Perspectives of Women College Athletes on Sport and Gender

Abstract

Although sport access for females has greatly improved, certain behaviors continue to be considered more or less appropriate for females depending upon how compatible they are with biologically or socially constructed female characteristics. However, young women who have grown up playing sports and continue participation at the college level have constructed meanings about being a young woman and an athlete. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed to investigate how seven gymnasts and seven softball players competing in NCAA Division I athletics view and contend with a "female/athlete paradox." These women recognized preferred femininity and at times constructed images based on this notion. However, they also embraced their athleticism and felt at ease choosing not to perform femininity in some contexts.

Muscularity Beliefs of Female College Student-Athletes

“…The results of this study can be used to better understand the unique drive for muscularity among athletes, particularly female college studentathletes who live the paradox of negotiating societal standards of femininity with this drive for muscularity. This enhanced understanding can help create more nuanced and effective programming and interventions for coaches, administrators, and mental health professionals to use to help female student-athletes create space to resist constraining societal gender ideologies (e.g., Ross & Shinew, 2008). Doing so can help these student-athletes actualize their athletic potential on the field as well as their interpersonal and intrapersonal potential off the field.…”

“…McCreary and Saucier (2009) found a similar finding, and the authors suggested that the difference in muscularity desires among women was based on the perceived utility of a muscular physique among female student-athletes. According to Ross and Shinew (2008), the female college student-athletes in their study, "described gender as a dualistic notion that results in perceptions of sport appropriateness and constrains women seeking athletic competence" (p. 48). Thus, the results of this study suggest that, although this dualistic notion of gender may constrain women in sport, female-student athletes empirically reported a desire to be muscular that can facilitate their athletic competence.…”

“…This result is consistent with Raudenbush and Meyer's (2003) finding that contact sport participants required a more massive and muscular physique for functional purposes, and also indicated that their ideal body image was more muscular when compared to athletes in other sports. Furthermore, Ross and Shinew (2008) discussed sport appropriateness by noting that the female student-athletes in their study reported that sports that require bodily contact were more associated with masculinity. Thus, because female athletes may view contact sports as less appropriate for women to participate in, the higher drive for muscularity reported by participants in contact sports in this study suggests that women who play sports with bodily contact may endure increased societal pressures in negotiating femininity and muscularity.…”

“…Bowker, Gadbois, and Cornock (2003) found that American athletes at higher levels of athletic competition reported higher levels of self-esteem and athletic competence, but only if they also reported lower levels of femininity. On the other hand, in their efforts to maintain femininity within their athletic role, female athletes have discussed engaging in compensatory behaviors (e.g., wearing makeup, ribbons, dresses)-both inside and outside of sporting contexts-to reinforce the notion that they are feminine (e.g., Krane et al, 2004;Ross & Shinew, 2008). In conjunction with these efforts and beliefs of female student-athletes, the results of this study speak to the power of gender stereotypes that create difficulties for women in sport to effectively resist societal gender ideologies that attempt to constrain them.…”

A Content Analysis of Micro Aggressions in News Stories about F emale Athletes Participating in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics

“…Despite the increase in women participating in sports, it has been argued that the increase is still not strong enough to change the strict traditional gender roles, objectification, and a preoccupation often associated with female athletes [3]. While women athletes are fully aware of the sexism and racism in sports, many beginning to challenge these views by reframing what it means to be feminine in society [4]. The purpose of the current research is to identify the types of gender biases and micro aggressions printed in news stories about female athletes competing in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.…”