The Female Athlete Triad

This topic--when brought about in class--very much so hit home for me. There was a time in my life where I experienced disordered eating and ammenorhea, and honestly, not so much of the osteoporosis part of it.
This problem of mine started when I was in the 9th grade all the way until the end of my freshman year in college (around the time of my first period) . I was a hard working, dedicated dancer, and a hard core volleyball player. Growing up in a household where my dad and big brothers were very vein about their looks and bodies, I started to pick up the same habits. I found myself wanting to excercise a little more so that I could dance a little harder, jump a little higher, and to move a little faster. I never noticed or ever thought about being too obsessed with working out until i went to the doctor and had regular check-ups each year and seen that I was dramatically losing more and more weight. Although my doctor said she was pretty concerned about it, it gave me a rush to pretty much see that the numbers on the scale were dropping and I didn't care, as long as I was looking in the mirror to see and enjoy how toned I was. I didn't want to stop. Whatever I consumed in food, I made sure that I counted how many calories there were in it so that I would know just how hard I'd have to work to burn it off when I got to exercise. And sometimes I would catch my eating and somewhat bingeing because I knew that I could enjoy the food I loved and then go exercise like crazy to go burn it off. I thought I was unstoppable until I was deprived of my periods going on months at a time--at times, there were even 5 months in between them. But nevertheless, that didn't stop me. To me that was just one less thing I had to worry about each month. I was glad that my periods weren't coming.
This problem continued until my freshman year in college. But, it got a little worse before it ended. I was worried about the famous freshman 15, so that made me train a little harder than what I was doing in high school. It came around for my next yearly check-up and I guess since my estrogen levels were dropping dramatically, she said that it would be a good idea to get on birth control to regulate my periods at least. She then warned me firmly that I should stop what I was doing because it could make my bones weaker and it would lead to osteoporosis and of course I didnt want that. Honestly it wasn't her words that made me want to quit; it was the fact that what I was doing to so called make my body look amazing, was tearing my mom apart. To this day, I still have to watch it because I know I could still have those same tendencies. Nevertheless, I can't believe I was so stupid--let alone do that to my own body,but hurting my mom too? I'm not a big fan of neither.

~Candice Carter

The Female Athlete Triad

This topic--when brought about in class--very much so hit home for me. There was a time in my life where I experienced disordered eating and ammenorhea, and honestly, not so much of the osteoporosis part of it.
This problem of mine started when I was in the 9th grade all the way until the end of my freshman year in college (around the time of my first period) . I was a hard working, dedicated dancer, and a hard core volleyball player. Growing up in a household where my dad and big brothers were very vein about their looks and bodies, I started to pick up the same habits. I found myself wanting to excercise a little more so that I could dance a little harder, jump a little higher, and to move a little faster. I never noticed or ever thought about being too obsessed with working out until i went to the doctor and had regular check-ups each year and seen that I was dramatically losing more and more weight. Although my doctor said she was pretty concerned about it, it gave me a rush to pretty much see that the numbers on the scale were dropping and I didn't care, as long as I was looking in the mirror to see and enjoy how toned I was. I didn't want to stop. Whatever I consumed in food, I made sure that I counted how many calories there were in it so that I would know just how hard I'd have to work to burn it off when I got to exercise. And sometimes I would catch my eating and somewhat bingeing because I knew that I could enjoy the food I loved and then go exercise like crazy to go burn it off. I thought I was unstoppable until I was deprived of my periods going on months at a time--at times, there were even 5 months in between them. But nevertheless, that didn't stop me. To me that was just one less thing I had to worry about each month. I was glad that my periods weren't coming.
This problem continued until my freshman year in college. But, it got a little worse before it ended. I was worried about the famous freshman 15, so that made me train a little harder than what I was doing in high school. It came around for my next yearly check-up and I guess since my estrogen levels were dropping dramatically, she said that it would be a good idea to get on birth control to regulate my periods at least. She then warned me firmly that I should stop what I was doing because it could make my bones weaker and it would lead to osteoporosis and of course I didnt want that. Honestly it wasn't her words that made me want to quit; it was the fact that what I was doing to so called make my body look amazing, was tearing my mom apart. To this day, I still have to watch it because I know I could still have those same tendencies. Nevertheless, I can't believe I was so stupid--let alone do that to my own body,but hurting my mom too? I'm not a big fan of neither.

The Power of One

"A Hero For Daisy" was one of the movies that we watched in class about the Yale's women's crew team in 1976. This movie centered on one athlete in particular, Chris Ernest, which because of her there are now equal rights for the men and women's crew teams at Yale University. The film has some of the old crew members of 1976 talk about the horrible conditions that the women's team had to endure, such as not being able to shower after practice while still having to sit in the buses in freezing temperatures and wait for the men's teams to shower before heading back to campus. Chris finally deiced that enough was enough and organized her teammates into a very unorthodox protest. Ernest and her 18 teammates marched up to the athletic directors office with numerous reports from the "New York Times" and took of their shirts exposing their bare breast and back with only two words written on each side: Title IX, repeating the line "These are the bodies Yale is exploiting." Because of this dramatic protest Yale changed its ways and began to give the women's crew team the same privileges as the males. It is because of Chris Ernest and her protest for implementing Title IX into the Yale crew teams that all athletes that come into Yale's will receive the same treatment and respect no matter what gender they might be.

Gender Ideology

In Tampa, Florida a 13 year old female basketball player played for the boys junior varsity basketball team. The coach of the boys basketball team noticed the women playing with boys in her free time. After observing the women play he noticed that she would be able to keep up the boys and offered her a position on the team. With the addition of a women on the boys basketball the school immediately took action by orgainzing a board meeting that ended in an 8 to 2 vote for the women not to play on the boys basketball team.
This incident correlates with many dynamics that women in sport has touched upon. The ideology that women cannot play with boys is very upsetting. The fact is that if women can be competive with men there is no need to have a board meeting about it and just let the individuals compete against eachother. Unfortunately this is not about sports at all. It is a classic example of gender ideology that men and women need to stay segregated in society.

-Adam Baker
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=11140232

Girl banned from playing with the boys.

In Florida, Aliyah Farley, 13, was asked by the junior varsity basketball coach of the Westside Christian School to join the school's team. He saw her speed and moves on the court in gym class, and quickly recognized her potential to be an asset to the school's team. As a starting guard in her first game, Aliyah helped her team to defeat the other school. The problem here is that Aliyah has been voted off the team by 8 out of 11 board members. The team is an all boys team. There is nothing in the rules stating that a girl cannot play on the team, and in addition, there is no girls team for her to join if she is kicked off. There are only 112 students in the school, and there is not enough interest by the girls to form an all girls team. Many people within the school and outside of the school want her to be able to continue to play, but some feel that it will allow future co-ed incidents, as there are so few teams because of not enough interest. One member thinks that a boy will want to join the girls volleyball team next year, as there is no boys team. What do you think should happen?

Here is the link to an article on it:
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020423&docId=l:895461144&start=16

Codi Conley

Amazing Female Athletes

After studying the different aspects of Women In Sports such as media attention, female athlete triad, and gender ideologies I can now say that I respect female athletes on a different level. Women have to accomplish a lot to gain the public and media's respect and attention, but they deserve recognition just as much as male athletes do. One stands out to me in particular, Dara Torres.

Torres is a forty year old "five time olympic swimmer, mother, model, TV personality, and motivational speaker." I am a competitive swimmer and coach and have followed Torres' career over the past few years. It is amazing to see how the media has not effected her career in a negative way. She is the female face of USA Swimming, and with the birth of her baby girl and her recent comeback to olympics in Beijing, she has been getting plenty of publicity. Nevertheless, she still holds the professional and respectable image she's had throughout her career. It is encouraging to see someone like Torres getting media attention because she serves as a great role model for my swimmers and all young girls in general. I wish more athletes would follow her example!

Elizabeth Kravig
SEc 3206

Highest Paid Athletes: Men vs. Women

Recently, I was reading news about David Beckham being the second richest athlete in the world, and I got interested who else is in the list of top paid athletes. After a little research through Google, I found a good article on Forbes website. Topping the list is golf sensation Tiger Woods, who banked $115 million over the 12-month period. By comparison, the top-earning female athlete, tennis' Maria Sharapova, took in only $26 million during the same period. The difference is huge, and this kind of reflects back to our class discussion about how popular male sports is with all the media coverage and sponsors, while female sports get only a very small part of that. Second on the male athletes list is David Beckham with $50 million as I already mentioned, and the third is Michael Jordan with $45 million. Second and third in female athletes list are Williams sisters: Serena Williams with $14 million, Venus Williams with $13 million. Again, the difference is huge, and it was very interesting to see only tennis and golf players in top ten highest paid female athletes list, with only one female racer. In comparison, even though the male athletes’ list started off with a Golf player, and there is a total of two Golf and one Tennis players, majority of the highest paid males are in Basketball or in Soccer. This fact supports the theory that Golf and Tennis has been viewed as an “ok” sports for females throughout the history. I have to admit that, as I was going through the highest paid female athletes list, I didn’t know anyone except Maria Sharapova, and Serena Williams, and I’ve learned about Serena Williams first time in this (KIN 338) class. However, I knew all male athletes on from the list for a long time. As a quote from the article says “women's basketball and soccer are still a long way from producing the next LeBron James or David Beckham.” Will women's team-sport athletes ever catch up to men? Probably not any time soon, given the lack of depth that's tied to a shorter history of organization and development.

- Rauf Mammadov

This Woman Jump Started A Program

I would like to go and tell my own women in sports story. My friend that I work with played softball for the University of Tennessee. Her name is Kristi Durant, and I actually did my interview assignment on her just because she really had an inspiring story.

She could have gone to almost any college she wanted to out of high school, even UCLA who is a powerhouse in softball. However, she chose to go to Tennessee because they were rebuilding the team, and she felt that she wanted help build a program, not just play in an already established program.

So Kristi went to Tennessee, and after two bumpy years, Kristi and her class brought the team to national prominence. It was funny because she said they attracted more fans then the baseball team did, which is kind of unheard of in the south.

She had a great career there, setting the RBI record for the SEC. Unfortunately; she suffered a back injury, which still plagues her today. This prevented her from going to the national team. But because of this, se came to work with me and my friends, and I’m proud to say I work with Kristi Durant. I’m also lucky she plays third base for me on the company softball team.

Sean Dalton

KIN 338I Section 6

"The Overall Reason"

As I was driving home from Church the other day, the lady I was carpooling with asked about the classes I was taking in school. Among those classes, I mentioned my Women in Sports class. Baffled, she asked what it was about. In my explanation, I reiterated the common themes that had been discussed in class (Title IX, oppression, gender discrimination, transgender issues, and so forth). It was her reaction that caught me off gaurd though.

She responded with disgust. She couldn't believe there was actually a class to promote women in sports. She felt that the overall reason that women's athletics was not receiving as much money was simply because there is no interest in it. She continued to bash the concept that women should be able to have the same opportunities as men in regards to athletics and state furthermore that "women need to stop complaining and face the facts."

After thinking about the kind of lifestyle she had grown up with, I soon came to an understanding. She never played sports! She never cared about playing sports either so of course she was going to have only negative things to say about it. Why do people always shoot down or form negative opinions about things they have never tried or cared about? Isn't it the same as not liking carrots without trying them? Sometimes the ignorance of others baffles me to such extremes that I strongly worry about the people of the world.

Basically it was a short car ride after that point...

David Lockwood (sorry it was posted twice)
Kin 338I Section1

Coaching a Female Team

I am currently coaching a high school boys soccer team. I had the opportunity to take the job as the girls' coach as well so I asked several people about my options. Now, these people were a blended group. There were coaches and non-coaches alike. Almost all of them said that I should take the guys team because it is harder to coach girls than it is to coach guys. It was interesting to hear stereotypes as well. They said that girls were more focused on socializing than on the sport, so you can't yell at them or make them work too hard. They also said that girls are not very focused on winning. They just want to play.
Now that I am coaching, I am beginning to see a different side to the girls team. We practice by them every day and they are working extremely hard. They are not socializing all practice, nor are they daydreaming about upcoming school dances. They are learning the game of soccer and they are striving for a league championship. They are just as disappointed as the guys are after a loss and just as excited after a hard-fought win.

One individual gave me an example so show me that girls are less focused. He said he knew of a coach that brought in a trainer to get ready for a national tournament. They had a few tournaments before the big stage. The trainer didn't let them talk during stretches, nor did he allow them any time to catch up about life. They fell apart and lost games they should have been winning. The coach stepped in and fired the trainer. He then allotted stretching as a time to catch up and chat. They began winning again. So the conclusion is that girls want to socialize more than they want to play?! My initial thought is that guys teams would have shut down if they weren't allowed to talk to each other during stretches. It is not a gender issue. It is merely a poor trainer. And allotting 15 minutes to socialize does not mean the girls don't care about the sport. Allotting an entire practice could lead to such a conclusion, but not stretching periods.

- Josh Kronz

There's No Crying in Baseball

I recently felt the urge to watch one of my favorite childhood movies, A League of Their Own. Even after a decade of its initial release, this film remains one of my favorites to watch again. Behind the high-profile celebrity cast and entertaining/comical storyline, is a true story of the first All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The AAGPBL was established during the 1940’s in efforts to keep Major League Baseball active in the United States, while men were overseas during World War II. The film follows the intimate and professional lives of some of the female players on the Rockford Peaches team, showing their struggles and triumphs during their time of participation in the league. Real-life stories of how the female athletes were required to play baseball in skirts and attend etiquette classes are reenacted in the film. The film also does an exceptional job in showing how important and empowering participating in organized baseball was for women at the time.

I encourage anyone and everyone to see this movie. A League of Their Own is a moving real-life story which outlines one of the historical times in society that has contributed to the progression of female athlete participation in the United States.

Laura Wong, KIN338I Section01

Stroller Stride

Most people have heard of Stroller Strides in the fitness industry. I recently had the creator and business owner of Stroller Stride, Lisa Druxman, speak in one of my classes. I thought it was amazing that a women could develop such a franchise that revolutionized working out for mothers. Women athletes tend to hold off on pregnancy in order to accomplish sport achievements. Lisa has made working out possible for women in children. The concept of working out with your child in a stroller has also become a bonding period for the mother and child.
Its hard enough for women to get praised in sport and in the fitness industry because of a gender ideologies and social construction of values. Women are viewed as caregivers and men are the bread winners but in this case women can do both. This is common among women in the 2oth century. Women have become the definition of a multi-tasker. They take care of the children and still have a career. I think the concept of Stroller Strides has really given women an upper hand in staying fit while being able to be with their children.
Jackie O. Kin 332 sec 01

Billie Jean and Oprah

Bille Jean King and Oprah
As I was watching T.V. on a regular day, I noticed an important woman who I had recognized, throughout an Oprah commercial and it was Billie Jean King. I was excited to see a famous woman on October 16, 2008 who I had studied about in Kinesiology class on T.V. as she would be in today’s society. Oprah gave Billy Jean a Minerva Award to recognize her unique way to change the world. Minerva was a roman goddess and she symbolizes peace and justice. Billie Jean is a tennis player who aided awareness to fight for sex equality in sports as well as the strengthening title IX. As I saw Billie socialize with other important women and Oprah I couldn’t help but noticed how down to earth she is. Billie sits around with Oprah discussing her historical tennis match with Bobby Riggs and her fears and nightmares she still has to this date awakening thinking of herself where she once stood before the game. Billie always knew the match was more than just tennis but it was a match that symbolized social change. Maria Shriver, Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King and Oprah discuss what society has imposed on women the super women title which means the ability to work as well as service the home and yet many women have been fitting society standards and not have society fit them.
Alondra Cobian kinn338Isect 01

Disordered Eating

I was very interested in the lecture, toward the end of the semester, that dealt with the female athlete triad. Most interesting was the part about eating disorders and disordered eating. I do not consider myself to have an eating disorder, but I know I do have some disordered eating. I was always athletic and never really thought about my weight. It was not until after high school that I gained 50 pounds. Being an athlete, I never had to work out outside of sports and I could eat whatever I wanted. Well once the sports stopped, here came the weight. It was not until I was told that I had borderline high cholesterol that I decided to start working out again and watched what I ate. I am now back to a healthy weight and still continue to eat well. Still, I can not say I am not guilty of obsessing sometimes. When asked what some of the characteristics of disordered eating are I could relate to almost all of them and could even think of other ones. Why? Because I have done them or know of them. I am not sure if it is because I know how it feels to be on both sides, and I know I like being more fit. I no longer compete, as an athlete, so I do what I do just for me. I guess I am afraid to gain that weight back. I am also afraid of being at higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. I would be lying if I said I did not want to feel good about my appearance, but really a lot has to do with my health. Ironically, though, some of the things associated with disordered eating are not always so healthy. I think it is a matter of personal opinion when it comes to what is important to you. Unfortunately for many athletes it is no longer about personal opinion. It is an outside opinion instilled in you and really you have not choice in the matter. Either be this way or be no way and go nowhere.

-Dennise Gallegos
KIN 338I, section 6

Athlete Mothers

Recently news has surfaced that Olympic Gold Medalist Keri Walsh is pregnant! This is big news for the 2-time Beach Volleyball Olympic Gold Medalist because this is her first child.
"I'm chubby and I'm pregnant and it's awesome!" That was her response when asked about her pregnancy.
Here's the story:

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/access-exclusive-olympian-kerri-walsh-expecting-first-child/16081?nc

I bring this up because of the stereotype there is about female athletes. The stereotype that female athletes are butch, tomboy, lesbian, or "dykes." In society when people see a woman over six feet tall and athletic the first thing that comes to mind is that they are lesbian. Female athletes have faced these prejudices for many years. Yes, there are some female athletes that are lesbian but there are also some that aren't. Also, people tend to believe that the best women athletes are butch. This story proves that it isn't true. Here is one of the best volleyball players in the world pregnant with her first child. If this doesn't break the stereotype then I don't know what can or will. Women should not be afraid to be the best athlete they can be becuase or what other people will say or think about them.

sorry.. i forgot to sign this.. my fault.
Alain Zambrano

Dana Abdul-Razzaq

Dana Abdul-Razzaq is a female track runner in Iraq who has endured many obstacles in order to try and compete in the Olympics; she was the sole female athlete there. Iraq is a predominantly Muslim country that believes it is wrong for women to compete in sports, especially because they are dressed “immodestly”. Dana survived a drive-by shooting and a sniper fire while training. Most women would have given up their hopes and dreams under all the pressure; I admire Dana because she pressed forward when everything was against her. While most everyone that was trying to qualify for the Olympics had professional track shoes, Dana ran in regular tennis shoes. She many have not qualified for Beijing in the 2008 Olympics, but she is a great role model in her country and is creating advanced change for women that will affect all female lives in Iraq. No matter how hard the struggle, she will press on even if it means keeping herself in danger by extremist in her country.

Joy Soliman
Kin 338I.S1

On the other side of sports Diana Guzman

Ever since high school, I always played sports. It's became a part of me. I never really saw how athletes can go beyond extremes to stay in the games. To me Playing injured, in bad weather,or having coaches scream at you was all part of the game and the sport. Whenever a teammate said it was too much, I would think that they weren't suited to be in a posts and they should just quit.
I help my friend coach the boy' soccer team at a high school, and during games I see how "into" the game he can get. He screams and yells, and even though he does not direct it to the athletes I can see how it affects some of the boys. these boys have never played sports, and he expects too much from them. From getting injured, and telling them they have to play like that, and he tells them how when we played i high school, we played injured or not, they should be able to stick through the pain. Of course in other circumstances I would agree, but being in the class and seeing the video"Plying to the extremes" and learning about deviance, I learn that there are limits to sports. There is so much an athlete can take,and pushing them beyond their limit can be harmful..

"Women and Steroids"

"Nobody knew or could agree on what women wanted or needed to be. Not even women themselves…. Up close and dressed in anything feminine, female bodybuilders started looking like something God had made suffering from a divine hangover and caught in delusional terrors beyond human imagination."The use (or, more appropriately, ‘abuse’) of steroids is prevalent throughout the entire sports world, nowhere is it more controversial than in female bodybuilding. In a sport where the main goal is to build large and massive muscularity, a large number of competitive bodybuilders, both male and female, have resorted to using anabolic steroids to augment their competitive edge.Indeed, recent detraction away from female bodybuilding and increased attention to women’s fitness competition perhaps signifies the end of the ‘amazon’ female physique that has reigned for the past two decades. Perhaps the primary cause of the inevitable demise is the leadership of the bodybuilding industry’s notions regarding muscularity and feminism. Judges, officials and media in the bodybuilding industry increasingly discourage extreme muscularity in women because it is seen as unfeminine. While on the contrary, men and extreme muscularity are seen as compatible. Therefore, the lines are now drawn between fitness competitions and hardcore professional female bodybuilding.Steroid use amongst female bodybuilders (fbbs) has had several trickle-down effects on women and weight lifting.They equate weight lifting with the extreme muscle mass of the professional fbbs they see in many of the muscle magazines. They hear the taunts of their boyfriends or husbands claiming these fbbs look like men and are undesirable. Does this sound like an invitation for the average woman to weight train? Not all women are aware that these fbbs acquire their massive physiques with the aid of male hormone drugs. Gaining appreciable muscle mass and dropping bodyfat at the same time is not optimal.


Sofia Ramirez
Kin 3381

Saudi Arabia to establish sport centres for women

http://www.gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi_arabia/10184443.html

By Mariam Al Hakeem, Staff Reporter
Published: January 24, 2008, 17:18

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is planning to establish women sport clubs, according to a Saudi source.

"The General President of Youth Welfare (GPYW) intends to establish a department for female sport clubs," the source said, adding that the plan for all-female sport clubs will be forwarded to the King for approval.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity told Gulf News that the clubs will operate in accordance with Sharia and will be set up in different parts of the Kingdom. They will also be furnished with all the necessary equipment and operated by women.

Initially, the clubs will begin operating in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Burida in Qasim region and then at a later stage, others will be opened in other parts of the Kingdom, the source added.

Earlier, the youth and family affairs committee at the Saudi Shura [Consultative Council] recommended the establishment of women sport clubs under the supervision of GPYW and in accordance with sharia controls.

The Saudi move comes after an appeal was made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to all its member states to set up women sport clubs by 2010. The Committee warned that it will freeze the membership of any country that fails to do that.

Meanwhile, in a rare occurrence, a female soccer match was played in Saudi Arabia. Al Watan newspaper reported that two female teams from Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University in Khobar and Al Yamamah College in Riyadh played against each other on Wednesday evening.

The match was played in a closed-door field located at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University campus with a large number of female fans.

Both Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University and Al Yamamah College are private higher education institutions.

This is the second soccer match to be organised by Prince Mohammad University and the first between the university team and a guest team, the paper reported.

Prince Mohammad University began organising the football match a year and a half ago.

Physical education is banned at Saudi public schools, and the issue has stirred debate in the past few years as some educationalists and doctors called for a lift on this ban saying that the lack of physical exercise at Saudi schools is to be blamed for the high rate of obesity among Saudi women.

Some educational experts emphasised that not allowing female students to exercise will negatively affect their academic performance.

---------------------------------------

I'm doing my digital ethno project and Saudi Arabia, so i've been coming across a lot of new articles and this one really stuck out to me. As stated in the article "Physical education is banned at Saudi public schools" for women and women's sports is very taboo in their country. Women who do play sports can only do, so in "underground" clubs or private schools. I am very shocked and happy to see that Saudi Arabia is consider accepting and funding women's sports publically. This is a great step forward to ending the cultrual and political restriction of womens sports.

Posted by: Matthew Brian Urtnowski 007107579

Athletes and Playboy

Are female athletes posing in playboy harming or helping women’s advancement in sport? Fox Sports stated that in order for a woman to be successful as an athlete, she must be attractive. They also went on to take a vote to see what top ten women men would like to see pose nude for Playboy. Another source claimed that ”FHM featured an issue with female athletes posing on the cover. While they did have the courtesy of actually naming these women, they still did not fail to place them in swimsuits.” (Eyes Wide Open) They also don’t usually feature the women actually participating the sport in which they play. For example, if Amanda Beard were to pose for a magazine, they may feature her in a swimsuit, but she most likely wouldn’t be in water or swim laps in an action shot. How many times have we seen Michal Phelps swimming the butterfly stroke in his feature? The answer, multiple. The next time I see women in a magazine, I would hope that they are in their element and fully clothed.
Sarah DiCiurcio

Russian Sex Symbols in Sport

When looking for information about Russian women athletes I came across interesting information that made me question the advancements of women in sport. When I would type Russian women in sport in the search engine of Google, the very first website it brought me to was entitled, “Is Tennis the Sexiest Sport in the World? Russian Women…” The article then went on to say how much more interest the writer had due to the sexy athletes that participate in the sport. He then went on to say, “This is especially true if I get the chance to watch ladies like this getting all hot and sweaty while running back and forth chasing a fuzzy ball in skimpy outfits on a green court.” In order to generate interest in women in sport, it shouldn’t revolve around being a sex symbol. Why can’t we as women feel comfortable in our own skin, be athletes and enjoy the game?
Sarah DiCiurcio

" A True Warrior: Michelle Akers"

There was a time not so long ago, when women had no place in the world of sports. The athletic arena was the exclusive domain of males; women , when allowed through the door at all, were restricted to the sidelines, they were all cheerleaders and nothing more. Passing of title IX of the educational amendments act in 1972 caused an explosion on women's sports. Today there are more than two million girls playing intercholastic sports and opportunities of playing sports are increasing. An example of women in sport is Michelle Akers. She began playing soccer at an early age. She is known for her work ethic as well as for her love for the game. But there was a time in her career, when Akers wasn't sure if she wanted to embrace the training necessary for success in any sport. After losing a game, she walked off the field in tears and saying she doen't want to play no more soccer. Her father asked her" Did you have fun?" Her answer was yes and it was the beginning of a new beginning in her career. She remained fierce competitor but learned to enjoy everything about the game, win or lose. Now she is considered one of the most devoted athletes ever to wear a soccer uniform. In college she became one of the most dominant players in the country. She was four-time All-American winner who set UCF records in career goals, assists, and points. She was also named as the most Valuable player of the NCAA soccer shampionships in the 1989. Michelle Akers is a real warrior who is competitive and who has a desire to win but don't play for awards if not because she enjoys playing soccer and loves soccer.
Sofia Ramirez
Kin 3381

Fighting for Ski Jumping at 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Women's ski jumping will not be included in the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver and a few Canadian women are making a stand. The Olympic committee's decision for not keeping the event was that there are too few women ski jumpers and to have that event present in the games would dilute medals that could be given to other athletes in more popular events. These women are arguing that during the 2007-2008 season there were 99 women ski jumpers representing 15 countries on the International Ski Federation's Centennial Cup elite-level tour. Take that number in comparison to events that are already being held at the games which have participation at 34 women from 10 countries fro snowboard cross, 3o women from 11 nations for skier cross, and 26 women from 13 nations for bobsled.  Why won't they let these women compete? 

A court date has been set for these ladies to prove their point against the Vancouver Olmypic Games Organizing Committee (VANOC) and get their sport back on the game schedule. The ladies will go before the Canadian Supreme Court on April 20, 2009 in British Columbia. I hope that they get enough support and strength to ride this out. They should get a chance to compete, just like everyone else. 

Cortney Dupies

Iraqi Women Athletes

It has never occurred to me how lucky women are in the United States. At the beginning of this semester I was focused on how unfair women are treated in the United States or even just in orange county. When we started this ethnography project I started researching what women in Iraq have to go through to even think about playing a sport. Women have to create underground clubs so that they can play basketball and volleyball. One woman qualified for the olympics in track. She had to buy old new balance shoes because she couldn't afford new ones. It is a big deal to be able to qualify for the olympics in regular old running shoes. Due to the rules and regulations in Iraq she had to wear long spandex under her shorts and shirt to make sure she was fully covered. Others in Iraq still did not think she was being modest enough and during a practice time for her she was shot in the leg. This is just one example of the hardships women face in Iraq. She was one of the brave ones to come out in public and try to chase her dream of being an athlete. Other women in Iraq have to live in fear of even discussing wanting to play sports. If the clergy finds out about women wanting to play sports they will interfere in more times than not in a violent way. I cannot imagine living in that kind of fear. Sports has been such a huge part of my life and without it I would feel like I was loosing a part of myself. It would be terrible knowing that I could not chase after something that I love. 

-Megan Benbow 

U.S. Olympic Athlete: Amanda Beard

There had been much controversy over Amanda Beard posing nude. Most of the reactions seem to be negative so I tried to find an article which defends her. Amanda Beard had previously posed nude for Playboy and has now posed nude for PETA. The tagline of this advertisement read "Be Comfortable In Your Own Skin, Dont Wear Fur." This ad came out just before the 2008 Olympic games, mainly because the fur industry is huge in China. Amanda did not seem to do this because she was looking for more money but instead she tells, "I have seen a lot of the videos, and [it] brings me to tears," Amanda says. "What [some people] think is pretty is actually something that's very gruesome and gross." Most of the negative articles about Beard posing nude looked down on her and stated that she was setting back women in sports as a whole. I do not see this as a set back for anyone. There are plently of male athletes who pose in the same manner as most of the female athletes today so I do not see this as abnormal. When people can realize that its about their performance as athletes and less about body image, concern might shift to more important issues in society.

-Andrew Force

Female Football Players

I was reading an article earlier about a high school girl who wanted to play football. Holley Mangold was considered a big girl by most people who knew her. She was 5'9" and weighed approximately 310 lbs and also the sister of Pro-football player Nick Mangold. It was very hard for Holley because no one really supported her decision to play football. Since she was a young girl, she had always wanted to play. Her dad was against her doing this claming, "But girls just don't play football." When she went to the football coach and asked him his opinion the coach told tried to pursuade her to pursue a cheerleading career instead. Holley is a proud female athlete and explains how she does not care what people think about her size. She loves to prove to people that she is capable of overcoming adversity. Holley did end up making the varsity team at her high school and played in 10 regular season games that year. This was a pretty inspirational article for any athlete. It shows that even in some of the most physical sports that are said to only be for men, women are showing that they can compete, also.

-Andrew Force

Athletic Injuries In Women's Sports

A while ago I was reading a book called "Warrior Girls: Protecting Our Daughters Against the Injury Epidemic in Sports" which talked about injuries that happen in women's sports and how it's becoming a growing epidemic. It was very interesting because the book focused specifically on anterior cruiciate ligament (ACL) injuries---how it happens, why women are more susceptible to it, and what can be done to prevent it. It was intriguing to find that so many young girls suffer ACL injuries especially in soccer and some tear their ACL more than once, which evidently cuts their athletic career short.
"Warrior Girls" opened with the story of Amy Steadman, a standout soccer player who was destined to become one of the greatest of her generation. However, her career was cut short due to a series of injuries she received (three of them being ACL tears). The book went on to talk about ACL injuries and how they maybe prevented as mentioned before. Apparently, women are about 4 times more likely to sustain an ACL injury than men and the reasons for this varied. One of the reasons that I found interesting was that women have a weaker neuromuscular structure than males and that because of their body size and shape, their knees are weaker and more prone to injuries than males. Another reason was mechanistic style of play. Most ACL injuries in females occur via non-contact, i.e., the way they land from a jump (either with straight knees or with the knee hyperextended), planting the foot and cutting, or pivoting with sudden deceleration. A third reason that also caught my eye was overuse, overexposure and burnout.
It was also interesting to read about the impact that the parents of these athletes had towards ACL injuries.
There are some crazy parents out there that push their child in to being the best in their sport, other times its the athlete themselves that puts the pressure on themselves to be the best out there. Some parents don't realize the consequences of their child being injured and that injury can be prevented until their child actually sustains an injury. There are both short term and long term consequences that come with injuries like an ACL tear. Short term consequence can inclued the loss of an entire season and less chance of being recruited by a college scout and receiving an athletic scholarship. Long term consequences include long term disability, increased risk of osteoarthritis for women and an increased possibility of knee replacement surgery. The book talked about prevention programs for ACL injuries in female athletes, which has reduced the risk of ACL injuries in young female athletes significantly. This book was an opener for me because at first, I didn't think injuries were much of an issue for female athletes and now that I am aware of it, I can use this information in the future when I have my own daughter and she expresses and interest in sports.

Sharleen Canullas kin338I S1

Reemergence of Women’s Professional Soccer

It’s been four years since the Women’s Professional Soccer league was disbanded due to not bringing in enough revenue or interest to keep the league alive. Now backed by non-profit organization, the Women’s Soccer Initiative, Inc. the WPS reemerges and is set to be the highest level women’s professional soccer league in North America. Formed in September 2007 play will begin in April 2009, and consists of seven teams across the country. These localities will include the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C, with the thought of expansion in 2010 to Atlanta and Philadelphia and more prospects being announced later on. Soccer has developed into one of the biggest sports in the United States, especially for young girls and its refreshing to see a group of people working so hard to develop an elite level of play so to one day they can dream to reach that level. Word on the street is that three of LBSU’s own are being recruited to possibly play in the Women’s Professional Soccer league. Women are now being given more of the opportunity men have to go pro in the sport they love!

Kelly C. Kin338I Sec. 6

Female Athletes and Sports Media Exposure

I find it quite interesting because it is recently proven that the media can have a major affect in many women and young girls today. The media has many affects on women and young girls such as a certain style of clothing, certain type of appearance such as their hairstyle, brand of clothing, and especially the physical appearance of how they look. Many girls are very conscious about their weight. It is really upsetting because many women and young girls defeat the purpose of the gym. The gym is supposed to be a place for you to exercise and stay fit and healthy. However nowadays if you ask about 2 out of 5 women why they are at the gym, more than likely they will say it is because they want to loose weight. In addition the sports media impacts a lot of women and their perceptions about the inadequate fact that women can me passive, emotionally demonstrative, vulnerable and less competitive. Therefore I think that the sports media exposure can be very offensive, upsetting and even discouraging.
In addition in class we had a discussion about how women in magazines appear to be “pretty,” is a sense that they are always made. For instance in class we saw plenty of female athletes such as Michelle Kwan, Serena Paris, and Ana Kournikova all had their hair and make up done. Also in class we discussed how many male athletes such as Tom Brady, Tiger woods, and Michael Jordan were all in action, such as in their uniform, sweating, and it basically looked as if they had just played a game or match. It is really interesting how the media in general can influence one’s way of thinking.


Nancy T.
Kin 338i. S6

Female Professional Baseball Player

Have you guys heard about the Japanese female baseball player who got signed by a professional baseball team in Japan. Eri Yoshida a 16 year old girl has been picked to play for the Japanese pro baseball team Kobe 9 Cruise. This is the first female baseball player to be picked and signed by a professional male dominated sport like baseball. She started her baseball career when she was in the second grade playing and going everywhere with her older brother. She was so good as a kid that she played first base for the boys' junior high school team. And eventually went on to play in high school but later ended up quiting because the training was too hard. This is remarkable since I would bet that there is not another athlete in any other sport where they quit thier high school or college team and went on to play professionally in thier respective sport. With the emergence of female athletes playing professionally in male sports it is only a matter of team before the United States catches on and Females in the US start playing male professional sports as well.

Robert Penagos
Kin 338

Female Athlete Triad

I found it very ironic that the prevention was the first step to treating the female athlete triad. To me this is very ironic because we are talking about the silent assassin of female athletes. This is like trying to prevent chronic pulmonary disease. The symptoms are way too subtle. More often than not, by the time the symptoms are recognized by professionals with the training to help someone it is already too late. I am also very appalled at the number of stories of coaches telling their athletes they have to lose weight in order to perform better. The first thing that comes to my mind when an athlete needs to perform better is to strengthen. If these athletes are moving too slowly, they should strength train in order to become more explosive and thus increasing performance. Weight loss should never be part of this plan to improve performance. I really think that the problem with the female athlete triad lies within the parents and coaches. The athletes have to be given proper instruction in how to improve and maintain their bodies according to the sport they are playing. The athletes also need the support from their parents and families in whatever sports they choose to do. if they are supported the athlete's self esteem will rise, which is one of the main factors in the female athlete triad.

Richard G 

KIN338.S6