So yesterday I post some thoughts about the commonalities and differences between discussing women's sports and women in sport. If you missed it, you can access directly via this link
womens-sports-and-women-in-sport-the-same-and-different.html So today I am back to share some thoughts on something a little more general but still just as relevant, women AND sports. Let me start with a little personal anecdote. In the summer of 2003, my wife and I traveled to NYC with a group organized by a local radio sport's media personality to watch Manchester United play Juventus. It should be noted that the group was made up of males predominantly in their 20s and there were three females on the excursion. On the way back, the organizer started playing sports trivia in order to win a few prizes. The questions covered , soccer, football and hockey and my wife quickly rattled off a bunch of correct answers quicker than everyone else. Many of the males were of course shocked and some uttered " I can't believe how she knows more than most of us". If you are female and a sports buff, I am sure you can related to this. However, to add even more insult to the situation, when people were called on to bring up their own questions, my wife proceeded to ask " which Canadian soccer player has the most international appearances?" After a handful of incorrect answers, all of which were male names. my wife gave the answer " No, it is Charmaine Hopper" ( she was the leader at the time). Quite quickly, a few others muttered, "yeah, but that doesn't count, it is women's soccer". Of course, I had to quickly hold my wife back from jumping over a set and strangling someone, ok, that is for some dramatic effect, but the point was that not only was her sport's knowledge deemed surprising because she was a woman, but not long after, a women's sport was deemed to somehow automatically be less credible. I know, I know, it is not a surprise in any way. I am sure that on many days and evenings, there will be many occasions of women walking into a sports' bar somewhere, not there to meet friends or boyfriend or to drink the night away. Rather, its EPL, NHL orNFL or any other sport's season and her favorite team is playing. While at the bar there are flat screen televisions broadcasting the game and soon she finds herself surrounded my men, strangers to each other but yet cordial and comfortable with one another enough to agree and disagree with each other about sports plays and have what they consider to be life-altering discussions about what they are watching, what terrible moves "their team's" management has made, which athletes are great or which are overpaid. When one of those moments occur, the moments that true sports fan really appreciate, some yell, others groan and all launched into heated discussion about what made it great. After key plays and during commercial breaks, these fans become amateur sports analysts as some argue against the decision of the coaches and others for the brilliance of the players. Emotions are high and football jargon and assumed expertise is being thrown around. This is the space that that true sports fan love, that they feel comfortable. And yet, when the sports fan is a woman, who loves whatever sport is on the screens, who wears her teams colors and whose emotions rise and fall with the fortunes of "her team", when she watches every game of her favorite team, understands the sport and has enough knowledge to offer rational opinions and to critique others’ commentary, why is it often that when she decides to join in on the conversation at the bar, she quickly notices that she is not listened to as the other men are. Instead her critique is dismissed? Guys assume her opinions are arbitrary, only repeated information from SportsCenter or that she is only interested because the players are cute, or because her guy also follows the sport, or the team. They do not take her seriously as someone who is knowledgeable about sport and as a result they do not take her sports opinion seriously, no matter how rational it may sound. The reason is not because of what she says but because she is a woman. From music to museums, theater to travel, we are all fans of something. Being a sports fan might have been more associated with men in the past, but women are increasingly consuming sports both in terms of attending sporting events and watching sports on TV and other media. Stereo typically, music, movies and travel generally top the ranking of interests for both men and women around the world. Differences in interest between men and women usually emerge lower down the list with women tending to prefer arts, culture and social interests whilst men focus more on technology and sport. But the gap between men’s and women’s interest in sport has narrowed hugely in the last 50 years.The number of women participating in sport is also on the up, which just serves to even more increase the amount of women, who are just as passionate about sport, all sport as much or even more so than men. Although some may disagree with my opinion and feel it is influenced by my own wife's love of sports and not indicative of reality overall, this experience sounds all too familiar. As someone who has worked in women's soccer for almost 3 decades and therefore around female athletes, as someone who has many female friends who are as diehard sports fans as any of my male friends, I have witnessed that exact same occurrence as the "woman in the bar" story I talk about above. When they go to watch and talk sports with men, they are not taken seriously initially and sometimes not at all no matter how sound their arguments are. In those moments, I have seen my wife or others, fighting hard to assert themselves in conversations, being extra argumentative, and quoting stats as if it was a Sports Desk episode just so they can at least be heard and sound convincing. I can only assume how annoying it must feel, and how the only conclusion that they can draw is that they are being treated unfairly simply because they are women. So is this sexism or merely ignorance on the part of the men? Well, one argument could be that it starts with sexism, simply because the hearer of the discussion ( the men), because of some stereotypical bias or prejudice, do not take a speaker (woman sports fan) as seriously as they deserve to be. What makes this a “bad” thing is when a hearer does this they are guilty of not respecting or affirming the dignity of the speaker instead the speaker has been undermined as a someone who can't possibly know what they are talking about. Where it then ventures into ignorance, is when facts as facts, are deemed not to be credible without anyone taking the time to properly listen and evaluate the basis on which they are facts. As individuals we all have certain kinds of knowledge. Part of our uniqueness as people is being able to be rational and to share knowledge. Also, opinion formation is a combination of not only knowledge but also our reflection and critique embodied in what we call our perspective. This is unique to us as individuals. When we share knowledge and are dismissed not because of what we say but because of who we are, our individuality is disrespected and dignity withheld. So when someone refuses to listen to an opinion because it comes from a women, or an immigrant, or a person of a certain age or background the offense is not because they did not listen to my knowledge per sea, rather it is because they did not listen to the person. We must remember people are not knowledgeable because they are men or white or rich. Rather we acquire knowledge through study and experience. What make us credible are not our biological features but the actual knowledge we possess. This type of epistemic injustice not only happens in bars but in boardrooms and classrooms everyday. When a woman offers an idea up at work she is at times immediately dismissed, but when a man offers the same idea up it is considered brilliant. When a minority offers an intellectual critique in a classroom they are considered arrogant or irrational but when a person in power or of another race says it, people listen up. So what should we do if we find ourselves dismissing the sports knowledge or any kind of knowledge of another because of someone’s identity? We should remind ourselves that everyone deserves the chance to be listened to. I would also suggest that we should remember that sports are not about gender but about X’s and O’s, tactics, knowledge or the rules and that these factors can be learned by anyone. This applies to other fields of knowledge as well. And what should women do when they find they are not being taken seriously because they are women? I would suggest for them to keep speaking anyway. Sometimes dismissals are a form of silencing. The more you continue to speak the more you fight against silencing. Also know that you have a right to be a part of the conversation, although you may not feel welcomed. In addition, as hard as this may sound, as i always tell my wife when her sports knowledge may be dismissed both others, " Don't take it personally". Never take it as a lack of ability to know or communicate but as "their" lack of ability to understand because of their prejudice. Things are getting better, I think that a majority of women can respect and accept that there are MANY women who follow sports, know more about sports and are more passionate about sports, than they are. It also helps ( in reference to previous posts I have written) to have more visibility for women's sports, more female coaches, more female officials, more female decision makers, and certainly more women in the highly visible field of sports media. It has come a long way with women and sports. More and more networks have a fair amount of women’s representation. However, I think its important to have more women as sports analysts of men sports and not merely as interviewers, anchors or experts at women’s tennis and women’s basketball. What this will show is that women have knowledge and an opinion to offer about sports in general and not merely or only when it concerns women specifically. Because as I have said many times before ( and written in a few posts), just because someone ( read male) has played a sport, doesn't make them good at working in sports media or make them knowledgeable or a role model. I hope that these steps will make it so that when “a woman walks into a bar” for a sports event, it will no longer sound like the beginning of a joke but as simply an opportunity for sports crazy fans to engage in passionate discussion about wins and loses, great players, fantastic athletes and why we all wish we had some form of athletic talent.
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If you follow me on twitter, or might just happen to come across my twitter page, you will see among the other items in my twitter bio, the citation " supporter of women's sport and women in sport". I think most people get the nuance in that comment, however I still get the comment or question about why I make the distinction.
For me, there is a clear distinction, on the one hand we have the issue of improving coverage, investment, support of female sport. On the other hand we have the issue of improving the presence of women in all aspects of sports, be it as athletes, coaches, decision makers, journalists, in all sports, not just those played by women. While I do see the two issues as having their very own unique and distinct challenges, there is a common thread that does tie the two together, the importance of eliminating the many gender stereotypes and bias that somehow would lead many to come to the conclusion that whether we talk about women's sports or women in sports, that somehow, women are less equipped, able, viable, interesting, knowledgeable and fill int he blank for whatever adjective everyone must have heard at some point perpetuated most likely by a male. In addition to the sports aspect, improving the perception of women's sports and women in sport is not just about sports but in this nobody's humble opinion, an important issue for society. In today’s world, adolescent girls are bombarded with a constant influx of images of external beauty, which can cause them to question themselves and how they should look, but what they need are the strong, confident, healthy female role models and where better to find some of these role models that in the area of competitive sport. Peer pressure is difficult for girls of all ages but female athletes can help offset that by encouraging girls to participate in sports and maintain a healthy active lifestyle. It has been shown that high school female athletes have more positive body images than non-athletes. Add to the mix, female role models working as coaches, decisions makers and journalists in what remains a typically male dominated field, can send the message that it is ok to be competitive, to fight for what you want, to break boundaries and set precedent. If having females setting the example by being CEOs, doctors, lawyers. politicians and everything else, so then should the impact be the same in sports. Strong mind, healthy lifestyle, competitive spirit. I already hear some of the feedback or trolling I might get, "how can you know, you're a male", "women don't have what it takes", "women's sports aren't interesting", again, I could go one for a long time pulling out all the tried and true justifications why my opinions are flawed. But here is the thing, they are my opinions, it is what I believe in. After that, everyone else can decide for themselves. Female athletes make good role models for adolescent girls of course by promoting physical activity and involvement in sports, confidence, a strong work ethic, and emphasizing the importance of education, but a good role model is a good role model, regardless of gender. For young boys to see successful women in the field of sport, an area that remain seen as a bastion of masculinity, then it might send a message that also affects our young boys becoming men. This is not the first time I make this point having written about it before get-more-women-in-coaching-why-it-is-important.html It is clear this summer while watching the Women’s World Cup, or more recently watching the US Open Tennis final between arguably the greatest ever women's player Serena Williams and the new upcoming start Bianca Andreescu and we see two strong, intense determined female athletes, at the top of their game, competing hard. They are extremely active and eat healthy to keep their bodies at a top performance level. These women show young girls a healthy body type and that strength and muscle is attractive, as opposed to the many unhealthy body types being showcased on billboards and in magazines. Confidence is very important to instill in young girls and boys and it is a quality many female athletes exemplify both in and outside of their sport. Sports build leadership and teach girls how to work together as a team. Both professional athletes and Olympians demonstrate how important it is to believe in themselves and their team in order to achieve greatness, which every young girl should do. These female athletes are also strong role models because they show girls everywhere that it is work ethic and not good looks that will help them succeed. By practicing and spending time honing their craft, they can truly be all that they dream of no matter what their gender, race, or background. It also sends a message to young boys that it is normal to see strong women excel and be in positions of leadership Successful collegiate athletes show young girls the importance of gaining an education and there are lots of former female athletes now working at top companies, which can promote girls to stay in school and work hard. It has certainly been proven that women who have played sports carry that sense of teamwork, leadership, and confidence into their jobs after sports, which is another encouragement for young girls to get involved in athletics. But then, this is where women's sports and women in sport can diverge. Similar to roles in other male-dominated fields, women have had difficulty obtaining jobs in sports. The sports industry has been slow to accept women in a variety of positions and even slower to offer them respect. However, women are increasingly accepted as important contributors to the sports industry and the opportunities available to them continue to grow. More positions in sports will open as more women seek these jobs out. One of the most difficult fields for women to enter is sports journalism. Women have worked tirelessly for decades to be taken seriously as sports reporters in all mediums, from print to online platforms. The women who do work in sports journalism face sexism and sexual harassment on a daily basis. There are no shortage of examples, with for me, the most visual example being the "more than mean" video made by Sarah Spain and Julie DiCaro. Don't know what I am talking, about, take the time to google it. But they continue to fight for their careers and pave the way, not only for themselves but other women as well. For many years, the support structure for women working in the field, usually came simply from other women, but while there is improvement, the growth is still far below the trends in other fields. Women working in sports media probably make up less than 15% of all individuals in the field, and many highly qualified women, who have studied in the field are often pushed aside for males, recently retired athletes who are deemed "better" just because they played the sport, even if they have not prior experience, qualifications or education in any media field. There are more options than ever before when pursuing a career in sports journalism but this is much more to do with the shift and increase from the traditional sports media avenues of print, television and radio and introduction of new platforms. Social media and online platforms have provided new options to journalists who aren’t drawn to print or broadcasting. In addition, some organizations are making an active effort to hire more minorities. ESPN, in particular, has been praised for leading the way in minority hiring in the sports industry. As employers prioritize inclusivity and diversity, there will be an increasing number of opportunities for women to get involved in sports journalism. When it comes to roles in coaching or administrators in sports, while there has been incremental improvement over the last decade, the field falls far behind many other career paths. As positions coaching women's sports becomes more financially viable, more male coaches are taking these roles, while the door for female coaches in male sport remains just very slightly open. While there are some examples of women who have taken on roles coaching in male sport, even at the professional level, women like Carolina Morace and Corinne Diacre in soccer, Jen Welter, Kathryn Smith and Lori Locust in the NFL, Nancy Leiberman, Becky Harmon and Jenny Boucek in the NBA, or even Amelie Mauresmo who coaches Andy Murray in tennis ( and whose own mother is a top ranked tennis coach), it remains a very small percentage in male sport. And the presence of women in decision making roles, whether in the front office of professional teams, national sports organizations, or world governing bodies is an even rarer occurrence. We are now starting to see more females enter the fray as officials in various male professional sports leagues and competitions. Like with coaching however, this remains an exception and not really a growing occurrence. While it might seem like it is growing rapidly , when you go from 10 to 11, while it is a 10% increase, it is still not much ( I am using numbers for example, not actual stats). However, a shout out to women like Bibiana Steinhaus, Stephanie Frappart, Sian Massey-Ellis, Amy Fearn and Carolanne Chenard hre in Canada for soccer, Sarah Thomas and Shanna Eastin in football or Violet Palmer of the NBA. In the end however, regardless of which role you look at, athlete, coach, administrator or ref, they still face many barriers to earning the same amount of respect, praise, and money as male counterparts. The bias that somehow, women, all women, are not equipped to function in sports on an equal playing field ( no pun intended), remains. The wage gap between females and males who work in sport is much wider than the average income gap. The wage gap, among other issues, indicates that though women’s roles in sports have come a long way, there’s still a long way to go. The sports industry has been slow to value women’s contributions and slower still to include them in traditionally male roles. Despite the difficulties, women have persevered and carved out their own spaces in sports. And as they blaze new trails, they clear the path for other women to follow them. In this male's opinion, fixing the traditional false stereotypes in women's sports and with women in sport, isn't a sports issue, it's a society issue. |
AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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