The Olympics are over - sigh. Suppose it is for the best as now maybe I will get a little more work done in between my catching the team handball, field hockey, velodrome cycling, and other obscure but interesting competitions.
I have been quite taken by the stark difference - especially among the track and field sprinters - between the women and the men attitudes. The guys seem to be so amped on testosterone that they can barely communique. While the women seemed to be able to go from 'rip you heart' concentration, to sweet smile, and right back again in just a few seconds (just look again at the introductions of the sprinters if you want to check it out). And there were lots very, attractive young women among the athletes.
This got me to thinking. I thought about when I was growing up and it was rare for young women to be in sports at all. Then about the time I had my three daughters Title IX was passed and suddenly there was a significant impetus for young women to be in sports. But there wasn't this massive social acceptance even among the girls. I coached girls soccer for 20 years stopping in 2000. I can remember there was usually a stark separation from the girl as athlete and the girl being a girl. Girls also were significantly less athletic in those early days. We did tons of training just to build some of the basic quickness, agility, and strength that a majority of boys seemed to have been born with. I conjectured at the time that it was social conditioning. That all the images a young boy saw from the first and those a young girl saw were starkly different and programed different behavior.
After I got out of coaching, I didn't have much at all to do with women's sports but clearly a lot happened in the next 10 years in terms of social acceptability of women doing athletics. So here we are in 2012 and I'm seeing women who are really athletic. Who in terms of strength, quickness, competitiveness, agility were really impressive. And who had that athleticism completely at home with the femininity. Those two things could be so completely at home in a person that it was just normal, natural behavior.
I think it is a wonderful thing.
4 comments:
I don't think I can comment since I was in the sport at the time (not really a good viewpoint for assessment). But I think it's great that athletics are more and more accepted for women.
What you see as a balance of femininity and athleticism though I interpreted very different. I was getting mad at these women - why can't they just be athletes? Why do they have to suddenly turn it on and be girly girls instead of just focusing on this all important moment in their careers?
But then again it's not been all that long. Baby steps.
Maybe they're not "turning it on" to be girly girls. Maybe they are just being authentic.
I was so impressed with the women athletes, especially the runners. One look at their muscles and you knew the dedication they'd put into their training. And yet at the same time they managed to look beautiful on the starting line.
What really impressed me though was their attitude at the finish line. Look at the gymnasts. Much as I admire their abilities, there seems to be a bigger lack of sincerity when congratulating their opponents. I saw a few runners who were truly just happy to be at the Olympics. And even when coming in second place, some offered heartfelt congratulations to their opponents.
Kind of off your topic, I know... but I was just reminded. :-)
Love this post!
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