketball team because there were no other girls interested in forming a league. In the beginning of her career she sat on the bench most of the time. In reaction to her coach’s treatment, she practiced after every practice. She spent an extreme amount of hours thinking and searching for basketball magazines, posters, videos, and shoes. By drowning herself in everything the sport had to offer, she developed skills and an increased understanding of the game. She eventually demonstrated her ability and became a starting player on her team. She was known to be fast, an accurate shooter, and sneaky. I have watched many of her games, and every time the opposing team’s coaches would be yelling out her jersey number, “12! 12! 12!” Even though I have never played in a basketball league, I have been able to apply the mental game my cousin had played to my athletic activities. She has personally been a source of motivation to guide me into becoming a better athlete. Her struggle from being an underdog to a starting player on her team has influenced me greatly to never feel discouraged to improve in any sport I practice.

Scott Shironaka
KIN 339i
M 7pm