Mental illnesses have become something extremely apparent in our society today. Although they were often overlooked in the past and not thought of as an actual illness, they are now taken much more seriously. Even though illnesses such as anxiety and depression are taken more seriously, it seems that the number of people affected by these illnesses is only increasing. Because of the increase of depression in our society there is now more and more evidence about what causes it and why. One place we have seen a huge increase in depression is in student athletes, more specifically female athletes. The question many people are asking is why? Why is it that depression effects more than 30% of female student athletes while only effecting around …show more content…
This causes a problem for many young female athletes because they get this idea that they look “manly.” Female athletes are expected to be strong and tough while also keeping a side of femininity to themselves. This may be one of the most difficult things for female athletes to balance. When male athletes are portrayed in magazines or articles they are always shown as the tough guys. They don’t have to worry about anything besides being a guy. For female athletes this is very different. They are somehow expected to look strong and empowered but at the same time “look like a lady.” If you don’t have enough of an athletic build then you are often overlooked and not seen as an athlete, but on the other hand if you have too much of an athletic build it is seen as gross or not natural. This has been a big deal in the news recently with Serena Williams. She is the best tennis player in the world with too many accolades to count, yet she is still talked about because her body is too athletic and some say she looks too manly. As a female athlete she has excelled in every way possible, but all people seem to talk about is her body. There are so many factors that come into being a female athlete and it seems like everything has a fine line of what is acceptable and approved by society and …show more content…
Even when a women is playing a sport or doing any physical activity she is expected to look put together and attractive. Often times in adds you see women wearing makeup and jewelry while working out. This is extremely unrealistic for many reasons. If any women were to try and wear makeup while sweating and working out there is almost no chance that it would stay on her face. That is almost guaranteed to sweat off and then it looks even worse than before. As for the jewelry it is against NCAA rules in almost every sport to wear jewelry while you are participating in an athletic event. Women are also expected to have their hair done for every game or practice they participate in. One big fad in todays society is the braids that female athletes will do for competition. Their hair is expected to be done accompanied by a headband that is sometimes sparkly to show their feminine side. Some people may not realize how much extra stress this can be, but for female athletes “game day hair” has become such an important part of the athletic world it can become an obsession for it to look perfect. Another thing female athletes need to worry about is how they are portrayed. Of course they are expected to be exceptional athletes and be dedicated to the game, but they are not supposed to look like robots they are supposed to look
Despite the struggle for success, males and females who choose to play sports that are non-traditional to their gender benefit socially and culturally. Those athletes who dare to compete are paving the way towards a society where gender acceptance and equality exist. However, for every benefit, there is generally a cost. In the world of sports, it is fairly obvious that people have experienced many costs including insults, ridicule, and lack of acceptance, but the benefits gained are much more vital to sports and the future of athletics. Competing in sports that are non-traditional to one's gender can only make society stronger, and our culture more unified.
1 in 4 people will be affected by mental health issues at some point in their lives. Depression affects 20-25% of Americans ages 18+ in a given year (CDC.) Student athletes are students who go to school but participate in athletics at the same time. Student athletes are at a higher risk due to having different stress factors that normal students don't have to go through during their college or high school athletic careers. Major events would be the death of Madison Holleran.
Depression: a common mental disorder which affects up to one in four female athletes and one in nine male athletes. Being an athlete is a difficult task, and can tear down one's well-being. Therefore, they are more likely to experience depression. Three reasons that athletes are more likely to experience depression is the retirement of a sport creates a void in their life, they’re more prone to injury, and they have a great deal of pressure put on them.
Throughout history, women have had to struggle for equality in all elements of our society, but no where have they had a more difficult time than in the area of athletics. Sports is a right of passage that has always been grafted to boys and men. The time has come for our society to accept women athletes and give them the attention they deserve.
Gender in sports has been a controversial issue ever since sports were invented. In the early years, sports were played only by the men, and the women were to sit on the sidelines and watch. This was another area of life exemplifying the sexism of people in which women were not allowed to do something that men could. However, over the last century in particular, things have begun to change.
In summary, Despite opponents argue, fans want to see thunderous dunks and incredible athleticism over the lesser abilities of females, male competitions is more intense and there is more at risk, and male driven associations produce more revenue than female driven associations. It is apparent that male and females are built differently therefore they have different abilities, females go through the same types of events and often have more on the line, and female athletics aren 't given the same recognition or praise. Then, maybe one day female will receive the same amount of pay as their male counterparts. As, Vera Nazarian once implied, “A woman is human. She is not better, wiser, stronger, more intelligent, more creative, or more responsible than a man. Likewise, she is never less. Equality is a given. A woman is human.”
Within todays sporting community, certain aspects of sport and its practices promote and construct ideas that sport in general is a male dominated. Sports media often provides an unequal representation of genders. Women athletes are regularly perceived as mediocre in comparison to their male equivalents (Lenskyj, 1998). Achievement in sport is generally established through displays of strength, speed and endurance, men usually set the standards in these areas, consequently woman rarely reach the level set by top male athletes. Due to this, the media significantly shows bias towards male sports while we are ill-informed about the achievements in the female sporting community. On the occasion that a female athlete does make some form of an appearance in the media, images and videos used will usually portray the female in sexually objectified ways (Daniels & Wartena, 2011). This depiction of female athletes can cause males to take focus solely on the sexual assets of the athlete in preference to to their sporting abilities (Daniels & Wartena, 2011). Sexualisation of sportswoman in the media is a prevalent issue in today’s society, it can cause physical, social and mental problems among women of all ages (Lenskyj, 1998).
Krane, V. (2001). We can be athletic and feminine, but do we want to? Challenging hegemonic femininity in women's sport. Quest, 53,115-133.
female athlete was still considered to be passive and weak, some would say women’s sports is a waste of time because women aren’t supposed to be playing sports because of the original stereotypes that woman are too feminine and too easy going to actually be a dominate figure in their sport.
her career or athletics — and also conform to the old standard of beauty and sexuality. This is evident in films about female athletes, who face immense pressure to be perfect both on and off the playing field, andto represent their gender in a
Sports psychology is the study of how psychology influences sports, athletic performance, exercise and physical activity. Some sports psychologists work with professional athletes and coaches to improve performance and increase motivation. Other professionals use exercise and sports to enhance people’s lives and well-being. While finding ways to help athletes is certainly an important part of sports psychology, the application of exercise and physical activity for improving the lives of non-athletes is also a major focus.
Conflict is energy, conflict is excitement, conflict is often driven by a passion that is necessary to progression. In other words, we need many of the characteristics that might cause conflict and conflict itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The important thing is learning how to manage
A young anonymous college freshman tells a story of the depression she faced throughout her first semester of college, through the transition and her roommate issues. Not only did it occur during her first semester, but through her second as well. Unfortunately, the depression overtook her life to the point of her desire to commit suicide. Luckily, she changed her mind in the last second and saved herself (Reachout.com). This young student is not just one of few depressed college students, but she is one of many. Colleges must take more responsibility of mental health issues, like depression, by researching the causes and effects while discovering beneficial treatments that promote the students’ overall well being.
In the article, “Athletes and Coaches Report Mental Health is Slightly More Important Than Physical Health in Overall Performance; Both Agree That More Communication is Needed to Address Mental Health Concerns.”, the Minds in Motion Depression Awarenes Campaign conducted a survey and found that the athletes and coaches believed that “mental health shares an equal, and/or slightly greater role than physical health, in defining peak athletic
Ann, 2007, pg. 57), however this is not true. This mentality causes males to resent the female athletes, thus rendering it even more difficult for them to succeed. Without a shift in gender ideology, females will continue to face adversity, regardless of the amount of change that has occurred over the last 30 years. There does not need to be equality between the genders within sports, however equity must be seen, with the perception of the abilities that female athletes possess not being compared to that of males. This would aid males to not feel as threatened by females participating in sports and physical