Women who Participate in Contact Sports
Contact sports are associated with certain attributes of behavior such as aggression and assertiveness. The more aggressive the player is the higher the chances of success. This calls for players to present specific characteristics which will enable them to compete competitively in these games. Speed and stamina must be at all times achieved by a player for her to remain relevant in these sports. This calls for tough training to enable the female players achieve same speed and strength as their male counterparts. These characteristics usually described masculinity but more and more women are playing games where these attributes come into play. There have been concerns that women participation in contact games places them in a position where they would loose their feminine features, but most of those who participate strongly reject this notion arguing that instead it enhances their feminine features. Even in cases where many women were presented with cases and stories by their boyfriends, mothers and even medical practitioners who feared that their participation in contact sports would undermine the beauty and attraction they still continued to play. Instead of such sentiments putting the women players out of the game they repeatedly expressed pride in their games.Mia Hamm took great pride in winning her games making her to make one of the most optimistic statement in her sporting career. This statement is often quoted by many players since it motivates them to even play better. She got great pride in winning prompting her to say that the one who said there is nothing in winning never won anything, the statement is both humorous and motivating. (Fields, S 2005)
Sport such as rugby is mentally and physically challenging where full contact is established. The sport subjects the participants whether male of female to a very high risk of injury as happens to all the contact sports. One study found that close to forty two percent of United States women rugby players reported a past injury which was defined as needing serious medical attention. A great part of those injured reported being unable to participate in the game for sometime or even in the rest of their lives due to injuries suffered. Another study estimated that more than thirty thousand women rugby players reported to United States emergency units for treatment as a result of injuries between 1980 and 2004.The same study found an injury rate of thirteen percent per one thousand athletic exposures. This clearly indicates that rugby as one of the full contacts game has a great toll on the players. It is a high risk game which not only causes numerous injuries on the players but also puts the lives of the female athletes in danger due to the nature of some of the injuries suffered. Given the number of players who report injuries in the course of participating in the game one would expect that women would be deterred from such an activity but ironically more and more female players are enrolling for the game with the number of players increasing to an all time high in the recent past. These participants have cited various reasons as to why they engage in this contact sport. A study carried out found that majority of the female rugby players were in the game due to the challenges it presents to an individual.
They cited the aggressiveness and the competitive nature of the game as the motivating factor which makes them play a game which many consider dangerous. A good percentage of the respondents cited the thrill associated with the game as the main factor leading to their participation in the game. The contact sports gives them kind of fun which no other sport can. This lot of women has been labeled by the society as going against the normal standards expected of a woman In the American society women are expected to play soft games which are less aggressive. Therefore playing a sport like rugby goes against expectation of many in the society hence being labeled rebellious. Most of the females who play contact sports engaged in play with boys during their childhood. They were seen to prefer boys activates to girls plays. Most of them have to live with being labeled as tomboys, a term which was often pumped into their heads either to discourage them from boys games or to encourage them to continue exhibiting aggressiveness associated with boys.
Lawler, J (2002) observes that there is no particular kind of a woman who participates in contact sports. They come in different sizes and have the same features and characteristics as an ordinary woman. Perhaps the different comes in terms of agility and determination to win and prove herself. There has been an assumption that women who participate in these sporting activities do so to make a statement. It may be true that some are out to make a statement concerning their ability and assertion that they are not under the control of men. They have an aggressive personality which proves them to be independent and can not be control by their male counterparts.
There are women who have been noted to participate in contact games not to make a statement concerning their sexuality rather to do what they think is right for themselves. One good example is the woman who was the former female champion in women boxing. Christy Martin was famous in the field of a sport which considered violent since she was signed by one of the famous promoter who was known to only deal with players who had a great potential. The fact that Christy was signed by this promoter proves that she was not just any ordinary woman. She was a cut above the rest as far as boxing was concerned. She was making great strides in a field which was dominated by men. The fact that this female boxer was good at what she did does not mean she was out there to make a sexist statement, she is on record saying that she was not in this game to make any particular statement rather she was out to enjoy herself and make the best out of her situation She was not in boxing to influence other women to take sporting activities which are masculine and challenge mens world. What she did was her passion but she would not even encourage her daughter to take boxing, rather she should make her own choices as far as her future is concerned. She felt that women should not participate in the contact sports to prove their ability or prove themselves to the world rather it should be something that comes from within their conscience and simply aim at doing what they believe is right for them. (Cohen, G 2001)
This clearly shows that not all women have the same feeling about contact sports being a fight between sexes. Contact sports need not be a field into which women want the world to know that they are also capable of accomplishing same tasks men undertake. There is a general feeling that such thoughts might be self defeating and cost those who hold such opinions dearly. A woman engaging in collision sports out of frustration by the gender imbalances that exist in the society will not be prepared to handle the pressure that comes with these sports. She will not be strong enough to withstand the type of energy exhibited in the games rather her aggression and frustration will work against her and make her even weaker than her current perceived position. (Covington, S 2000)
There is a strong belief in some quarters that women who participate in contact sports are masculine making them unattractive to men, the kind that should not be married. Those who prescribe to this school of thought have even gone ahead to label such kind of women as lesbians. Though this kind of labeling may not be a problem to some of the players such sentiment may cause great suffering to some of the players since they would not like to seen going against the norm. Many who engage in excessive contact games may have strong bodies just like men making them unattractive to men, feminine features play a great role as far as choosing of a mate is concerned to most men. Though to some men muscled women may not be a big issue a good proportion of men would prefer a partner who exhibit characteristics which society prescribes as feminine. Women do not seem to challenge this notion since most of the times they are seen to act in such a way that men would be attracted to them. They dress in a sexy way, wear make and do such other things which would make them attractive to men. This is done as a compensation for their perceived masculinity hence look appealing to their male counterparts. (Barbara, L 2000)
As has been noted earlier injuries take great toll on women who engage in contact sports. It has been noted that rugby and football produce the highest number of injuries ever reported. One of the common injuries involves head and neck, some of the injuries can be fatal while other affects the player for the rest of her life. One unique aspect of the two games is the fact that head is used commonly to direct the ball. This is coupled by the fact that head gear is not used to protect the head in these two games. This makes it prone to injuries some of which have serious effects on the normal functions of the brain. Study shows that women who engage in contact sports are at high risks of getting concussions compared to men who engage in similar sporting activities. This shows that women are at higher risks of being victims of conditions which are associated with severe concussions. (Reilley, J and Cahn, S 2007)
Concussions are traumatic head injuries which are as a result of mild or severe head blows. Some of the head injuries might appear mild but research indicate that concussions can have serious and long term consequences on a female player. This is even worse if the injuries are repetitive and occurring at the same point. A concussion is usually caused by a severe head trauma where the brain moves violently within the skull. This may lead to serious damage of the brain tissues causing some parts of the brain not to function properly. Brain being a central part of coordination plays a big role in making a player fit. When coordination is affected the player becomes physically unfit for the game. This can be traumatizing for the female players who are determined to make their best in these kinds of sporting activities. Studies show that women who suffer head injuries end up suffering from mental illnesses due to depression. Concussions on their own might not be serious but when they go unnoticed or untreated they can take a great toll on the women life. Concussions are also known to trigger memory loss this problem can be short term or long term. This happens when concussions are not treated in time. Memory loss especially long term can have a great effect on a player given that she might not be in a position to engage in competitive sporting activities. (Wann, D 1997)
Boxing is also associated with head injuries despite the fact that players are protected with head gears. One given factor is that head injuries are common in this activity therefore concussions are common even in women who participate in this game which is at times referred as violent sport. Repetitive head trauma in women can lead to early onset of Parkinsons disease which normally affects men but is known to affect a given number of women (Ruseell, G 2008)
The same way an injury has an effect on a player in the course of the game so does it take toll on a player during recovery period. It has been found that athletes usually feel frustrated when they know they can not participate in crucial matches due to the injuries suffered. There has been a report that these athletes suffer from reduced self esteem. The increase in the negative mood which they experience in the course of recovery may even continue after recovery. This will have taken toll on the players ability to return to the same level she was before the injury. Since high contact games are associated to injuries which in most cases lead to prolonged absence in the competitive plays women experience these negative moods which have a great impact on their recovery as well as future perception of their lives and sports too.
Contact sports require energy and strength, high training and proper feeding play an important role as far as these two aspects are concerned. Women athletes just like any other sports people tend to be competitive and disciplined who go to any lengths to make it in sports. These combinations coupled with the factor that high contact games require speed and agility may make them develop eating disorders. Ideally it is believed that most female soccer players are healthy but recent studies show that female elite players are experiencing eating disorder in their quest to remain shapely and attractive. As a result of this many of them are experiencing problems associated with poor dieting making them drop in sports all together. Dieting behavior has been cited to have serious effect on the lives of the athletes they suffer from various problems such as energy deficit, increased danger of osteoporosis, menstrual dysfunction among other serious conditions.
Although eating disorder are less common in high contact sports, this problem usually go unnoticed presenting serious problem to the players later in their life. One of the common problems is associated with weak bones and a menstrual cycle which is not regular. Although these problems may not affect the player in the course of the competitive period they will take toll when the player retires or reaches prime age. This means that the effect of players behavior in the course of competitive age will be felt when least expected. This may cause both physical and psychological stress therefore affecting the quality of life for these sportswomen. (Hunter, W 2004)
The women who engage in higher contact games just like other sportswomen are under great pressure from all the quarters to be and remain thin and flexible. The high expectations are set by their coaches, fans media, parents and even their friends. Factors such as beliefs that a lighter body will lead to great success in these games can lead to the players adopting a lifestyle which might not auger well with the activities which they undertake. The society expectations ends up putting pressure on the players who are even more stressed by the fact that they are expected to show results for them to remain relevant in the world of sports.
In United States of America there are more than twice as many women as men who experience some episodes of depression. There is little evidence which points out that brain chemistry is out rightly different between the genders many believe that women are more attuned to emotions and possibly seeks treatment for their problems. The sports world is a direct reflection of the society. Women suffer depression due to the pressure that is exerted to them by different people who have an interest in what they do. The sponsors put pressure on them to perform so that their products can be seen the best there is in the market, coaches have an interest in their game as well as the fans. This pressure has a great toll on players making them present mental problems which at times can be devastating. One such a case was Julie Krone who was battling with the problem of depression after she suffered a knee injury which required her to be put in rehabilitation as she recouped. Canadian player Meghan Mutrie also suffered the same fate when she had brain injury. (OHanley, J 1998)
Participation in contact sports by women has positive and negative effects on them and society at large. Positive effects dwell on the fact that they enable them to compete on equal terms proving to the world that they are also capable of achieving the same goals as their male counterparts. Feminist have emphasized this point quoting the fact that women have the same capability to achieve greater heights as men. This serves as the point through which people who share this school of thought use to oppose male domination of the women. Sports have been used to show that differences that exist between men and women are only social and perpetuated by paternal societies to keep the woman subordinated and controlled.
On the same note women are able to enjoy what they like most this goes for particular women who prefer thrilling sports to those who are traditionally associated with females. Contact sports presented them with an opportunity to raise their adrenaline and the thrill that these sporting activities bring with them.Agression is an attribute that human being should have to enable them compete in this harsh world. Contact sports give women an opportunity to learn the hard skills which can help them to survive in the tough and competitive modern world. (Lawyler, J 2002)
On the other hand contact sports have taken toll on the women players both mentally and physically. Women have been labeled as rebels going against what is normally expected in the society. They have been emotionally tortured as they try to match men as far as aggression is concerned. To keep their feminine looks despite the strength that comes with contact games women have to go an extra mile so as they can remain attractive. Women participation in the high contact sports may be encouraging to the world of sports but the fact remains that this phenomenon has had a toll on the women folk This is both positively and negatively as well as influencing other women to take up challenges which will enable them to compete on equal terms and reduce male domination and control in the society. Contact sports will continue to attract women from all races making the games more competitive no matter what the society thinks of these women and eventually the game will be in equal terms with the men
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