Shrinking and Pinking: Cheering on female athletic heroes

During this time of year, we know that heroes are among us and "ordinary" people do extraordinary things (like "layaway angels"). Sports figures tend to be inspiring heroes to many throughout the hero, whether that adoration is deserved or not. One female athlete who definitely does deserve to be called a hero-- for her performance both on and off the athletic stage-- is world champion sk- jumper Lindsey Van.  As I wrote about back in April, Van donated bone marrow to a man she has never met. When asked recently to donate again, to the same man, Van didn't hesitate (even as the donation process impacted her training for the World Cup season).

Van's long-held supremacy in ski-jumping may be coming to a close, as an up-and-coming American ten years her junior just won the first women's World Cup ski-jumping event. Sarah Hendrickson, at only 17, also qualifies as a Pint-Sized Phenom.

It will be exciting to watch both Van and Hendrickson battle it out in the years leading up to 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the first year women's ski-jumping will be included in the Olympics (Van has previously sued to get it included, so I hope she will be able to compete in a few years)!

Another exciting teen phenom is Kelly Cobb, a freshman soccer player at Duke. Cobb has emerged as a soccer star, albeit from an unlikely place: Alaska.  A recent profile in The New York Times included some great tidbits-- like the horrible sunburn she got in NC because she's not used to playing outside, the time a moose interrupted her team's soccer game by standing in front of the goal, and an encounter with a black bear during an icy run.  I have a feeling we'll be hearing much more from Cobb in the next decade or so.

While we all might cheer Cobb, Hendrickson, and Van from our couches, another group of women (some of whom definitely qualify as athletes) often cheer from the sidelines. Cheerleaders remain popular companions to male team sports like basketball and football.  With the rise of competitive cheer many are considered athletes in their own rights.  And now an organization wants to show you that they are brainy as well. "Science cheerleaders" are a group of current and former NFL and NBA cheerleaders who also hold science degrees and/or jobs in science.  Check out their website to see how they promote science education through sports and cheer. I think it sounds like a neat organization that can positively impact young girls in a number of ways.

As cheerleading continues to evolve in interesting ways it's important to remember that barriers to participation by sex still exist in cheer, and in other sports.  A cheer team in Michigan was recently disqualified from a statewide competition for having male cheerleaders. In this case having boys on the team isn't allowed, even though there isn't an option for males who want to participate.   This is the opposite of how things work in Massachusetts (funny enough, MA is now my home state, though MI is where I grew up), as I've written about before. Boys are allowed to play on girls' field hockey teams and swim teams, which is sometimes met with resistance.

What do you think? Should girls be able to play on boys' teams (as often happens in wrestling, for example), and vice versa, when similar opportunities aren't available for both sexes?

Shrinking and Pinking: Skirting Controversy

It seems that often when there's a woman's first in sports, there's some sort of controversy shortly after.  Case in point? Women's boxing. Last month I wrote about the inclusion of women's boxing as an Olympic sport for the first time (for another inspirational story about how this came to be, check out this story about Irish boxer Katie Taylor).  But now the men who run boxing want to make sure that these female boxers wear skirts while they compete. Why? Well, first of all, they claim it's hard to tell men and women apart when you watch a match (I'm not quite sure why this is a problem though).  They also feel, according to a great piece by Christine Brennan, that skirts make female boxers more "elegant."  Polish coach Leszek Piotrowski is quoted as saying, "By wearing skirts, in my opinion, it gives a good impression, a womanly impression."  If you recall, badminton faced a similar controversy over the summer... Which lead them to reverse their decision on women having to compete in skirts at the Olympics. Hopefully the same will happen when it comes to women's boxing.

Then again, at least female boxers have a chance to compete in London next summer. Women's racewalkers don't have that opportunity-- skirts or not.  American Erin Taylor-Talcott has qualified for the US Trials in the 50k, but even if she performed well enough to qualify for the Games (which it appears in unlikely), she would not be able to compete in London.  Because the 50k speedwalking event isn't tremendously popular among men, it seems like giving women an opportunity makes sense. Perhaps in the next quad?

In my home state of Massachusetts there has also been recent controversy because of (lack of) parity between women and men. In this case the issue is allowing boys to compete on a girls sports team. No, not field hockey, which I've discussed before; this time it's swimming. Because many schools only have girls' teams, boys are allowed to compete on those teams. This year a female state record in the 50 free was almost broken... by a boy. If a male had broken the record it is unclear how that would have been handled.  But this is likely a situation that will come up again so some decisions should be made in advance.  I can't help but think that if a girl could possibly break a boys' record we would likely applaud that achievement, so is it fair to punish a boy who doesn't have a similar opportunity?

At the same time, it is wonderful to applaud women's achievements. As various major league baseball decisions are made for next season it's worth noting that the Dodgers recently hired Sue Falsone as the first female trainer in MLB. I'm guessing she won't be wearing a skirt during games though.

'Aunt Flo" and the Female Athlete (from BlogHer Sports)

No, not Flo-Jo (aka the legendary Florence Griffith-Joyner—still considered the fastest woman ever). I’m talking about our monthly visitor, curse, and any other number of nicknames/euphemisms we women use to describe our menstrual cycles. As women gain access to more opportunities outside of the home, and outside of the bounds of the traditional “separate spheres,” we still have to acknowledge some biological differences between men and women. That women menstruate and men don’t is one of them.It’s a question that economists and psychologists have recently pursued, particularly as it relates to earnings.  This paper, by a group of psychologists out of the University of New Mexico, finds that exotic dancers earn less during menstruation but more during the fertile phase of their cycles. Another paper by University of California, Davis economists finds that naturally cycling women exhibit more risky behavior (than men) in the marketplace during their fertile phase.

While menstruation affects all women at some point in their lives, it is a particularly tricky issue for female athletes. You want to get your period, but it can also impact performance.

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Why does a female athlete want to get her period? Well it’s not ideal to develop amenorrhea.  Amenorrhea is defined as not getting your period for at least three consecutive months.  Menstruation is a sign of a healthy body, so the lack of menstruation can mean that a female is underweight, which can impact bone density (making her more susceptible to breaks in the short-term and osteoporosis in the long-term), and also impact energy levels.  This is known as the “female athlete triad.”  It is of particular concern when it comes to sports that emphasize a slim physique—like gymnastics, figure skating, dancing, and diving—and sports that emphasize endurance—like swimming and long distance running.

Last month, as part of my monthly blog series on female athletes called Shrinking and Pinking, I wrote about elite runner Lauren Fleshman. Fleshman finished seventh in the 5000m at the World Track and Field Championships. This impressive woman wrote candidly on her blog about the finals being on the “absolute worst day of the month for my cycle.”  On the one hand it is great news that such an elite runner gets her monthly visitor; but, as she notes, it also means bloating and water retention that can make her four pounds heavier, thus impacting her running.  She solicited advice on how to handle this, and received many comments on her posting.  Some suggest using synthetic hormones to control and manipulate the cycle to help manage the impacts on performance.  Clearly, this is not something that male runners have to fret over.

A recent study on female rowers finds that overall endurance is not effected by estrogen fluctuations related to the menstrual cycle (though we may feel more tired, perhaps our bodies can still perform consistently if pushed).  Yet, changes in hormone levels still matter depending on the type of athletic activity.  For example, there is evidence that our joints loosen at certain times of the month.  So, when jumping, we may land differently, putting us at risk for injury.  Some have hypothesized that this could be a possible explanation for the higher rates of knee injuries, particularly ACL tears, in female athletes.

None of this is to say that women can’t be superb athletes and that they shouldn’t compete!  Prior to Title IX this had been a concern so some pushed aside questions of biological differences and impacts on athletic injuries and performance.  Now that women athletes have proven themselves it is time to think seriously about ways to improve female performance, cognizant of some biological differences between men and women.

Understanding how to train to accommodate monthly bodily changes means continuing to research both the female body from a scientific and medical point of view and a practical point of view.  Having athletes like Lauren Fleshman, draw attention to this issue is significant, as is the fact that a range of researchers are interested in the question of how the menstrual cycle impacts female performance.As always, more work remains to be done—including making sure that girls understand how important it is to know their own bodies and not starve or overtrain in pursuit of some unattainable perfection.>Aunt Flo may sometimes not be welcome, but she is an important monthly visitor and female athletes should start learning how to welcome and deal with this visitor before puberty hits.

Shrinking and Pinking: A Month of Firsts for Female Athletes

It’s been a month of firsts for women in athletics.  While women have definitely made many strides in gaining access to various playing fields, it’s startling to realize how many more physical milestones there are left to hit.  But it’s also inspiring to learn about the women who break barriers and set the standards. For example, for the first time ever female boxers will be included in the Olympics.  The inaugural women’s Olympic trials will be held in February 2012.  Eight women will vie for a chance to compete in London next summer. Click here to read about one of those inspirational women, Patricia Manuel. (While I’m pretty sure none of these young women will end up as Olympic boxers, this story about female boxers who are part of the Harvard Boxing Club is a fun read.)

Sticking with Olympic sports, Ibtihaj Muhammad is poised to become the first American Muslim woman to compete in a hijab.  Muhammed is a New Jersey-based fencer (ranked second in the US and 13^th in the world at sabre) who not only hopes to contend for Olympic medals, but also be a role model for female Muslim athletes.

An Egyptian-born squash player also serves as a good role model for playing with the boys. Nour Bahgat, a Trinity College student who won the 2009 Women’s Collegiate National Championship as a freshman, is the first female player to join the professional squash tour. She practices with both men and women, but enjoys games with men because of quicker play and longer rallies that help her develop skills.  It seems that playing and training with men is important across different sports to help women elevate their game (even when they play against other women).

Alex Hai is another woman who tends to work around men.  Though her professional pursuit isn’t strictly defined as a sport, it is certainly physically demanding.  Hai is a gondolier in Venice. In fact, she is the first ever female gondolier.  When I make it back to Venice someday, I will have to seek her out! I was surprised that it has taken this long to have a female gondolier; while it doesn’t surprise me that there are many more male gondoliers, I would have expected there to be more than just the one woman.

Of course, the other big female athlete crossing boundaries story this month was Brianna Amat, the field-goal kicking homecoming queen, who I have written about before.  But I thought this story about the reaction to female football players—both by teammates and peers and the media—was particularly powerful and incisive.  Micheline Maynard explains that in some sports, it’s not just the milestones that matter now. It’s the fact that females are accepted not just on the frontstage of the field, but also backstage in locker rooms and at practice.  We have a long way to go, but we have also still come a long way, as Maynard notes.  Best of luck to Manuel, Muhammed, and Bahgat as they do their parts to achieve both accolades and parity.

Throw Like a Girl: Reviewing Softball Legend Jennie Finch's New Book (from BlogHer Sports)

You may recognize her from her pitching in the Olympics. Or from the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated. Or even from The Apprentice. Now you should also recognize her as an author. Softball great, and Olympic gold medalist, Jennie Finch, has just released her first book: Throw Like A Girl: How to Dream Big & Believe in Yourself (with sports journalist Ann Killion). This 256-page autobiographical work, recently published by sports press Triumph, is targeted at teen girls (it may be a bit long for elementary school-age readers, but is a great fit for middle- and high-school audiences). If your daughter is a softball player, or athlete of any type, this is a must read.

Throw Like A Girl traces Finch’s career from her days on Southern California sandlots to international softball diamonds on travel, high school, college, Olympic, and pro teams.  Divided into three sections—Body, Mind, and Heart— Finch gives tips on how to navigate politics in youth sports, how college recruiting really works, and how to balance sports, schooling, and a social life (at various life stages, as she covers her own marriage and pregnancies).  While she does repeat some stories a few times, the pictures and inspirational quotes throughout help distract from this repetition.

The gist of the book is summarized on page seven: “Through sports I learned to accept and appreciate my body and to accept myself for who I am. I gained confidence and inspiration. Athletics is not only good for your body, it’s great for your mind and spirit. And I learned that life is about so much more than just the wins and losses at the end of a game.”  Throughout Finch explains why athletics are beneficial to girls today, while also highlighting problem areas in youth sports—themes that resonate with my academic research on girls and competitive sports.

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n my work I label girls who are highly competitive and highly feminine “pink girls.”  These young women choose what type of girl they want to be, while performing at such a high level that they often beat boys.  She writes that the contrast between being a tough-as-nails athlete and a hot-pink-on-nails girl provides her with the right balance.  Some of her friends and teammates have chosen to be even more “supergirly” and others have chosen to shave their heads.  Finch explains that softball, and sports, has room for all types of girls.

Finch chose to be a pink girl from a young age: “When I started playing sports, I always put ribbons in my braids or ponytails.  My father was the one who did my hair for me before games when I was little because my mom was often at work. He always said that just because girl plays sports doesn’t mean she can’t be feminine. So that became my motto, too.” (55)

Finch’s father has played a huge role in her life.  More than anyone else besides the author he is the star of the book.  He developed a machine named the “Finch windmill” to help his daughter develop the muscles in her non-pitching arm.  He explained to her that her teammates depended on her and she shouldn’t go outside and ride her bike, for fear of breaking an arm.  And he defended her at games when people yelled from the stands that they were lying about her age.

Mr. Finch was an extremely involved sports dad who pushed his daughter to her limits to succeed.  While it clearly paid off in this case, it’s also clear that not all kids would respond well to this sort of parenting style.  Still, it’s a great example of sports bringing a father and daughter closer together, something that is still somewhat rare for many daddy-daughter combos, as I have previously written about on BlogHer.

Finch’s story shows how sports can help forge other familial bonds.  An obvious example is that Finch married a professional baseball player (a pitcher, no less), Casey Daigle.  Less obvious is the role her two older, athletic brothers played in her sports development.  For example, she explains that having older brothers helped prepare her parents to deal with the politics of youth sports teams (like the coach who likes to use his own child as star pitcher) and how to pick good coaches.

Finch provides other bits of relevant, practical advice to young athletes and their parents.  She tells people to be wary about those who sell services to young athletes and do some homework before hiring them—that just because they charge money doesn’t make them qualified (this is a real pet peeve of mine when it comes to the world of children’s competitive activities, as you can see here and here).  Finch also encourages young athletes to continue to explore various sporting opportunities and not specialize too young.  This includes playing different sports for fun and playing on a school team, not just for select travel teams.  Parents will especially appreciate her message that studying for school must also remain a priority.

While some of the tips apply to boys and girls, girls really are the focus in Throw Like a Girl. Finch discusses all the various competitive pressures girls may feel in their lives (academic, athletic, peer, romantic, and the list goes on), explaining she felt all of them at some point.  She doesn’t use psychologist Stephen Hinshaw’s term “The Triple Bind,” which refers to the pressures girls today feel to achieve like boys but still be nice and look good, but she has clearly lived this triple bind and succeeded.  While she is a positive role model I couldn’t help but ask myself if any male athletes would describe themselves as she did on page twenty: “I wasn’t the coolest girl. I wasn’t the most popular. I was too tall. I was chunky.”  Hopefully the next generation of female superstar athletes will read this book, take Jennie Finch’s advice to heart, and move beyond this triple bind.