An Exploration of Experiences of Female Participants in Power and Performance Sports

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42
Author(s):  
Stacia Ming ◽  
Duncan Simpson ◽  
Daniel Rosenberg
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Women's Sport ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Societal Norms ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Personal Accounts

Throughout the history of sport, men have played a leading role in its organization, function, purpose, and exposition (Hargreaves, 2000). Women’s sport participation has drastically risen over the past 40 years and ample new opportunities have emerged within the sport realm for women, which are attributed to a collection of incentives, but chiefly resulting from the passage of Title IX (Coakley, 2009). Women are allowed to participate in physically intense, aggressive, and violent sports, often referred to as power and performance sports (Coakley, 2014), however, the occurrence of this form of sport involvement appears to run counterintuitive to traditionally accepted societal norms. Consequently, the intent of this research was to explore how female athletes experience, interpret, accept, tolerate, and or resist the presumed contradictory role adopted through participation in power and performance sports. For the purpose of this study, existential phenomenological interviews were conducted that yielded in-depth personal accounts of the lived experience of 12 female athletes ranging in age from 21 to 50, representing a variety of power and performance sports (i.e., rugby, ice hockey, jiu-jitsu, kenpo, muay thai, kendo, boxing, and mixed martial arts). Analysis of the transcripts revealed a total of 381 meaning units that were further grouped into subthemes and major themes. This led to the development of a final thematic structure revealing four major dimensions that characterized these athletes’ experiences of power and performance sports: Physicality, Mentality, Opportunity, and Attraction & Alliance.

17. Covert Feminism: Female Activists on the Field of Play

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Feminist Activism ◽  
Social Fabric ◽  
Sport Policy ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status ◽  
Impact Sport ◽  
The Impact

Because of feminist activism, what were once considered incompatible entities, women and sport, have come to be united within the social fabric of the 21st century. Recent generations of women are the first to experience sport as a commonplace reality that is largely taken for granted. After initial exclusion from the first and second wave feminist agendas, many activists now recognize sport as a vehicle for the advancement of women. The female athlete has been described by some academics as a type of “stealth feminist” who can support key feminist causes without arousing a knee-jerk social response. Although female sport participation and the status of female athletes have improved significantly, the impact this has had in the lived experience of women remains to be understood. This research project seeks to conduct focus groups with female athletes to better understand their relationship with the topic of feminism and to explore the impact sport participation has had within their lives. Deeper comprehension and documentation of sport from the perspective of female participants may not only serve to help guide sport policy and programing, but may also serve to foster a united, feminist consciousness that is capable of expanding the possibilities for female athletes and for women more broadly. 

scholarly journals Exploring Narratives of Scarcity, Uncertainty, and Opportunity in Women’s Sports Coverage During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-418
Author(s):  
Ellen J. Staurowsky ◽  
Benjamin Koch ◽  
Grace Dury ◽  
Cooper Hayes
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Women's Sport ◽  
News Sources ◽  
The Future ◽  
Sports Coverage ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Impact

In this essay, the authors explored Pinsker’s conception of two pandemics, as reflected in the concerns expressed about the future of women’s sport, prospects for female athletes, and the security of women leaders in sport as they emerged in articles published in national news sources. The purpose of this essay was to capture, in a limited way, how women’s sport concerns surfaced in the media in the aftermath of a forced industry shutdown; to gauge reactions, assess real and perceived threats; and to examine how and whether this crisis inspired positive thoughts about women’s sport opportunities for the future. Our work is based on the tracking of articles published in major news outlets about the impact of the pandemic on women’s sport from March 10, 2020, to May 25, 2020. Readings of the collected articles revealed several themes that fit within the two pandemics framework: reactions to the loss of momentum in women’s sport; fears regarding a reversal in gains made by women’s sport in the marketplace as competition for limited resources escalates; concerns about women’s sport participation decreasing due to cuts and delays in programs; and a focused commitment to gender equity and maintaining momentum, even in the face of significant headwinds.

scholarly journals Print Media and the History of Women’s Sport in Africa: The Kenyan Case of Barriers to International Achievement

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 323-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Sikes
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
East African ◽  
Women's Sport ◽  
Institutional Barriers ◽  
Sport History ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
History Of ◽  
Kenyan Women ◽  
Access Information

Abstract:This article explores one source through which African women’s sport history can be drawn and interpreted: the sport sections of African newspapers. In the case of Kenya, the major dailies,Daily NationandThe East African Standard, are repositories of information pertaining to the challenges that confronted female athletes. Taking into account the history and development of these media, the article addresses the question of why did Kenyan women lag behind their male counterparts in entering the sport at an international level? Focusing on the early post-colonial period, it is argued that institutional barriers abroad as well as economic and cultural factors at home disproportionately disadvantaged female runners in their career progression. These conclusions would be difficult to substantiate without investigating the Kenyan press, a valuable source for anyone seeking to access information about the lives of the women who have contributed to Africa’s sport history.

scholarly journals Perceived goal setting practices across a competitive season

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 765-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Forsblom ◽  
Niilo Konttinen ◽  
Robert Weinberg ◽  
Pertti Matilainen ◽  
Taru Lintunen
Keyword(s):  
Goal Setting ◽  
Goal Attainment ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Performance Goals ◽  
Women's Sport ◽  
Competitive Season ◽  
Outcome Goals ◽  
Sport Teams ◽  
And Performance

Goal setting is an effective and frequently used tool for performance enhancement in sports. However, in the previous studies, the focus has been on goal effectiveness among individual male athletes and at one point in time. Therefore, the purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine goal setting practices in women’s sport teams across a competitive season from players’ individual and team perspectives. A total of 146 female players representing 24 teams in ice hockey, ringette, or floorball completed three online surveys. Surveys focused on setting outcome, process, and performance goals, as well as evaluating the follow-through of setting goals and actually reaching these goals across the season. The results indicated that teams set collective outcome goals, and several process, and performance goals at the outset of the season. One-third of the participants reported that these goals were recorded. Furthermore, results revealed that after the season, the achievement of the outcome goal was evaluated, whereas the attainment of process and performance goals was evaluated only occasionally. It is argued that the lack of follow-through in evaluating process and performance goals may be attributed to setting too many goals and not writing them down. It appeared that one-third of the teams did consistently follow the goal setting principles, and although this resulted in increased goal evaluation, it did not result in increased goal attainment. A number of future directions for research are offered and it is recommended that coaches should be made more aware of these guidelines and the importance of following them to achieve maximum benefits of a goal setting program.

Concussion in Sport

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony P. Kontos ◽  
Jamie McAllister-Deitrick
Keyword(s):  
Structural Damage ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
American Football ◽  
Return To Play ◽  
Cognitive Balance ◽  
History Of ◽  
Clinical Profiles ◽  
Rehabilitation Strategies

Concussions affect millions of athletes of all ages each year in a variety of sports. Athletes in certain sports such as American football, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, and combative sports like boxing are at higher risk for concussion. Direct or indirect mechanical forces acting on the skull and brain cause a concussion, which is a milder form of brain injury. Conventional neuroimaging (e.g., computerized tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) for concussion is typically negative. Concussions involve both neurometabolic and subtle structural damage to the brain that results in signs (e.g., loss of consciousness [LOC], amnesia, confusion), symptoms (e.g., headache, dizziness, nausea), and functional impairment (e.g., cognitive, balance, vestibular, oculomotor). Symptoms, impairment, and recovery time following concussion can last from a few days to weeks or months, based on a variety of risk factors, including younger age, female sex, history of concussion, and history of migraine. Following a concussion, athletes may experience one or more clinical profiles, including cognitive fatigue, vestibular, oculomotor, post-traumatic migraine (PTM), mood/anxiety, and/or cervical. The heterogeneous nature of concussion warrants a comprehensive approach to assessment, including a thorough clinical examination and interview; symptom inventories; and cognitive, balance, vestibular, oculomotor, and exertion-based evaluations. Targeted treatment and rehabilitation strategies including behavior management, vestibular, vision, and exertion therapies, and in some cases medication can be effective in treating the various concussion clinical profiles. Some athletes experience persistent post-concussion symptoms (PCS) and/or psychological issues (e.g., depression, anxiety) following concussion. Following appropriate treatment and rehabilitation strategies, determination of safe return to play is predicated on being symptom-free and back to normal levels of function at rest and following exertion. Certain populations, including youth athletes, may be at a higher risk for worse impairment and prolonged recovery following concussion. It has been suggested that some athletes experience long-term effects associated with concussion including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). However, additional empirical studies on the role of concussion on CTE are needed, as CTE may have multiple causes that are unrelated to sport participation and concussion.

Inclusion and Normalization of Queer Identities in Women’s College Sport

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mallory Mann ◽  
Vikki Krane
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Team Sport ◽  
Women's College ◽  
Women's Sport ◽  
College Sport ◽  
Sexual Identities ◽  
Optimistic Picture ◽  
History Of ◽  
College Team

While recent studies paint an optimistic picture of acceptance and inclusion of queer athletes, it would be naive to assume homonegativism no longer exists. In this study, we interviewed 13 queer female athletes to understand their college team sport climates and how heteronormativity is reinforced and confronted in women’s college sport. Using a feminist cultural studies approach, two types of team climates emerged from the data: inclusive climates and transitioning climates. On inclusive teams, queer and heterosexual members overtly communicated their norm of inclusion to new teammates, normalized diverse sexualities, and consistently engaged in inclusive behaviors. Transitioning teams were described as neither inclusive nor hostile initially, and, while they did not have a history of inclusion, they transitioned to becoming more outwardly accepting of diverse sexual identities. On transitioning teams, queer athletes surveyed the landscape before sharing their sexual orientation, after which the team evolved to become inclusive. All the athletes talked about awkward moments, occasional incidents of nonsupport, and the benefits of inclusion. These findings reveal emerging cracks in hegemonic heteronormativity in women’s sport, especially among athletes.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Time to Return-to-Play Progression After Sport-Related Concussion

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Stone ◽  
Bobby Lee ◽  
J. Craig Garrison ◽  
Damond Blueitt ◽  
Kalyssa Creed
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
American Football ◽  
Return To Play ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
History Of

Background: Recently, female sports participation has increased, and there is a tendency for women to experience more symptoms and variable presentation after sport-related concussion (SRC). The purpose of this study was to determine whether sex differences exist in time to begin a return-to-play (RTP) progression after an initial SRC. Hypothesis: After initial SRC, female athletes (11-20 years old) would take longer to begin an RTP progression compared with age-matched male athletes. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: A total of 579 participants (365 males [mean age, 15.0 ± 1.7 years], 214 females [mean age, 15.2 ± 1.5 years]), including middle school, high school, and collegiate athletes who participated in various sports and experienced an initial SRC were included and underwent retrospective chart review. The following information was collected: sex, age at injury, sport, history of prior concussion, date of injury, and date of initiation of RTP progression. Participants with a history of more than 1 concussion or injury sustained from non–sport-related activity were excluded. Results: Despite American football having the greatest percentage (49.2%) of sport participation, female athletes took significantly longer to start an RTP progression after an initial SRC (29.1 ± 26.3 days) compared with age-matched male athletes (22.7 ± 18.3 days; P = 0.002). Conclusion: On average, female athletes took approximately 6 days longer to begin an RTP progression compared with age-matched male athletes. This suggests that sex differences exist between athletes, aged 11 to 20 years, with regard to initiation of an RTP progression after SRC. Clinical Relevance: Female athletes may take longer to recover after an SRC, and therefore, may take longer to return to sport. Sex should be considered as part of the clinical decision-making process when determining plan of care for this population.

From Propaganda to Scholarship: Dr Joseph Schechtman and the Origins of Israeli Polemics on the Palestinian Refugees

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Masalha
Keyword(s):  
Right Wing ◽  
Population Transfer ◽  
Arab Population ◽  
Palestinian Refugees ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Archival Documents ◽  
History Of ◽  
Arab States ◽  
Refugee Problem ◽  
Secret History

In 1948 an official ‘Transfer Committee’ was appointed by the Israeli Cabinet to plan the Palestinian refugees' resettlement in the Arab states. Apart from doing everything possible to reduce the Arab population in Israel, the Transfer Committee sought to amplify and consolidate the demographic transformation of Palestine by: preventing the Palestinian refugees from returning to their homes; the destruction of Arab villages; settlement of Jews in Arab villages and towns; and launching a propaganda campaign to discourage Arab return. One of the Transfer Committee's initiatives was to invite Dr Joseph Schechtman, a right-wing Zionist Revisionist leader and expert on ‘population transfer’, to join its efforts. In 1952 Schechtman published a propagandists work entitled The Arab Refugee Problem. Since then Schechtman would become the single most influential propagator of the Zionist myth of ‘voluntary’ exodus in 1948. This article examines the leading role played by Schechtman in promoting Israeli propaganda and politics of denial. Relying on newly-discovered Israeli archival documents, the article deals with little known and new aspects of the secret history of the post-1948 period.

Sea Urchins and Circuses: The Modernist Natural Histories of Jean Painlevé and Alexander Calder

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-211
Author(s):  
Patricia E. Chu
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Machine Age ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The One ◽  
Natural Historian

The Paris avant-garde milieu from which both Cirque Calder/Calder's Circus and Painlevé’s early films emerged was a cultural intersection of art and the twentieth-century life sciences. In turning to the style of current scientific journals, the Paris surrealists can be understood as engaging the (life) sciences not simply as a provider of normative categories of materiality to be dismissed, but as a companion in apprehending the “reality” of a world beneath the surface just as real as the one visible to the naked eye. I will focus in this essay on two modernist practices in new media in the context of the history of the life sciences: Jean Painlevé’s (1902–1989) science films and Alexander Calder's (1898–1976) work in three-dimensional moving art and performance—the Circus. In analyzing Painlevé’s work, I discuss it as exemplary of a moment when life sciences and avant-garde technical methods and philosophies created each other rather than being classified as separate categories of epistemological work. In moving from Painlevé’s films to Alexander Calder's Circus, Painlevé’s cinematography remains at the forefront; I use his film of one of Calder's performances of the Circus, a collaboration the men had taken two decades to complete. Painlevé’s depiction allows us to see the elements of Calder's work that mark it as akin to Painlevé’s own interest in a modern experimental organicism as central to the so-called machine-age. Calder's work can be understood as similarly developing an avant-garde practice along the line between the bestiary of the natural historian and the bestiary of the modern life scientist.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document