In class yesterday we discussed the female athlete triad. I was really surprised to hear that many female athletes suffered from eating disorders or disordered eating. I assumed most intense female athletes were extremely healthy physically and in their eating due to sports. I was not aware how coaches and even parents sometimes advised weight loss to improve performance in sport, or achieve a look judges would like. It angered me that women have had to work so hard to even get a chance to be successful in sport, and once they are, some are forced to have unhealthy eating habits to fit into the correct appearance of the sport (like gymnastics...). Weigh ins or set team diets seem ridiculous, and it was even brought to my attention that the Women's volleyball coach at our own CSULB required weigh-ins. Coaches should be better monitored for such behaviors and these exploitive tendencies need to be made more public. Women should not have to push themselves to these unhealthy levels, and as we learned from the female athlete triad lecture, affects can be very detrimental and irreversible.
Kellen Chamberlin Kin 338I Sec 5306
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I was never involved in sports and never really showed an interest towards sports. However, thanks to this class, I have learned a lot about women in sports. Because I was never apart of any sports team I was not aware of the things that female athletes have to face. Not only did women have to fight for the right to become part of the sports arena but they have to face many challenges and struggles. The public perceives athletes as healthy, fit and strong. But there is much more to it that is often overlooked or not made publicly. For example, not many people know that female athletes suffer from disordered eating. I personally did not know this. It was disappointing and sad to find out through our reading that coaches and family members play a key role in this issue of disordered eating in females. It is shocking and incredible to know that parents tell and advice their children to lose weight so that they can become better at their sport. As we already know, losing weight does not necessarily mean or guarantee that the athlete’s performance will be higher or improved. Therefore, it is upsetting to know that people believe that athletes need to be thin and fit in order to have a great performance. This only puts pressure on athletes which makes them want to conform to the social expectations that can lead them to have serious health problems. The public needs to be aware that their expectations of athletes can cause them psychological and physical damages.
Maria Valdovinos
Kin 338I Sec. 4 T/Th 9:30-10:45am
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