Olympics!

I love the Olympics! I watch sports that I would never watch any other time (rowing for example!), and I love the inspirational stories of the athletes that come from the Olympics!! But these great games always bring up a timeless debate-- men vs. women athletes. 

There are plenty of women who are amazing, and outstanding athletes. Mia Hamm, Michelle Quan, Serena Williams, and Gabby Douglas are only a few of the best women athletes in history. 

Last year in English class, I was part of a heated discussion about women's athletics. One group said that women were not as good as men, one group said women were as good as men, and one group didn't care. 

As a female athlete myself I was in defense of women. I explained that women were better and could take down any man if they wanted, and they should. A friend of mine (she is a FANTASTIC soccer player) brought up an excellent point that changed by perspective. She said, that her coach would often say if women think that they should be playing with the boys, isn't that saying that other women are not good enough competition?

WOW! I had never thought about that! I had to sit and really think about those words. After looking back and reflecting on my initial thoughts, I realized something. I realized that thought that to prove that I was a great athlete I had to beat a guy. Why wasn't beating a girl good enough? How many times have your heard the worst insult ever, "You play like a girl!" Just look at this clip! 

It was never a good thing to "play like a girl." Girls played with dolls, and boys played baseball, so telling someone they played like a girl was the WORST insult imaginable. Did you see their reaction when he said that? Playing like a girl was worse then being called a jerk, butt sniffer, scab eater, puss licker, and fart smeller.

When I was little I was a tomboy. I could throw a football, and a baseball. (WAIT! Right there! Tomboy! Why was I thought of and called a tomboy, not just thought of as a girl who played and enjoyed sports?) I saw gym class as a way to lead my team to victory during capture the flag. I often reminded my favorite male gym teacher to say "he OR she" when saying things like, "When he or she goes into defense..." and I couldn't stand anyone who didn't want to play as tough as I did. To prove my athleticism I played with the boys. I was a great basketball player because I could keep up, and beat the boys at recess. The key word was prove. If I had to prove my athletic abilities with boys; that meant girls weren't good enough for me to play against. It wasn't about what I could do, it was about who I could beat. I know that it wasn't a conscious thought process or done on purpose, but to me it's a really interesting thing to think about and reflect on.  

The issue here is that as women, we need to hold ourselves to a high standard of athleticism, and ignore gender. Talent is talent, practice is practice, and wins are wins. 

But I have to know what do you think? Do you have any experiences or stories to share?

 Love,

G4G and Tinamarie