By Adi. C
This is overlooked and definitely not talked about enough. Women have been playing in male-dominated sports for decades, despite the social norms and standards. The path hasn’t been easy for most women, and the problem often starts when these athletes are young, beginning their journey to pursue a sport. As a girl in a male-dominated sport myself, I’ve experienced a lot of these firsthand, and I interviewed many girls across the country to ask for their input and feedback. The answers, to be put blatantly, were expected and it was sad to see that so many girls across the nation are going through the same thing in this day and age.
Victim to Sexualization
According to the Sports and Science Institute, a whopping 40-50% of female athletes have reported being sexually harassed in some way throughout their sport career. However, these are just reported statistics. Through a survey I conducted, 90% of girls (ages 14-20) have been victim to sexualization whether it is by their coaches, male teammates, or even parents of their male counterparts, almost 80% of them being unreported. This is huge. Many of these girls have to keep quiet about these occurrences to prevent being shunned from opportunities that they worked hard to get, and are asked to keep quiet to maintain the reputation of their respective academy or their club. It would make one’s blood boil to know that many of these harassers are let go with just a notice or warning, and the precautions of these situations are heavily dumped on the girls themselves (asking them to stop talking to boys, dress modestly.). It’s horrible, and it needs to be stopped. Nothing is too small, especially when they start to become normalized by young girls who repeatedly endure inappropriate comments and remarks. A girl should not have to be embarrassed to do squats or hang out with her teammates. Sports environments need to be safe for women, and it starts from educating the boys in our academies to respect girls who play. Boys as young as 13 cannot feel they are entitled to treat women like sex objects. Spread awareness and speak up, because every girl protected counts, and every girl deserves to be protected.
Less Priority and Attention
It doesn’t happen everywhere but it happens often enough to have light shed on it, and it’s more common than you think. According to a survey conducted by The Sport Journal, women are less likely to be given importance in sports fields, due to the lack of exposure and opportunity. According to feedback collected, many sportswomen claim that although their skill level is higher, coaches are giving them less attention and less recognition. Girls need proper facilities and motivation to increase numbers in the sport, and if it isn’t provided, the numbers will only decline. Women in sport need a solid foundation and coaches who back them to help more women succeed and pursue their goals.
Exclusion
This is one that undoubtedly several girls go through. A lot of the girls I surveyed have grown up playing in all-boys teams, and the start is nothing but rocky. Many boys will go out of their way to avoid you, make you feel different or exclude you. Not to mention, that being a beginner as a girl is hard because if respect is earned through skill (which it shouldn’t be) why are the boys with the same skill level more seen and heard? Girls in higher age categories are so often singled out, and are a perfect outlet for frustration. The female athlete feels the need to prove her spot on the team every single time she steps into the field, feeling that even one mistake could take her spot away. Games in and games out, sitting alone on the benches is a horrible but common start to many girls' careers, and it needs to change. A girl’s appearance cannot dictate her worth and her ability to feel like a part of the team. Make a change, be a newcomer’s friend, and make her day. It is the little things that count.
“Like a Boy”
Talk like a boy, cut your hair short, dress like a boy, quit your feminine habits, don’t lose focus, stop flirting, keep your interactions to a minimum. Even when you start making friends, you are looked down upon. Becoming masculine is the only way to hold your own in a sports field is something that is fed into our minds since the beginning. Being feminine and being successful is impossible in the mind of many parents, and it eats away who a girl really is and who she wants to be. And of course, the classic phrase the best of us have encountered, “You throw like a girl.” Was that supposed to be an insult?
It is time to bring a change for the new generation of girls who have started to pick up sports. They deserve to be respected and protected. If you see any of the listed above happening in your club, academy, or foundation, speak up and raise awareness to create a safer and better environment, because at the end of the day, everyone is on the field to play.
sources: https://thesportjournal.org/article/the-effect-of-gender-opportunity-in-sports-on-the-priorities-and-aspirations-of-young-athletes/
https://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/mind-body-and-sport-interpersonal-violence-and-student-athlete-population
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