Type 2 to Type 0 to hero!!

Learning about Metabolic Syndrome in class was very helpful for me. Diabetes is an associated disease with Metabolic Syndrome and a disease that many of my relatives and even my mom are suffering from. My mom was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when I was young and she told me that she got this disease by being overweight. Prior to this class I knew very little about type 2 diabetes even though my mom is suffering from it. I was well aware at the fact that one with type 2 diabetes was unable to produce enough insulin to break down the sugars in her body; however I thought the only way to improve one's situation was to take insulin or a change in eating habits. I have noticed my mom slowly deteriorating away with loss of muscle, loss of energy and even bone density, and it scares me because I didn't know what to do. She wouldn't change her eating habits, she says, "It is just too hard! I love food and sweets way to much to give them up." It was hard hearing that from her because it feels like food is more important than her life and us. I read to my mom from our book about how exercise can greatly improve people with type 2 diabetes. Just walking at a moderate intensity for 30 min can instantly help her body break down glucose. She agreed to start walking with me and our dog everyday and go to the doctor to for insulin, because it is nearly impossible for her to change her eating habits, but I am very grateful for that and I would have never known that exercise could have such great benefits for her. I have faith she will keep it up and I will have my mom around for a lot longer and that makes me ecstatic!

The media has a motto that "Sex sells," and boy do they live by that motto! It is unfortunate that women athletes are being sexualized by the media because more often then not they are shown in bikinis than their sport attire leading most people to believe they are just models. How do these women feel like they are inspiring young girls to be strong and athletic when they pose in such a matter. What needs to be done is advertising of sports, by women, to increase the popularity of their sports. They can do so by posting advertisements that are empowering and intriguing to women on facebook or myspace, or even on web pages that promote diet pills just to sway them from choosing that path. Instead of diet pills join a sports league where you can get in shape and get strong but in a healthy manner. Maybe a website that shows local women sport leagues and photos of real athletes in good shape and having fun. These are all good things that are sure to attract women and increase sport popularity amongst women.

Trisha Tabag

Title IX--Scapegoat?

Prior to our Women in Sport class I’m ashamed to admit that I knew very little about Title IX. Most of what I knew came from the narrow-minded ramblings of my high school peers, most of which was very negative in nature. Needless to say this class opened my eyes. So much so that when a student in another class had the balls to claim that Long Beach not having a football team was because of Title IX, I had the research to back up my disgust. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my textbook with me or I would’ve been more than happy to show him the article by Sarah Fields (“A Brief Legal History of Women in Sport”) that points out that the law itself does not require a cut in men’s sports in order to satisfy the growth of women’s sports. Title IX should not be used as a scapegoat, and it has gone a long way towards leveling the playing field for men and women in sport. I only wish that more people would realize this.

I believe that the internet has the potential for bringing around social change for women in sport, primarily because of the easy access to relevant information--much of which can be empowering. While researching the topic of female athletes in the media, I was surprised by the amount of information that came out against the idea of portraying female athletes as sexual beings. Indeed, it was very difficult for me to find educated information (meaning articles backed up with relevant research) that came out for the sexualization of these women. Even more surprising, a Google search of female athletes was more empowering than the slew of ad-heavy magazines--targeted at females--such as ‘Oxygen’ that still have the tendency to focus on the sexuality of their women rather than their athletic ability. A large part of the empowerment of the internet is due to the presence of blogs such as this one, which have become so prevalent in today’s web. The web allows for the easy access to information that people may not have had access to beforehand, much of which can be empowering.

Amelia D. T/Th 2-3:15 338i

Play times over....time for milk and cookies

One fact that I didn’t even know existed in women’s sports were play dates. I am actually shocked that these events took place. Maybe it is because school never taught us about it, or that I was not around in that time period. Today, I feel that women are treated much better when it comes to participating in sports than a few years ago. I just cannot image being a woman back in the times when it was not allowed or proper to be involved in sports. I can see how play dates were allowed, and why women participated in them, but I am still so angry that women were not accepted in the sports world. In a video we watched in class, women were involved in play dates, and there were so many of them. I believe that it was women from different colleges that would come together to “play” but there was no score and no winners. It was just to keep the moral of the women up. Like I said before, I was amazed to find out that such events occurred.

The Internet is a productive vehicle for social change. You can google anything these days, with almost infinite results. There are websites promoting women in sports, women eating healthy, women living well, anything you want to know. Of course, there are websites that show women as submissive, or as objects, but the Internet is definitely a new technology where information is instant, if you want to know something, you just have to google it.
-Final post: Diamond Johnson

Title IX

Title IX is defined as "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance" (stated on wikipedia.com) Before this class I never knew there was such a thing as Title IX under the Department of Education law. I would always say that men in women in every aspect of life shoule be equal, including in sports, but I didnt know that there was something actually passed to do that. I learned how little women teams got funded in both high school and in collegiate sports and found out that it is unfair and they are doing as much as possible now to change there old ways. Although, I knew from the beginning federal funding is geared more towards men, it really surprised me that women get a percentage not even close to that of the men. Depending on the sports that are being federally funded, the different amounts are determined and given to women and men, but since there is not an equal amount of men sports and womens sport, obviously the funding cannot be split equally. When surfing the internet one day I found that there is a title 9 womens clothing store that sells items supporting title IX, I was really surprised that they had a store for that and found it interexting that the internet truly does have Everything on it. (titlenine.com)
After learning about Title IX in somewhat more detail from this class I support it and would, in the future, like to know more about it.
Final post-Daana Hatori

Women Coaches

As we see that in everyday sports team whether it be at a university or and a youth athlete team, we always tend to see more men coaches than women. From personal experience, even female teams have male coaches, which I can see to some extent that it would be better to have a male coach because they are known to being aggressive and competitive as opposed to women because the exact opposite. But, when reading many articles, women coaches have increased at a certain level but when in competing for a certain positions. For example, when both men and women apply for the same coaching position for a men’s team, women are very hesitant to apply for this position even though they are even more qualified that some men may be. According to Diverse magazine, in 2008 there was a reported 42.8% women coaches, in my opinion I think that our society will not see women and men equal anytime soon, therefore leading the percentage of women coaches to lower.

-submitted by Daana Hatori

Eating Disorders

recently had to take the pro side of an argument pertaining to women in sport being more at risk for developing an eating disorder. However, I do not agree with this view. I believe that it is women who are not involved with sports that are more at risk for developing an eating disorder. According to a new survey conducted by SELF magazine “The stats show that 65% of women is at risk of eating disorders, and only a small number are athletic women”. I believe that athletic women have the motivation and access to the equipment, mental support, and proper dietary things that they need in order to live healthier and fitter lives. Women who may not think that they are the size they should or want to be are the ones that are more at risk. They see these athletic women on TV and want to be like them. They do not have the same access to things that athletic women do, so they think that they can lose the weight by not eating, or binging and purging. In conclusion, the facts show that women in sports are healthier, and fitter, and have a better outlook on life than those who do not have the motivation to be athletic.-
Submitted by Diamond Johnson

You Are Too Young to Have a Negative Body Image

Okay so I still cant get over the campaign ads that were used for my Awareness assignment activity #2. I have always considered that showing a little skin was okay and never saw anything wrong with female athletes posing and showing off their bodies. However, after looking at the AVP tour ads, which by the way show nothing but butt cheeks hanging out of a bikini literally, my opinion has shifted.
I am 26 years old and when I was in elementary school I knew nothing about having a body image. I would care less what I ate and I played sports for fun, not to be thin. I now have a younger cousin who is 10 years old and is a tumbler. We were getting ready to eat once and she said she didn't want to eat because she didn't want to get fat. My cousin is a twig and I can see all her ribs thorugh her skin. I couldnt believe my ears. I also went to watch her perform and was shocked by the itty, bitty outfits they wear for competition; stomachs all out and tiny little skirts. Well no wonder they are so concerned with body image at such a young age. Kids are being exposed to ads all over like the AVP tour ads and our being put in clothes that bring attention to their bodies. It is no wonder young girls are so prone to eating disorders and I blame a significant amount on the parents. Parents are still very influential people and I dont think they talk enough to their kids, especially girls, about their bodies and health.

Learn from the Past, Apply to the Future

The rich historical background of women’s sports really caught me off guard in this class. It seems absurd to me that I didn’t know as much as I thought when it came to the difficulties minority women face when discussing sports. I really had no idea about Japanese American women and their love for softball, a game they definitely took pride in. It was interesting to see how women of all ethnicities perceived sports. Japanese American women softball teams were accepted by the community and received just the same, if not more, publicity as the men’s team. It really shows how stereotypes and connotations really affect participation in sports. I also realized how important involvement was to the community. For example, when the Japanese Americans were placed in the camps, they still tried to softball a huge part of their lives. However with the development and mastering of men’s sports, the women weren’t recognized anymore. You can relate with this story now and participation in women’s sport. If more women care less about what society will think of them and participate in sports, the whole recognition of the sport will increase.
Cory Winther T/Th 2-3:15 338i

The Internet Can be a Powerfull Tool for Female Athletes

Since the creation of the internet many individuals all over the world have had access to information they would have never come across if it was not for the internet. The internet is an easily accessible source that provides substantial information and allows for people to communicate at a local level, across the country, and even internationally. I think that utilizing the internet is a great way of displaying female athletes outside of the "norm" of the media. The media cannot control what individuals can display on the internet and I think that it gives female athletes the opportunity to portray themselves as they really are, athletes, not supermodels. This gives all those across the world access to view websites, blogs, informative sites, and allow for possible social change. I think that the internet does have great potential for reaching out to many people and it enables female athletes to be seen as "tough" athletes, not sexual objects in bikinis.

Social Change Through the Internet

I definitely feel as though the Internet is one of the best ways for social change. Websites provides easier accessibility for the public and offer a wider range of free speech. For example, one of the faults of TV is that it is solely based on sponsorship and money. This creates problems because TV shows concentrate too much on the whims of rating and are only showing men’s sports.  TV focuses on men’s sports because they believe that’s what the public wants to watch.  Women in sport are rarely ever pictured or documented when it comes to the media. However when it comes to the Internet, there are no limitations on what can and cannot be shown. This allows more women to be written about and pictured in the sports that they excel in instead of being overshadowed by dominant male athletes. I feel that this creates a place where women can be praised for their talent instead of their appearance. I see the Internet as being a great resource for girls and women to openly talk about hardships and other concerns present in women’s sports. The internet creates an unbiased opinion towards women because it doesn’t have ratings or people to please, unlike the media. 

Cory Winther  T/Th 2-3:15 338i

Can Candace Parker be the next Michael Jordan?

An article that was published in ESPN the Magazine about Candace Parker talks about how she can soon become the most recognizable woman in American sports. She has the drive, motivation, and certaintly the ability, which was noted when she won the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player of the WNBA in the same year. She also has the looks but doesnt need to use them the way Danica Patrick or Anna Kournikova use theirs. She doesnt need her body to sell herself. Her agent claims that she is one of the most marketable athletes because she's humble and down to earth. She is opening doors for female athletes in the marketing world while playing a team sport that many people are not paying attention too. Since being drafted, the Los Angeles Sparks ticket sales rose by 10%. It will only be a matter of a couple years before Candace Parker is the face of an era the way Michael Jordan was for so many years.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3967891

Daniel Martinez Kin 338

The Internet and Future of Women in Sports

The internet has allowed us to communicate with people we know and extend our reaches to other people in other countries and cultures. We are now able to get a better understanding of the world we live in. The internet can help women in sport be viewed as athletes.

On the internet, people choose what they see and read. They are not subjected to the same pressures of traditional media. In traditional media, people are trying to sell sex because it’s easily marketable. They are more likely to watch female sports because of this. Unfortunately, the message of female athletes gets changed and broken down into sex gods. With little opposition, we buy into the stereotypes without objection. With the internet, the approach is different it’s more independent and interpersonal. People watch female sports to see human beings like themselves. Hence, as long as women are shown as athletes people will see them as athletes.

Romaina M. Kin 338i Tu/Thu 2:00-3:15pm

The Disadvantage of Minorities and Exercise

A required article that I read in class for "Women in Sport" really caught my attention. The article related to the aspects of African American women and walking interventions. I never anticipated that culture and race puts such restrictions on exercise and health until I read this article. I am hispanic and I have always had access to sports and recreational activites since I can remember. Because of that I never considered that other minorities could encounter disadvantages and have limited access to exercise and health. Taking this course has made me aware that black and hispanic women do not have the same support from family members when it comes to their health. They are still expected to carry the load of the family and put everyone else as a priority before themselves. Minority women and their familites, I feel, lack the education and knowledge of what benefits occur as a resultof exercise. Therefore, health and exercise are not a priority. Because appearance and beauty are not as highly emphasized in these communities there is also no reason to exercise to be thin. Another point that came up during the topic of minorities and exercise is that lower income neighborhoods do not have the same access to healthy choices in supermarkets and in grocery stores. It opened my eyes and made me realize that it was true. While growing up we sometimes did our grocery shopping in a city neighboring ours that was not as nice and recall that a lot of their produce was not fresh. It was old and fruits were bruised which made you not want to buy fruit. How sad is that? Something that is supposed to be healthy and part of a balanced diet looked absolutely disgusting. My new aspect after this course is to educate all the women in my family about how good exercise is for the body and mind and the importance of making better food choices.

Barriers to Excercise

In the beginning I decided to take this class because in High school I was never involved in any sports activities. However, my mother was in track throughout her high school career and I thought this was a way I would be able to understand where she was coming from and understand myself. At the end I did just that.


I realized that I miss out on a very important life experience. At the time I thought a sport was joining a team; however, just exercising was enough. I had always found that there was some difficulty that some black women in America faced when confronted with exercise. Religion, family, exercising for vanity or past injury is used as an excuse to stop themselves. Its interesting how all of those points can be used as a positive drive to be more active however on the contrary most times is used as an excuse to defend non activity.

In my case I used the excuse lack of time and opportunity. However, it was that same reason why I decided to get back into exercising. Taking a negative and turning it into a positive is the best method to becoming active in sport.



Romaina M. Kin 338i T/Th 2:00-3:15

Changed for the better (or maybe worse if your a man)

This class was my first women's class. I didn't think that my views would change very much because I already had considered myself a feminist and was for women's rights. I haven't necessarily changed my views but they haven't become stronger. I almost feel bad for my male roommates when they make sexist comments because now I stand up for women and it usually ends in my making them feel like a-holes. One of the biggest debates I have had was with several co-workers arguing about affirmative action, which was the topic of my panel presentation. This class has opened my interest and made me more knowledgeable about women's rights and minority rights.

I think the internet will continue to be one of the greatest media outlets. Television, paper and the radio do not allow you to search for exactly what you want, you are pretty much stuck listening to what they want to put out there. The internet allows a person to get exactly what they are looking for. This is an essential feature when it comes to women in sports. Not only can a person look up their favorite athlete and get to look at whatever racy photos there are but they will be able to learn about that athletes accomplishments as well. For the most part main stream media concentrates mostly on the good looking female athletes in particular sports. The internet can be used to look up many different sports and many different athletes. I think if interest in women sports shows increase on the web then maybe it will show increase in main stream media.

Tatiana Tseng

The internet can play a major factor in helping to determine whether or not sports for women can be seen as social change. For women in sport to have an impact on society, I think it is important for the internet to promote the positive role models. I also think that if the intyernet and media can focus on certain individuals to be the faces of women's sports the way a lot of individuals of men's sports are used, there will be more of an attraction and interest for womens sport.


Daniel Martinez Kin 338

The Triad????

After learning about the female athlete triad in class a week ago it really got me thinking about my own habits back when I was a competitive fighter. I was highly competitive in Tae Kwon Do and went to many competitions for sparring. I was in my mid teens and in great shape. When I stared competing I had to go to weigh ins the night before the competition. I starting becoming obsessed with my weight and was trying to get into a lower weight class. I would definitely say I was practicing unhealthy eating habits consuming very low amounts of calories per day and exercising like a crazy person. Then I had a very severe injury. I was training for Junior Olympics and I was kicked on my cheek. The kick itself wasn't even that hard and didn't even hurt that bad. I thought I was fine. Later I found out that I shatter my orbital bone and fractured my cheek. For years I just thought it was a freak accident, even the doctors told me that I must have gotten hit in just the right place in order to cause an injury like that. Then after learning about the triad, which I had no previous knowledge of, I thought maybe I could have prevented the injury by having better habits. I did a lot of unhealthy things in order to make weight. Although I don't remember having serious issues with menstrual cycles, I do remember having very irregular patterns. Was I suffering from the female athlete triad? Could my injury, which required reconstructive surgery, have been prevented? I guess I will never know, but I do wish I had previous knowledge of what the female athlete triad was because I probably could have recognized it sooner.

Tatiana Tseng*****

Transgender Policy and Internet for Social Change

During the course of this semester I have learned many new and interesting facts about sport, and women in sport. One of the topics that I found to be most interesting was the International Olympic Committee’s policy for transgendered athletes. This policy, although very restrictive, allows individuals who have completed sexual reassignment surgery (along with other precise criteria) to compete with other athletes of their assigned sex. I was previously unaware that transgendered individuals were permitted to participate in the Olympics, or any large sporting event for that matter. It was also interesting to learn that there is a push for the NCAA to also adopt a transgender policy, although preferably a more lenient version, to enable younger transgendered people to participate in competitive athletics.

During the course of the semester I have also realized another interesting fact; women and women athletes are not portrayed correctly by the media. Magazines and television all show women, even woman athletes, as sexualized and highly feminized objects. The internet could be a great way to transform the social ideal of athletic women by posting positive information and pictures. Information on girls and women’s sport and the benefits of exercise could be made more readily available. Also, websites showing action shots or game footage of woman could help to create a new image for woman athletes. The internet is becoming the most popular form of mass media and, if used wisely, could greatly influence the effect that media has on women in sport.

Michelle Dietz T/TH 2-3:15

Internet as Social Change

The internet can play a major factor in helping to determine whether or not sports for women can be seen as social change. For women in sport to have an impact on society, I think it is important for the internet to promote the positive role models. I also think that if the intyernet and media can focus on certain individuals to be the faces of women's sports the way a lot of individuals of men's sports are used, there will be more of an attraction and interest for woens sport.

New Beliefs about Title IX

Even after all the years of sports I've played and being into sports history, I never actually knew in detail what Title IX was all about. I had just always heard that it was put in place so that women could receive equal treatment when it came to sports. What i didnt know was the fact that even after being in existence for over thirty years, 83% of schools are not in compliance with the law. Even after a number of schools have met the requirements, they are still not given the money in order to fund the sport. And if they are approved and given the amount they need, the schools sometimes have to make cut backs elsewhere. A lot of these cutbacks are the mens sports such as soccer, wrestling, and other sports that dont bring in the same amount of money as basketball or football. I came to understand that the blame for these cutbacks should not be directed at the women and Title IX, but at the school and athletic department for giving so much more money and scholarships to the football and basketball programs.

Daniel Martinez Kin 338

Gatorade a small step towards equality...

I recently had to do a paper on how ads that sports companies such as Nike, Adidas, and Gatorade have put out. Although a lot of the companies have ads that sexualize women, Gatorade went a different route, the route that women athletes can be just as good as men athletes, if not better. As can be seen in the commercial of Mia Hamm and Micheal Jordon. I feel that Gatorade has take one of the biggest steps to treat women as equals, rather than eye candy to sell a product.

Not having more companies that follow this path, puts a damper on road for female athletes to be treated the same as the male athletes, who don't have to worry how they look, because they are judged on their skills. Unlike the women athletes that have to be worried on their appearance, because if they don't look all dolled up, they have to live in fear to be considered a homosexual. Which has no importance on how great of an athlete they are. Once more and more people realize that it doesn't matter how women look, it just matters how they play, we can move away where sex sells a product, and more towards women getting endorsements because how great they are.

-Chris Chau Kin. 338I T/TH 2-3:15

A new perspective on women in sports

To be completely honest before taking this class, i was completely oblivious to how women in sports were treated. I knew they were some differences between how men's sports and women's sports were viewed, but i had no idea, how big of difference there was. Of course i would see female athletes in magazines, commercials, and ads,but i didn't think much of how they were photographed or how their stances were very sexual.

However after taking this class, I gained a new perspective, which showed me how we have made these female athletes sexual object, and judge them on their looks rather than their accomplishments. Unlike the males who get judged on how good they are in their sports. With this new insight i can see how all the ads have portrayed women in a demeaning manner, by having these women pose in bikinis and in sexual poses, while their male counterparts are photographed as sometimes god like. Having two younger sisters, I would hate them to think that the only way for them to be a great athlete is for them to wear next to nothing, because it's based on their looks, not their talent.

I think that the Internet can be a productive vehicle to stop this idea that women's sport is based on how they look, by informing not only the women population but especially the male populations of how the women are viewed, and the negative effects it has on the future women in sports. The great thing about the Internet is that anyone can make ads that exhibit women as a force to be reckon with, rather than eye candy.

-Chris Chau Kin. 338I T/TH 2-3:15

From Infants to Internet

Although some of the class discussions towards the end of the semester may have been a bit uncomfortable (as a male), I believed these to be some of the most informative. I learned alot about what exercise was appropriate for a pregnant woman. I learned that any extreme form of exercise should be halted after the first trimester and that walking really is the cure to almost anything.I also learned that body temperature should be regulated to ensure that hyperthermia or hypothermia does not impede the baby's growth. I believe the internet can be used as a productive vehicle for change for women in sport. As anyone with a television can tell you, women's athletics are rarely televised. It is often said that there is not enough of a fan base to air women's sporting events. I disagree and believe that the internet would be a great tool in proving the above statement untrue. The internet would be a great way to put fans in front of their favorite action through live streams and automatic updates. Women could have their own site, similar to ESPN's which streams live video of football, basketball, and baseball games. The internet would be a great way to show how exciting women's sporting events can really be.

-Jordan Young KIN 338I T/TH 2:00

Male Insight into the Female Athlete Triad

>With the many issues surrounding women in sport, it is easy to see how women can fall into the female athlete triad. First, there is the issue of performance. It is a great advantage, in many sports, to be as slender as possible. Some examples include cheerleading and pairs figure skating. Many of the maneuvers that are executed at top level competitions require a very tiny body frame. I would just like to note that in both sports the female’s male counterpart is almost always encouraged to be physically muscular which I believe to be healthier than someone who is encouraged to skip meals to be slender. Next I would like to look at aesthetics in women’s sport and the way women are often judged on their slim appearance. I believe figure skaters, ballet dancers, and gymnasts bear the brunt of this unhealthy training program because their sports are somewhat subjective. They are being judges on how they look and move, subjective, rather than how many points they can score by putting a ball through a hoop, objective. Unfortunately, I think that women will continue to sacrifice their health for a shot to compete at the very top levels in sport.

-Jordan Young KIN338I T/TH 2:00

Speeding Towards Social Change

Upon entering our women in sport class, I definitely did not realize the issues around female athletes in the media. Although I had never read them, I had always assumed that magazines such as Sports Illustrated, showed many women inside the pages along with the men. After doing two awareness assignments that had to do with media, I found myself to be very wrong. Not only are women rarely shown, but when they are, they are usually sexualized. Instead of relying on magazines to change their ways, I do feel that the internet could be a very productive vehicle for social change. If there were websites on female sports, fans could have a place to get in depth news, and people interested in sports could have a place to learn more. I do think however, the only way for these websites to gather attention and succeed, is to be advertised on other popular websites or magazines. Maybe if these websites advertised in women's fitness magazines, or other popular women's websites, women would be more aware of the female athletic world out there.

-Jenna Van Orden Kin 338I T/TH 2-3:15

Internet as a vehicle for social change?

Does the internet have the ability to portray female athletes as athletic instead of only being presented in the media as sexual objects? YES! The internet can be used as a special tool, more people use the internet today than ever. Private groups can now get their own websites and do whatever they choose to do to them. I see the internet as being able to depict women in more than just sexual objects, websites can be created by foundations to endorse the exposure of female athletes actually being athletes. If more websites were created like this i think we would see less hype about female athletes being portrayed in provocative ways. The internet has lots of possibilities because it allows people to connect from all over and share ideas and thoughts, this can be true for women in sport too, such as this blog site, the whole blog devoted to the education and information that is entailed with women in sport. I can see future websites and other media venues in the future that will depict female athletes as more than just a good looking pair of legs, but as strong, motivated, elite athletes.

Ryan Dunham Kin. 338I T/TH 2-3:15

What women in sport has taught me

When i first came to class on the day of our title IV article discussion, I thought I knew what title IV was all about, but i had no clue as to how deep the legalities and history of it goes. I first thought title IV was a rule enforced by the schools, which made the schools equal out women's and men's sports. Before this class i was unaware that title IV has three areas of concentration in which women must be treated similarly to men, financial assistance, benefits, and accommodation of interest are all covered by title IV. What i found to be really shocking is the number of programs that still do not fully comply with title IV. I think there needs to be a better way of regulating and punishing schools for violations of these rules. I think it is funny how some people believe that title IV took so much away from male athletics, when in reality according to our text book record numbers of high school and college male athletes were reported, title IV simply makes sporting for female more accessible and more enjoyable.

Ryan Dunham Kin. 338I T/TH 2-3:15

A Website for Social Change

Internet can be a great way to reach the public in a less censored and mainstream manner. For women’s sports there is potential to represent athletes for their capabilities and accomplishments rather than their beauty. The lower costs of website management in comparison to print media may encourage more risks taken in the advertisement of women athletics in general. Those responsible for representing women athletes in print and TV may predict financial losses in using non-sexualized depictions of female athletes and resist attempting such a change. If an internet site can show proof of interest in women’s athletics without emphasis on body image, this may assist in a social change as well. If created well, this type of site may help increase interest in female athleticism. For example, since I rarely see any women sports on TV while flipping channels, I have fewer opportunities to get involved and interested. If a great website, with sports footage, interviews and athletic images was advertised I would most likely browse through it and possibly become a new fan of women sports.

-Anat Journo

A New Way of Thinking

For many years I would pick up a health or fitness magazine and failed to recognize how image driven they actually are. When we flip through a health magazine we are likely to find more than half of its content centered on appearance. Our class discussions brought me to realize that our society uses health media to encourage the “perfect” thin, white body rather than actual health. Media has also used the female athlete to portray this image, further strengthening the value of beauty over health and athletic capabilities. I always knew that, as a society, we have an obsession with looking good, but I was not aware of how serious it could get. When health, personal growth, and athletic achievements are undermined while appearance prioritized, we have a true issue at hand. I have realized that our priorities in society need to be straightened out. The question I am left with is: how do we begin this change?

-Anat Journo

Female Athlete Triad Early Warning Signs

"The pursuit of athletic perfection, in combination with a relentless drive for thinness, may open the door to the development of an eating disorder—anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. These illnesses involve thoughts, emotions and behaviors and—unless treated—can result in serious problems such as abnormal heart rhythms, infertility or bone loss." Women In Sports Foundation - Warning Signs of Anorexia Nervousa and Bulimia

The article discussed how athletic determination can easily slip into dangerous health issues regarding weight and how important it is to catch the signs early. In recovery female athletes need to have the support of their coach, team mates, family and friends to help with motivation to get well.

I had a hard time trying to understand how someone could allow themselves to fall into the Female Athlete triad. However; as a female trying to match up with societies standards for women I can relate a little. Female athletes are often stuck with the tasks of looking strong, being beautiful and making their sport look like its so easy.When athletic ability is also linked with thinness, and With such pressure its not impossible to see how female athletes can fall into the female athlete Triad. Eating disorders are often linked to emotional distress to meet or beat athletic standers for their sport.

I myself have often caught myself looking in the mirror and seeing something "not quite there yet". At times I have to stop myself and say I'm exercising for my long term health.


Romaina M. Kin 338i section 5756

"Beauty Mark"

In class we watched the video “Beauty Mark”. This video touches on the negative ways in which the media and society portray beauty, while also investigating the hardships faced by Diane Israel in her quest to fit the social ideals. Diane Israel, a former elite athlete turned psychoanalyst, was angered by the stories of many of her clients suffering from eating disorders and negative body image. In her quest to find the reasons behind their problems, Israel was forced to face her own demons surrounding these issues.
For me, this video was greatly moving. The majority of my life so far has been spent participating in aesthetic based sports. In both cheerleading and gymnastics, small, toned bodies are highly valued. These requirements, along with vigorous exercise regiments and eating plans may give many participants unhealthy body images and feelings. No matter how high you jump, or how toned you are, many young people associated with these sports may feel insufficient. In the video, similar issues were brought up around runners and individuals in the athletic industry. Israel remarked on the absurdity of many of the standards that athletes hold themselves to, and how unhealthy and eventually deadly they can be. The video is a great educational tool for athletes and non-athletes alike. It shows the negative side of exercise and a perfectionist attitude and might be influential for many athletes.

Symposium Regarding Women of Color in Intercollegiate Athletics

The NCAA and the Black Women in Sports Foundation recently held a symposium discussing issues surrounding women of color in intercollegiate athletics. The symposium, which took place on May 7-8, discussed issues such as recruitment, hiring practices, professional development, and retention. I feel that these symposiums are a great idea, especially if there is racial tension occuring in womens sports at the collegiate level. Having these discussions will not only break down problems within teams, but also help solve issues between team members and coaches. If coaches are trained to handle these situations in a different way, racial tension could definitely be reduced within teams. Therefore, I feel that these discussions should occur within administrators at schools as well. Having the NCAA and Black Women in Sports Foundation discuss these issues is a good thing, yet I feel that in order to see better results in colleges, these discussions need to occur at each individual college.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=49777

-Jenna Van Orden
Tu/Th 2-3:15

Barriers to Physical Activity

Barriers to Physical Activity

Today, in class, we talked about various barriers women may have to physical activity. One that really stood out for me was the prioritization of the needs of others over our own. Growing up I was always encouraged to participate in physical activity. At the same time, exercise was portrayed as a luxury and something that was done for your own personal good. These mixed messages gave me bittersweet associations with physical activity. Although I felt envigorated and happy after working out, there were times when I questioned whether I should have been doing something to help those around me instead.

To avoid feeling selfish I tend to go through a self-talk to motivate and remind myself of all the benefits and important aspects of physical activity. I remind myself that I will be more patient and energetic towards my family and will be able to help them more efficiently after spending some time on myself. It is interesting how as women we are so culturally trained to place ourselves second. I wonder if many men tend to experience this guilt as well.

-Anat Journo