Elite athletes as mothers: Managing multiple identities

Palmer, Farah; Leberman, Sarah

doi:10.1016/j.smr.2009.03.001

Cited by 81 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…For their part, Palmer and Leberman (2009) studied the particular case of motherhood during female elite sports career. They pointed out the benefits of motherhood to sporting ambitions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A lifespan perspective on transitions during a top sports career: A case of an elite female fencer

Debois

Ledon

Argiolas³

et al. 2012

Psychology of Sport and Exercise

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“…For their part, Palmer and Leberman (2009) studied the particular case of motherhood during female elite sports career. They pointed out the benefits of motherhood to sporting ambitions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A lifespan perspective on transitions during a top sports career: A case of an elite female fencer

Debois

Ledon

Argiolas³

et al. 2012

Psychology of Sport and Exercise

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“…Historically, maternity has been a reason for not participating in sport and has meant the end of the professional career of many sportswomen (Palmer & Leberman, 2009). During pregnancy, the baby's health was the reason to stop practicing sport and after the birth, the mother had to dedicate her time to looking after her child (Thomsson, 1999).…”

Section: Going Back To Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…But, at the same time they were afraid of missing out on part of their children's lives, and they blamed themselves for leaving their children with other people. The sportswoman felt guilty for missing out on part of her children's lives, for taking time away from them, but had to learn to live with this feeling (Palmer & Leberman, 2009;Pedersen, 2001). Some of them even managed to create their own mommy identity (Heisler, & Ellis, 2008;Spowart et al, 2010).…”

Section: Going Back To Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternity in Spanish Elite Sportswomen: A Qualitative Study

Martínez-Pascual

Alvarez-Harris

Fernández‐de‐las‐Peñas

et al. 2014

Women & Health

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The aim of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of maternity among Spanish elite sportswomen. Twenty (n = 20) Spanish elite sportswomen with the following criteria were included: (a) aged 18-65 years; (b) had been pregnant during their sporting professional career; and (c) after the end of their pregnancy they had returned to their professional sporting career for at least one year. A qualitative analysis was conducted. Data were collected using in-depth personal interviews, investigator's field notes, and extracts from the participants' personal letters. Identified themes included: (a) a new identity, with two sub-themes ("mother role" and "being visible"); (b) going back to sport, with three subthemes ("guilt appears," "justifying going back to sport," and "rediscovering sport"); and, (c) reaching a goal, with two subthemes ("balancing mother-sportswoman" and "the challenge of maternity"). Understanding the meaning of maternity for elite Spanish sportswomen might help gain deeper insight into their expectations and develop training systems focused on elite sports women after pregnancy.

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“…Some women do manage to compete at high levels after marriage and children, although for many this involves a difficult balancing act, negotiations with partners and children, and often feelings of guilt at not being able to devote sufficient attention to either family or sport (Palmer and Leberman, 2009). Anna, 45, is a show-jumper.…”

Section: Balancing Sport and Familymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are also often accused of being unfeminine -sometimes even of not being female -as a result of their sporting involvement and success (Griffin, 1998). High-level sport continues to be seen as incompatible with female gender norms, which position women as caregivers rather than active athletes (Palmer and Leberman, 2009). The ongoing segregation of sport along binary sex lines may be one important element in the continuing marginalisation and devaluing of female sports and athletes (McDonagh and Pappano, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Together, yet still not equal? Sex integration in equestrian sport

Dashper

2012

Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport and Physical Education

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Sex-segregation is a core organising principle of most modern sports and is a key element in the marginalisation and subordination of girls and women in sport and beyond. In this article I explore the only Olympic-level sport which is not organised around sex-segregation -equestrian sport -in order to consider the implications of sex-integration for female participants. I draw on a study conducted with elite riders that found that, although sex-integration in equestrian sport does not lead to female participants being excluded from high-level competition, men continue to perform disproportionately well. This suggests that although sex-integration may be an important step towards breaking down gender hierarchies in sport, without accompanying wider changes in gender norms and expectations, sex-integration alone will not be enough to achieve greater gender equality in equestrian sport. Keywords: Equestrian sport, sex integration, gender 2 IntroductionHistorically sport has been seen as a male preserve within which girls and women have been marginalised (Hargreaves, 1994). From its origins in the nineteenth century English public schools, organised sport has long been used as an important mechanism for the production and reproduction of particular forms of masculinity within the education of boys and men (Mangan, 2000). Although female participation in sport has increased dramatically and associations between femininity and active participation in sport are in a state of (re)negotiation, female sports and athletes are still generally perceived to be less skilful, less interesting, and thus less worthy of reward, attention and praise than are male sports and athletes (Pfister, 2010).Sex-segregation is deeply ingrained in the organisation, practice and culture of sport (Anderson, 2008). Regardless of the strength, skill or age of participants, sex-segregation is usually applied uncritically with few sports participants and/or organisers questioning the rationale and logic behind it. The historical justification for segregating sport was built around ideas of sexual difference and the belief in the unsuitability of sport and physical activity for girls and women (Hargreaves, 1994). Sex segregation continues to play a part in the reproduction of inequality in most sports today. The contemporary justification for continuing to segregate sport comprises a complex mix of biological, economic and commercial arguments -many of which are highly contested. These are combined with social norms which continue to frame sport as a male domain (Foddy and Savulescu, 2011;Tucker, 2010;Anderson, 2009b). Sport thus reflects the wider, deeply ingrained, gender order in Western societies which continues to position men and women as categorically different and unequal (Connell, 1987).The social construction of masculinity and femininity, as complementary and opposite, yet inherently unequal subject positions is deep-rooted in modern societies (Schippers, 2007). Sport forms a powerful mechanism for the reproduction of these unequal social...

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Elite athletes as mothers: Managing multiple identities

Cited by 81 publications

References 29 publications

A lifespan perspective on transitions during a top sports career: A case of an elite female fencer

A lifespan perspective on transitions during a top sports career: A case of an elite female fencer

Maternity in Spanish Elite Sportswomen: A Qualitative Study

Together, yet still not equal? Sex integration in equestrian sport

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