Final - Distance Learning

If someone asked you, “What did you learn in KIN 338I,” how would you respond? How do you think you would respond in five years from now?

If someone were to ask me what I learned in Women In sport, I would tell them that this course does not just focus on specific female athletes and the history of women and sport, but the struggles women faced and the discrimination that still exists today. I would also mention the effects of Title IX because I was unaware of this ruling before taking this class, the female athlete triad and the symptoms involved with it, and that homophobia exists in women athletics. In addition, I would respond with the cultural dimensions female athletes face within their own families along with the media and how certain races/ethnicities are more privileged than others when it comes to selection, financial resources, and coverage in the media. In five years from now, I think I would be able to respond with this same brief overview of the course. However, a lot of the topics that we discussed in class intrigued me and I feel like I would be able to notice issues that arise with women in sport and be able to recognize them and tie them in to what was learned this semester.

Complete the following sentence: I used to think — but now I think —.

I used to think that female athletes in a sense were seen more equally represented/accepted when it came to athletics, but now I can see that this is not the case in which females are only recognized when they are “feminized.” Being an athlete, I always thought that every female athlete was accepted as being an athlete and recognized for her talents. However, after listening to the panel presentations and going over the notes and readings, some of these females are ridiculed as being a lesbian or being too muscular for a woman. Also, the fact that many female athletes are only recognized when they portray some sort of sex appeal came as a shock to me. At the same time it served as a reminder that although a woman can be a great athlete, she must also be good looking and portray her aspects that make her a female. After taking this course I was exposed to more of a reality on this topic along with others that we covered throughout the course of the semester.

Denise Nunez
KIN 338I T/Th 9:30-10:45