Racism in sports

Many people assume how a person will perform based on their ethnic background. Men and women of color have been deemed the “athletic race” because of how dominate colored people have been in popular sports around the world i.e. football, basketball, soccer, track and field. But with this rise of colored people excelling in sports, a bitter taste of racism returns to the racial forefront. Personally, I have been discredited because of my race. People will typically say, “He is fast because he is black,” discrediting all the time and hard work that I have invested in track. Yes, it is true the majority of exceptional athletes around the world are black, but that it is not because they are black; it is because they have put in the effort to achieve that exceptional status. Nothing is stopping any other race from excelling in sports but the time and effort it takes. I am not saying that other races don’t have the time or the drive to excel in sports, but I am saying that black people typically do because they have seen other black people like them do it. It takes nearly fifteen years to reach an Olympic level for most human beings. The problem with is that most people don’t start or focus training in the sport the love until they are well into their teens, and fifteen years from then sets a person well behind the Olympic level. In Africa, it is normal for a boy or a girl to almost focus their entire life on training for one sport, because it is all they have to do. People already know of the horrible conditions in Africa now, and those conditions are forcing young African boys and girls to focus their lives on a sport to escape those conditions. I remember reading people being upset because the Great Britain 4x100 meter team was all African. Sometimes, people fail to realize that where they live doesn’t determine who they are, or how they will do in life. When it comes down to being a competitive professional athlete, the determining factor of being elite is whether or not you will allow someone else to be better than you.

-S.May
kin339I
Mon. 7pm

Women in sports

When it comes to women in the world of sports I find that women not only are viewed in a negative way they are also associated with lesbianism as well and sexual promiscuity. Women in sports do not get the respect that they deserve nor do they receive the glory they should receive for their work. For example, more people go to men basketball game as opposed to women basketball game based on the simple fact that the individuals that they are watching are of the female sex and that in and of itself is totally wrong. Women work just as hard as men to reach athletic success and they should not be limited to sports that portray them as weak and dainty like cheerleading and gymnastics. Personally I love a woman who can get down and dirty with the guys and at the end of the day, can clean up rather nicely. My favorite athlete, male or female, is Sanya Richards a world class runner. She is my favorite runner because of the fact that she knows how to “be a man” when needed and know how to turn into a lady when she needs to. If women in sports learn to separate these two worlds, and society comes to understand that women are just as good of athletes as men if not better. We will, in the end be able to tear down the sexual barriers between men and women in sports and promote equality, but we are far from that point.

Women in Sports

In order to do this blog I talked with my sister who was a high school varsity soccer player. It was very interesting to find out what her responses were to my questions. I always grew up wanting to play soccer in college and hopefully in the professional world, but unfortunately that didn't work out. Haha. My sister wanted to play soccer also and take it to the next level that I didn't. So when I was living with my folks back in korea I trained her the best I could and as hard as I could to make sure that she was the best player. I can honestly say that training a female is totally different than training a male athlete, to my first hand knowledge. I always thought that the way that females are trained is totally different than what a male athlete would be trained. So I compared the same training techniques I used on my sister and a male athlete same age and found out that my sister did not like the training. The male athlete on the other hand did not have the same kind of complaints of the training. My sister told me that the training was too stressful, the way of talking was not comfortable, and the intensity was too much. The stressful part of it was that I was asking her to do too many work outs at an intensity level where the male athlete was trained at. The communication between my sister and I was not sympathetic, but at a competitive level. An example would be that I would just be yelling when she would mess up or would complain about the workout. The intensity level of the work out was at the level where i trained the male athlete. Basically I learned that I was a pretty bad trainer to my sister. The male athlete however did not have the same reaction/response to what my sister said. I also learned that what this class has discussed about psychology and how to talk with athletes in that perspective was that it would have been nice to have known this subject back then. My sister said that the training drained her emotionally, psychologically, and physically, but she knew that I wasn't doing it to punish her, but to make her a better athlete and it did according to what she said. I just didn't take into account that women have a different type of training and that different individuals also have different kind of training.

Pierpoint. M 7-9:45

Psychological issues of female Bodybuilders

Body building is considered a very competitive sport for both men and women. These are people who spend a great majority of their time at the gym. Having incredible amounts of muscle mass is what is expected of them. Some people body build for fun and some body build because of the obsession of getting bigger which is can be a sign of muscle dysmorphia. Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder where one always feels too skinny or to small. It is called bigorexia, muscle dysmorphia is the opposite of anorexia nervosa. People who have this become obsessed wanting to get bigger. They worry that they are too little and too frail. Even if they have good amount of muscle mass, they are always dissatisfied with their bodies. Some signs of this disorder would be of the following: one who is preoccupied with being more leaner or stronger, very strict diets, long hours at gym,and an impaired social life. Those with this disorder most of the time become uninterested in important goals such school or education or career accomplishments, they also put bodybuilding as a priority as opposed to family, friends, dating, and they do not stop if they are injured. Those with this disorder use drugs which include steroids, and other unhealty supplements and exercise because they are afraid if they stop they will go back to their old self. One example of a female bodybuilder who used steroids was hospitalized for kidney failure because of her high protein diet and her consistent use of drugs. When she was released months later she was back using drugs and an unhealthy diet. Unfortunately those with this disorder refuse to get help.
KIN339I
A. pineda

psychological issues of physically challenged athletes

I had a friend in cross-country who during her sophomore year of high school developed fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is an illness similar to arthritis in which the individual feels pain nearly all the time, ranging from mild to severe. She first realized something was wrong when after a race she could barely walk because the pain in her hip and lower back was so severe. She ended up having to quit running, and developed a deep depression that took her months to get out of. The depression was probably due to the pain, and being diagnosed with an illness that usually happens to people over twice her age, but I think not being able to run cross-country played a large role as well. It seems like it would be really hard to be told you can no longer participate in your sport for reasons you have no control over. This was only in high school, but imagine how hard it would be for a professional or elite athlete, who spent nearly their whole life dedicated to a sport, to have all that taken away.

Kyle B.
KIN 339I

Psychological Issues of Women in Sports

Women in sports have come a long ways in many aspects of the sporting world in a variety of ways but what they have been subjected to along the way can lead to a number of psychological issues that many women have to deal with. Many women have to deal with the stereotype that if they are good at their specific sport, more athletic or stronger than their competitors they must be either lesbian, or that they are not women at all (South African runner Caster Semenya who was raised as a female all her life questioned about her gender because she demolished her competition in an 800-meter race). How could you expect the majority of females to want to become good at something if they know that they will be criticized for it? Women in sport also have to deal with underrepresentation in media coverage compared to their male counterparts. Even when women do get coverage in the sports that they do play it is often done in degrading ways, such as tennis players like Maria Sharapova, and Indy Car racer Danica Patrick who use their good looks and promote their sports by coming off as sex symbols and are recognized by their good looks more so than their actual talents and athletic abilities. What kind of message does this send to the young female athletes? That they have to show off their bodies and appear as sex symbols to gain attention? These problems alone definitely add to the many psychological issues that the female athletes have to deal with. A lot of these problems root from how our society as a whole is, what do you expect from a country that is obsessed with making money and becoming higher on the food chain than others and where males rule and make all the decisions while females are thought of as followers. Slowly great strides in women’s rights have helped to extinguish such problems but as of right now our society still see women athletes as secondary to male athletes. Similar to the problems gay and lesbians face in the sporting world to fix the psychological problems that women in sport have our society as whole must change and until that happens we will continue to see issues like these reoccurring.
Adam Grubb
Kin 339i

Gay and Lesibian Athletes

No matter what sport you play there will be a mix of heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual players. The only problem with this is most of the players that are not heterosexual are forced into hiding their sexual preference. This can have a damaging effect on their performance in their sport. They have the added pressure of complying with the normal male/female roles in relationships and dating. They also have the fear of being rejected by their team or being kicked off the team. I believe that their is more problems for gay male athletes than female athletes. This is due to the stereotype female athletes attain just by being in certain sports. Many people believe that most female basketball players are lesbians this is not true, although my cousin that played basket ball was a lesbian. When it comes to male homosexuals in sports it is much more taboo. Most people see homosexuals as being like women and not having any place in sports especially contact sports. I knew a guy on my wrestling team that was gay, people made fun of him and he ended up quitting his first year. I believe that everyone should be given a chance to play any sport they want no matter what their sexuality is, and they also should not have to hide who they are. Before this could ever happen we as a nation would have to change and accept people for who they are.

J Cruickshank KIN 339I

Physically challenged Athletes

With the Sydney Paralympics Games, we now face a physically challenged sports movement that is fast changing into elite sports. If we consider the technological advancement in the equipment and combining of classes, the sports movement will no doubt be developing parallel with its counterpart.

I found study which was about the effect of psychological technology on the confidence and the targets were mentally retarded athletes. The targets were 131mentally retarded people, which were registered as athletes 2008. They consisted of 95men and 36women, whose disability classes were from Class 1 to Class 4. The summary of study results are as follows. First, there is a positive correlation between psychological technology and confidence of mentally retarded athlete. Especially for male athletes, goal establishment and willpower give effect to confidence and for female athlete. Second, when considering disability type, it is found that the athlete with disability class 2 and 3 has a higher relation between psychological technology and confidence than the athlete with disability class 1.

As those result, the sport effects very positively to not only physically challenged athletes and also physically challenged people. To enable development in Physically challenged sports to make them have confidences, we need to improve the environment of the sports by increasing chance for athletes to compete in national and international games, development of life sports, support the physically challenged athletes to practice and phycially challenged people to enjoy and involve thier sports comfortably and easily. We also need to improve the conditions of those winning athletes.

Mi ae Yun 339I

WNBA

I decided to write about the WNBA and began researching it. I found that a lot of people, including basketball analysts, WNBA players, and fans blame the lack of strong ratings and attendance on males refusal to watch the sport. I read blogs from males that bash the sport for the masculinity of its players. I read countless posts from women condemning all NBA male views of being such, for lack of better word, assholes. The fact is, the notion that the WNBA is not as popular as the NBA because males refuse to watch masculine females is absurd. The one and true reason is unfortunately, lack of excitement.

Facts: 1. The 3 most exciting plays in the NBA are alley-oops, rim-rattling dunks, and blocks inside the paint. 2. The NBA players who play above the rim are the most popular and exciting players to watch. 3. The NBA moved the 3-point line further back to give more space to the above-the-rim players to dunk. 4. The NBA took away illegal defense and began allowing zone defenses to be used, freeing up ‘slashing’ swingmen to look for alley-oops.

It’s no secret the WNBA players can’t play the same style of basketball that is prevalent in the NBA. The solution: lower the rim from 10 feet to 9 feet. This would allow for more spectacular plays that would no doubt increase the excitability of the game. The WNBA is filled with skilled players but desperately lacks the “slashers” and “bangers” that make the NBA. All sports organizations have in one way or another changed the rules of the game. The NFL introduced 2-point conversions, the NBA added goaltending, a 3-point shot, and widened the key and the NHL changed icing and reduced the size of the goalie’s padding to allow more scoring. These changes were for the sole purpose of increasing scoring.

I have never rooted for a team or player based on physical attractiveness. To suggest that I condone an entire sport for that very reason is ridiculous and absurd. Any true NBA fan would love to watch the WNBA if its played in the same style and showcases more excitement. On a side note, Men make up only 60% of the NBA fans, and 40% of the WNBA fans.

m. Quijada

KIN339

Psychology of Disabled Athlete

Athletes who are disabled become motivated when they see other disabled athletes competing in sports. The encouragement they receive from the other members of the team motivates the athletes to continue to compete in sports. They strive to be the best at what they can do when they are encouraged from their coaches. They also want to set good examples for other athletes who are disabled. They want to inspire other disabled athlete and give them hope to continue the athletic career. Tyson McClanahan, is a US Olympian, who was disabled. He overcame many obstacles to be a great athlete. The doctors diagnosed that he would be unable to walk, and speak, but with training and therapy he overcame spectacular challenges that many therapist and doctors were astonished with his accomplishments. Tyson said,” He was not a quitter and would do anything he could to be the best.” Tyson enjoyed helping others. Tyson wanted to give disabled athlete hope and to inspire them to never quite and always believe. Tyson’s family and coach always were supportive and encouraged him to strive for greatness which motivated him to become successful. Tyson’s hard work proved positive results to become a successful disabled athlete.

M.N.
Kin 339I

Title IX and Women of Color

In 1972 Title IX was created to achieve equality of the sexes in all realms of education, including athletics. This greatly increased the opportunities for women in sports in all levels of education. For example, prior to Title IX there were 30,000 women participating in collegiate sports and now there are over 160,000. This also coincides with increases in women in NCAA and also in the dramatic increase in scholarships. However, there is still an ongoing battle to receive equal representation and opportunities in collegiate sports.

The most popular and media advertised sports for women of color are basketball and track. In all other sports women were underrepresented. Even though there was a great increase of women in sport, they are not participating in the emerging or “non-traditional” sports such as gymnastics, swimming, and soccer. This can be due to exposure. Women of color and women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds do not have access to the training facilities used to play these sports. So it has been suggested that opportunities be expanded at the lower level of the athletic realm. If athletes don’t have the chance to play when they are younger then how can they play at the collegiate level? There needs to be equal opportunity in all sports as well as a chance to receive scholarships and sponsorship opportunities from local businesses set up by the community. This could help support the growth of women in a spread of sports.

Economics cannot be the only reason why women of color are underrepresented in certain sports. The success of women of color in athletics has gone unnoticed by the media. The sports where most women of color are seen are basketball and track and field. The marginalization of these women may be one of the reasons that women of color do not participate in certain sports. It is pertinent that we support women of color to be seen on television and in magazines and newspapers. Women of color should receive equal benefits and have an increase in opportunities in sport. They should receive the same benefits and opportunities that men and white women enjoy.

On the other side of the story, some say the issue of women of color and women in sport are a detriment to men’s athletics. In some instances, schools have had to eliminate some men's sports or reduce, sometimes dramatically, the number of scholarships and coaches in those sports. There’s only so much money that can be given out, so someone will end up getting the undesirable situation. Another argument is for some color athlete’s a scholarship is the only reason they get to go to college. Not everybody can afford it, so if scholarship money starts to get relocated somewhere else then males are going to have less opportunity. Some places are beginning to lower the budget for football programs for the reason that they cost so much money and recruit a lot of people.

There are different sides to the story but each group of people deserves an equal chance in athletics. The right thing to do is to make athletics equal for men and women but a limiting factor is the way the media portrays everything and the money made off men’s sports. So I believe a change is possible but it will definitely be a slow one. There is no way this situation can change overnight. Although there was significant progress made after Title IX, it has been almost 40 years since then.

C. Rau
KIN 339
7-9:45

Physically Disabled Athletes

The world of athletics is has generally been less available to physically disabled athletes. It is unfortunate that physically disabled athletes do not have the same opportunities that physically able athletes do. There are not any professional athletic organizations for disabled people that I know of. That just seems wrong. There are some amazing athletes out there who may wear a prosthetic leg or sit in a chair and it is very discriminative of society to not make it possible for those athletes to show the world their athletic abilities. Fully able athletes get fame and fortune, while the disabled participate in small leagues and organizations, never getting the chance to showcase their amazing talent. It is very impressive that someone who is physically disabled can overcome the hardships of being disabled in an able-bodied world, play a sport with a disability, and face the physical and psychological challenges of being a disabled athlete. This proves disabled athletes to be very able people, and they should get the chance to achieve possible dreams of being professional athletes. Many disabled people were not always disabled and could have been ambitious athletes who worked hard to achieve a dream in professional athletics, only to have those dreams crushed by society's hindrance and lack of support of disabled athletics. America is often thought of as the Land of Opportunity, but disabled athletes do not have as equal of opportunities as the majority of society does. Hopefully, one day these incredible athletes will have thier chance to be acknowledged and rewarded by society as well.

Murderball is a documentary about paraplegic athletes who play a form of rugby in wheelchairs. It reaches into the minds of these amazing athletes who must overcome so much to reach their dreams of winning the gold metal in the Paralypic Games. I would highly reccommend this movie to everyone. It really opens your eyes to the reality of these disabled athletes and also to thier true ability dispite being disabled.

E. Tucker
KIN 339I
M 7:00 pm

Kobe knows what's up

Kobe Bryant is known for being arrogant, cocky, and a ball hog. He is also known as an excellent basketball player, and arguably the best player in the NBA today. Even though Bryant may have an ugly attitude, the only part about him that is worth looking into is how he has become so great.
Bryant is an elite athlete who is an expert on improving his game. His days start at five in the morning with a work out, he sticks to a specific diet, and he studies videos of past and present players. With Nike, he discusses technological improvements for his shoes to help lessen his reaction time on the court, and he has asked the company to design a warm up suit that will wick heat away from his knees to enhance his recovery time. When he had fractured his shooting hand a few years ago, he took it as an opportunity to train his opposite hand to shoot. He is known for shooting jump shots with either hand. After recovering from his injury he noticed his shot was off. As a result, he went to the gym and made one hundred thousand shots to make up for the loss training in his hand. In the summer after his first year as a pro, he trained himself to stay mentally involved in the game, so he would be prepared to contribute coming off the bench the next season.
Certainly, Kobe is highly task and ego goal oriented. He practices beyond what is expected, and looks at improving his skill from all angles. He is obsessed with understanding the technique of other players because they serve as a sort of standard for him to surpass. Actually making one hundred thousand shots is quite an accomplishment in one day. He must have been worried that his recovered hand was not good enough to compete with in a game. Therefore, his fear of being ill-prepared serves him as a great source of motivation. In the summer after his first year as a pro, he developed a way of staying in the zone even off season. This is an important tool he has used to stay focused on his goals. Bryant has clearly demonstrated that he understands how to be great, and his ultimate goal must be set beyond greatness because he has already achieved it. But still he’s no Michael Jordan.

Scott Shironaka
KIN339i
M: 7-945

Title IX; Know Your Rights

Even after 35 years since the passage of Title IX, a federal law granting girls and women in high schools and colleges the right to equal opportunity in sports, female athletes across the nation are placed at a disadvantage in comparison to their male counterparts. Definitely by passing this Title IX, there has been a great increase in female participation opportunities in sports. The Title IX opened doors for women to become doctors, lawyers, and college athletes. All boys and girls should have an equal chance at whatever they dream to be, not to be disregarded because of whatever gender, ethnicity, color of skin, etc. There is no research taht shows the boys are more interested in sports than girls. Girls are just as interested in sports as boys are when they are young, but because of the lack of enthusiasm and encouragement, girls are more likely to drop out of sports at a rate that is six times greater than boys. Through any donations or charity offers to a school's sport program, there must be an equal portion distributed to any sport, not discriminated by gender. Imagine what if your school was granted a large amount of money and it would only be used for white kids only? And the Title IX requires that equal benefits be afforded for both girls' and boys' teams such as having cheerleaders and bands cheer and support their teams. That would be totally unjust if you played on a team and were told that you could not have the support of cheerleaders because you aren't important enough. That would be an outrage, if you're a team, you're a team. You're a team for you school, you're a team for your fellow students. Anyone who plays on a sports team or school sports team is representing their teammates and everyone should be considered important. Everyone plays a team role on any team. Did you know that a girl must be allowed to try out for the boys' team if there is no girls' team for her in that sport? The Title IX says that any member of the "underrepresented sex" has to have a chance to play on the team of the overrepresented sex if that player is not provided a team of the player's own sex. It is okay for a school to say a girl or boy cannot play football for a non-gender-related reason like you are too small to play or not strong enough, as long as the standard is fairly applied to both boys and girls.

Masculine and feminine stereotypes are usually associated with strength with males and weakness in females. But all of us need to be strong. We all benefit from being confident, having high-self esteem, and being skilled at sport makes us feel good whether we are male or female. If a person doesn't play sports that is okay too. Our self-worth shouldn't be judged by our ability to play sports. There are plenty of other amazing qualities a person could have, not just being dependent on sports.

Kristina D.
KIN339I

Female Dancers Succumb to the Pressure of Body Image

In general female athletes inspire me, female dancers in particular. In dance, body types can be misleading. I say this because female dancers have bodies that are slender and lean or voluptuous and curvy. These female dancers have one thing in common, they are all incredibly nimble, strong, and languid all at the same time. I think a lot of people underestimate dancers, and believe it or not it is harder for female dancers to get jobs than male dancers. The pressure due to the lack of jobs takes its toll on the female athlete psychologically sometimes leads to dieting disorders.
I’m sure most of the athlete community here knows about the different eating disorders that occur in different sports. With men it may be to bulk up the muscles, and with women it is typically to lose a few pounds (or increase muscle mass). That is a prominent situation in dance as well. Our bodies are getting poked and prodded at daily, so it is natural to pick on ourselves. We do experience a need for perfectionism, anxiety, and a lack of self esteem. Sometimes the promoters of anorexia and bulimia are coaches, employers and teachers. I do think that some of the teachers/coaches are aware of that, and they should be ashamed of themselves. Besides the need to have certain attributes to perform in general, I think a lot of the pressure of looking a certain way in sports is due to an aesthetic promoted by the media. The media influences an athletic aesthetic as well as a general aesthetic. For me personally as a dancer, I know there have been times where I am not completely satisfied with my body ( even now there are little things I want to tweak), but I am happy that I have not undergone something that serious (like the female triad). I believe the problem of eating disorders has been under the microscope more but it is still a problem that affects the athletic and non athletic community.

D.McWatt
Kin339i M 7:00-9:45

Athletes of Color in Sports

Why is it, in this day and age, we are still having problems with athletes of color in sports? An athlete should be considered and athlete no matter what race, gender, or age. The color of an athletes skin has been an issue for years now, yet I still cannot figure out why, An athlete should be judged on skill, not on what they look like. However, there have been more and more athletes of color in sports and less and less athletes that are not. For instance, if a white man plays basketball, he has to live up to the Michael Jordan's, Kobe Bryant's, or Lebron James' just to be recognized. The same thing goes for football. How many white players are there relative to those of color? Discrimination is present these days no matter what the race. The world is shifting in the realm of sports, yet someone will always have something to say. If everyone would take the time to admire the athletes ability and not what they look like, the sports world would be a much better place.

S. Slater
Mon 7:00 Kin 339I

Psychological issues of gay male athletes

Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are taught from a very early age to associate physical performance with masculine attributes. If a person is bigger, stronger, tougher, etc. then that person will perform better and is even someone that we should emulate and look up to.
While many people would refuse to believe that a homosexual is capable of possessing these attributes, they are more than able to be competent and exceptional athletes. But we have been raised in a "Puritanical" society that deems this to be a negative. This can be an incredibly stressful issue for the homosexual athlete. He wishes to excel in his sport and maybe even be looked upon as a role model by others. But because of the fear he feels, he often must lie or be shunned by his fellow athletes. There have been no openly gay male professional athletes that play in play in a major team league such as the NFL, MBA or NBA. Any athletes that have come out do so after their career is over. Often times when the heterosexual members of a team discover one of their team mates is gay, this causes a sense of betrayal. They actually feel "violated" by this new information. Again we see evidence of the conditioning this society has placed upon us. The psychological effects of "living a lie" can be profound upon a person. He may look back on his life with regret and he may have a difficult time finding happiness.

How do we solve this problem? There may not be one true solution, but the best hope lies in better education. We must teach the new generation that homosexuality is not a bad thing and put an emphasis on not just tolerance, but acceptance. If we do this, perhaps the next generation will be better prepared to accept everyone for who they are.

KIN 339I
Jonathan Cocco

In the 18th and 19th centuries, homosexuality was a psychological disorder. People feared that women would adopt masculine styles of dress, talk, hair, mannerisms. People would namecall anyone that was different from them, which dehumanizes the recipient. One common stereotype for women in sport is the “lesbian label” which insinuates that successful athletic performance are a result of unnatural advantages and that “real” women are not good in sports. Lesbians in sport face prejudice and stigma that may be worse than the stigma of lesbians in general society. Males are also inducted into being brought out as tough and macho when it comes to sports, so being gay could bring out problems. Although sexuality is personal, the media likes to make a big deal this issue. Homophobia should not be a barrier to entry for any individual seeking to take part in amateur or professional sport or participate as a spectator.

J.V. 339i

"There's not crying in baseball"

Society stereotypes men and women and what is expected, as well as what is not expected out of them. Men are the workers...Women are the homemakers...Men play sports...Women do not. Whether these stereotypes are justified or not, regarding history or personal experience, does not mean that it is how it should be. Women in sport today have many challenges. Not only are they competing with other women in their sport, but they are also competing with men in that they are constantly being compared with them. This in no way holds any fairness because the physical capabilities between men and women are so drastically different. Men seem to hold with them the stereotype of how sports should be. Women are expected to fulfill the image requirements of a good player, including looking manly and being strong. It has come to be assumed that if you see an elite woman in sports, that her sexual orientation is automatically in question. Women are also expected to act a certain way, showing no personal, emotional attachment or response to the sport that they play. Through socialization, people learn to react, and mold their behavior in accordance with society's expectations, of not only gender roles, but sexual orientation, race and physical capabilities.

J.L.P

sexual orientation and athletics

When we here the word "athlete", what are the first things that come to mind? For me, I think of musculature, physical health, and (most importantly) how they perform during an event. Many people would agree with me that a part of what makes an athlete is how well they perform, another part being how they interact with others both on and off the field. So, when we hear that an athlete is homosexual, does it affect how we view that person? Some may say yes, but I wonder why we do that. It didn't change who the athlete was, just how they were viewed. Their sexual orientation didn't change their athletic performance one bit though the 'coming out' process may have hurt their careers. Look at Billie Jean King, for example. She one the "Battle of the Sexes" singles Tennis tournament against Bobby Riggs. Her personality is strong and it showed in her playing style. But, when she was outed, she lost alot in such a short amount of time I still can't comprehend it. Billie Jean was quoted as saying she "had to play tennis to pay the lawers" for a lawsuit and losing all her endorsements. Simply because she is a lesbian. In my opinion, just because an athlete is gay or a lesbian, that shouldn't be a reason to scrutinize everything they do. Yes, we may have gotten better at how we as a population support them, but we're still a long way from even being close to how we should act.



S Garcia
339I M 7P

Females in Male Dominated Sports

Being a female in a male dominated sport, I have experienced a few different reactions. When a guy hears that I play ice hockey at first they all seem a little impressed or say that they never expected me to play because I’m not the “intimidating or aggressive type.” However, after that initial reaction, there are several avenues the conversation can go.

“That’s so cool, I didn’t even know that many girls played…” This response makes most of us female hockey players feel the best. It seems to show genuine interest in our sport choices and possible intrigue in our skill level. These responses encourage us to continue, instead of having someone talking to us in a condescending tone that makes us feel inadequate and question why we bother playing. They don’t make you prove yourself, but accept you because you even try to play. No one will make you jump through hoops to be on their team, rather encourage you to play and help your development as a player.

“Do you guys hit each other and get in fights? Maybe I’ll go watch a game, if I get to see that…” When we hear this, it makes us feel as though they only come because they hope to see “girl-on-girl action” as they often put it. It shows that they don’t care about the sport or our skill, just seeing girls drop the gloves would be fun to watch. For a few of my friends, it made them not want to admit that they even play because she was tired of hearing that response and didn’t want their support at our games because fights aren’t the point of the game, although are considered important in the NHL when talking about momentum.

“You don’t honestly play, do you?” or “You really think you can keep up with us? You must be a dirty player or something…” Yet, when you do try to play with the guys, some will play that much harder or play to the extent where you almost have to play a little dirty to compete with them. I’ve found that some guys will make it so much harder to a girl to try playing with them than a male. One day, for example, we were picking teams for a pick-up game; of course I was near the end to get picked. Although they knew I had skill, they were willing to pick a male who just learned how to skate over me because “no one wanted a girl on their team.” I know that not all males are like this, but it does occur often, especially in male dominated sports and women need to learn how to deal with it because at times it does make it difficult to focus on your game when you’re the only person that believes you have the skill to “play with the big boys.”

I know this is very idealistic, but it should not matter the gender of an athlete. Males and females should have to meet the same standards. If a female is better, she should be viewed as better and vice versa. I understand the some males don't want women playing their "masculine" or male dominated sport or what have you, but not many men wanted women involved in sports at all before.

B. Wells

Kin 339i

why do some sports reflect sexuality?

Does the type of sport we play determine our sexuality? I personally don't believe so. I’m speaking of the stereotypes people associate with certain sports, particularly sexual orientation.
Sports that are masculine such as basketball and soccer, women who play those sports are assumed to be lesbians. And sports that are seen as feminine, like cheer, men as assumed to be gay (fun fact: cheer started as an all-male group, women didn't join until 20 years later). Very masculine sports like football, men are assumed to be straight. The stereotypes we associated with certain sports, almost make it “ok” to be that way. For example, on our team we have a mix of gay and straight boys. I know, that if one of the straight ones came out as gay, people (including some on the team) wouldn’t really be shocked.
It’s a double edged sword—people who are gay, may or may not be offended if someone thought they were straight and vice-versa with those who are straight. Even though we want to think objectively to prevent assumptions, it just turns those assumptions around.

Being open about sexuality can be a positive thing as well. On my previous cheer teams, the gay boys try to hit on the straight ones and it is all fun and games. It creates an open environment because the straight boys know they are just kidding and in a weird sense, adds to our team morale. We are comfortable with our own personalities and sexualities that we focus on our skills and goals and joke around at the same time.But why does sexuality matter in sport? It doesn’t make you better or worse in what you do, it is just another piece of who you are. That’s what great about sports, when you watch it, you look at game and what is going on—not the sexual orientation of the athlete.

Vanessa Reyes 339I

Blog #2: psychological issues of gay and lesbian athletes

When most people think of discrimination in sport they think of racial or gender issues, not those of sexual orientation. For although no one typically thinks of this issue and assumes everyone participating in sport is heterosexual, they could in fact be homosexual. Male athletes could be gay, and female athletes could be lesbians. The sad part is that these individuals usually hide their sexual identities because they are afraid of what others will think. They are afraid they will be excluded, unaccepted and discriminated against for sharing who they really are with others.
One reason homosexuals usually hide their sexual identities from other people is because they fear homophobia or homophobic behavior will be directed towards them. Homophobic behavior results in harmful actions towards people who are homosexual, or organizations that support them. This behavior includes name calling, physically assaulting or vandalizing homosexual’s personal property. A less severe type of discrimination would be homophobia. Homophobia is where an individual is mentally bugged by the fact that another individual is homosexual. People who have homophobia do not physically harm anyone, but they think that homosexuals should chose not to be that way and therefore are intolerant of them.
Athletes believe that letting others know of their sexual orientation will hold them back and therefore hide it. In recent decades, the media has been trying its hardest to overcome issues regarding sexual orientation, mostly by not bringing up the subject and treating everyone as equal. Maybe one day these ideas and behaviors will vanish, but for now our society has to do its best to “shake” these ideas from schools, physical education places, teachers, coaches and students at all levels. For what we learn when we are young usually stays with us for life.

Caster Semenya and the World

Two months ago, Caster Semenya shocked the world when she won the gold medal at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. In addition to winning the gold, the 18 year old track star achieved the fastest time of the year with her performance.

Instead of celebrating however, Caster Semenya immediately faced doubts and questions about her gender. Such critics looked at her astonishing performance with intense skepticism, largely due to their belief that her appearance was too manly. Due to her previous athletic accomplishments, the International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF, ordered Caster Semenya to undergo a gender test to verify that she is actually a woman. Instead of being kept discreet, the IAAF's decision leaked to the public, and Caster Semenya was immediately swept up in a global interest about her gender, rather than her athletic accomplishments.

With overwhelming scrutiny surrounding her gender, Caster Semenya caved in to appease her critics. Typically spotted wearing athletic attire and having her hair in cornrows, Caster Semenya posed on the cover of YOU magazine wearing a dress, jewelry, and with a different hair style. By agreeing to such an extreme makeover, Caster Semenya made the decision in hopes of somehow proving that she is in fact a woman. Unfortunately, she has only reinforced the stereotype that women must somehow prove their womanhood by appearing in dresses and jewelry, sending the wrong message to anyone following her situation. Despite this misstep, Caster's actions are entirely understandable. She is still a very young woman, and she wants to be viewed in a positive light, which is something that I believe almost anyone would want. The magazine cover is her attempt to show that she is a woman with good character, not this man-like freak that the media has attempted to portray her as.

While the official results have yet to be released, Caster Semenya's life has been turned upside down. Instead of being a highly motivated elite athlete, she is instead being traumatized by her new fame about whether she is actually a woman, instead of her many athletic achievements. Considering the publicity that her story has received, she must have an immense amount of distress and anxiety about what the world and other athletes think of her. Reportedly, she was unable to take her university exams because she is still too traumatized by the entire experience, which is still ongoing. She has also withdrawn from athletic events, due to these widespread concerns and issues involving her gender.

Being an athlete of color, Caster Semenya's trials and tribulations has resulted in many individuals contending that the IAAF's actions were racist, or improper and morally wrong at the very least. In response, the IAAF has contended that their actions were only to verify that Caster Semenya did not possess an unfair advantage over other athletes.

Caster Semenya's situation provides a good example of a reckless media, insensitive organizations, and ignorance at its finest. Caught up in the middle of it all, Caster Semenya struggles to cope in life and compete in the field of athletics, which she no doubt loves. While everyone focuses on the gender test, people fail to realize that she is a person and that such negative attention will only harm her.

Even if the tests reveal that she is intersex or has an abnormal level of testosterone, Caster Semenya is a woman. This whole ordeal only brings up the pertinent fact that society needs to reflect on how it treats individuals when they do not look like the stereotypical man or woman, or when individuals may contain both anatomical sex parts. These individuals are not somehow below the rest of us because of how they look or how they were born.

As a female athlete of color, Caster Semenya has the potential to be a great role model for many individuals. I hope that she can overcome this ordeal and participate in track competitions once more, triumphing over her competitors. Considering her strong will and personality, Caster has accomplished so much just by reaching her level of athleticism and ability, and I hope her strong mental profile will allow her to regain her standing in sport, overcoming the criticism and skepticism surrounding her.

Eric Harnden
Kin 339i
M 7 PM

Successful Women in Sports

Throughout history men have been the main focus in sports. For a period of time women were not even allowed to participate in rigorous physical activity because doctors said it would inhibit a woman’s responsibility to have children and take care of them. Obviously this is no longer an issue today. Women in sports are extremely competitive and are some of the most successful people in society. Kerri Walsh for example is a huge success story for women in sports. She, along with Misty May- Treanor, has one twenty- two gold medals in the 2008 Olympics games for her performances in Beach Volleyball and has the longest winning streak in Beach Volleyball history. Although the men’s U.S. Olympic indoor volleyball team also won the gold this past year, Misty May and Kerri Walsh seemed to have attracted the most attention. Another famous story is that of Venus and Serena Williams, arguably the two most famous female tennis players. Aside from their raw talent, part of their popularity comes from the fact that they are sisters. These two competed in the 2002 Grand Slam finals in Wibmbledon at the height of their popularity. It seemed for the next couple years they each took their turn winning the cup as they both have roughly eleven major titles throughout their careers. Generally you only here about the NFL, the MLB or men’s basketball but this volleyball and tennis duo has opened a lot of people’s eyes into the world of women in sports.

R. Burbage
KIN 339i

Physically Challenged Athletes - No Limits

I cannot imagine there being a worse feeling in the world than being an outgoing athlete who loses the use of any of their limbs. Football players losing the use of their legs, or swimmers losing the use of their arms. What goes through the mind of an athlete who has this occurrence happened to them? I can only think back to high school and spraining my ankle during basketball season, not having the ability to walk on one of my legs was gruesome. I cannot imagine not being able to have the use of that leg for the rest of my life, the mental toughness to go through a situation as such must be tremendous. Yet, there are still those physically challenged athletes that have the motivation and drive to go out and remain as physically active as possible. Whether it be an individual who has lost the use of their legs, so they work out their arms, or vice-versa. It is truly inspirational for me to witness such a feat. There is no obstacle too large for these physically challenged athletes to overcome.

A famous case of an athlete losing a limb to a tragic event is female surfer Bethany Hamilton. Her parents were both very pristine surfers and had Bethany on a surfboard since she was a toddler. Since age 7, she was surfing on her own and truly fell in love with the sport. However, on October 31, 2003, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark who severed her left arm all the way up to the top of the humerus. Even after losing 60% of her blood, Bethany survived the attack and was very hopeful for the possibility of getting back in the water. That possibility became a reality shortly after the incident, and by a month, Bethany was able to paddle a long board with the use of only her one arm.

Bethany continued to progress at her ability to paddle with only one arm and by January 2004, she was back on her short board, paddling out to the incredible waves of Hawaii. For those who surf, and know of the challenge of paddling a surfboard with two arms, imagine having only the use of one. She re-entered competition, and in the first one back she was able to place 5th. She refused any special treatment that was being given to her by the NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) during competition. She didn't want to be treated differently then any of the other surfers in the competition. The courage, mental toughness, and motivation of this young woman is truly inspirational to me and I do not believe I would be able to make the same transitions she was forced to make after that shark attack in 2003. Just one story of a physically challenged athlete who continues to make it all work despite her physical impairment.

Tony P Nuñez

Supporting WNBA

The WNBA team, Detroit Shock made its move to Tulsa, Oklahoma this week because of issues with today's economy. A Shock veteran stated, “We understand it’s a business venture to take on a WNBA team. … The reason why we’re moving to Tulsa is that we didn’t obtain the necessary fans and revenue that we needed. This is a job. People are being hit by the recession and losing their jobs. We’re just thankful that there’s another city willing to take us.” She explains it's all a business and they have to move to where it's a better fit from a finacial standpoint. The Detroit Shock have won 3 championships in the past 12 seasons; 2003, 2006, 2008. The move is causing them to lose their "Shock faithful" or Shock fans. Most are angry and upset and still, i guess it fits to say 'shocked'. Even though this is a good move for the organization, how is it going to affect the players? They are going to have to start all over again in a new town with new people and fans trying to win their hearts and convince them that women can play basketball too and that they should come support them. Hopefully what will happen is the Oklahoma City Thunder fans will cross the gender line so to speak, and support the women's as well as the men's professional team.


M.L. KIN 339

Psychological issues of Physically Challenged Athletes

Physically challenged people alone have many different barriers throughout their lives. The two main types of people who fall into this category are mentally disabled and physically crippled i.e. wheelchair, missing limb. Physically challenged people like everyone else want to feel good at something and achieve goals that will help them with their self esteem. Just like people without a physical disability they can also suffer from the same types of injuries. For example wheelchair athletes can have many shoulder problems because it becomes a weight-bearing joint and also develop soars where in the sport they have to have their knees above their buttocks (wheelchair). Mentally disabled athletes face the challenges of not being taking seriously or expectations are not very high. People don’t realize how important these sports are to them and should be taken seriously, a lot of them train outside the actually event, which you would think would make others take it more seriously. Over all we can’t be blinded by ignorance when it comes to the physically challenged. They like the rest of us want to be accepted into society and do whatever any other able body can do.

T Cook
KIN 339i

Issues Regarding Physically Challenged Athletes

When we see someone who is physically challenged, you can't but feel bad for the person. Often times we don't think that physically challenged people can play sports. However, physically challenged people can play sports and for anyone who doesn't believe they can is just ignorant. Physically challenged athletes have to deal with more disadvantages; not only physically but mentally as well.

Physically challenged athletes deal with many external factors regarding ability in sports. Many questions such as what is this person capable of accomplishing or can you actually handle the challenge? Many people do not realize that physically challenged athletes are mentally tougher than some average able bodied athletes. If you think about it, the disadvantages that these athletes had gone through has made them stronger mentally than able bodied athletes. For some physically challenged athletes, the easiest thing to do is just give up. But with events like the Special Olympics and wheelchair basketball, there is no reason why physicall challenged athletes can't compete at a high level. Physically challenged athletes can accomplish things that able athletes can do.

Though physically there is a difference between able bodied and physically challenged athletes, mentally it is the same. All athletes face anxiety, stress, and other factors that can hinder their ability to perform. There is no reason to look down upon physically challenged athletes based on their appearance. They can accomplish and excel at their sport regardless of their disabilities. They are mental tougher in certain areas because of their experience and coping with their disabilities but all in all, they are athletes and they go through the same things that able bodied athletes go through.

- Brian Chan
KIN 339I
Mon 7PM