Women in Sports: Bowdoin and Beyond

Women in Sports: Bowdoin and Beyond

Participation in Athletics=Higher Self-Esteem

Overall, "positive self-esteem, or general self worth (GSW), allows individuals to feel good about who they are and what they can do, while at the same time giving them the confidence necessary to meet new challenges".[1] There have been many studies done on how to improve self-esteem levels, and participation in sports seems to be something that positively correlates to higher self-confidence levels in both boys and girls. Generally, "adolescence is a time of transition, as individuals struggle to deal with physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout this developmental period" and during this time "a decline in self-esteem can have a significant impact".[2] Although this decrease in self-esteem happens for both boys and girls, "adolescent girls in particular, demonstrate significant declines in self-esteem throughout this developmental period" and the decline for boys "appears less dramatic than that of girls".[3] Research has found that "participating in sports can have benefits for adolescent girls that reach beyond simply staying physically fit," and through athletics girls, "have better images of their own bodies, higher levels of self-esteem and more trust for others".[4] Ultimately, it seems that greater self-esteem means more confidence in oneself. This is not only limited to athletics, but the enhanced self-esteem translates to other areas of life such as relationships and academics.

Bowdoin Field HockeyRachel Simmons in "Odd Girl Out" addresses the relational aggression of girls and their bullying relationships with each other especially during adolescence. This idea of girl aggression definitely results from girls having low self-esteem and not being able to act out their aggression in a positive and socially acceptable way. Simmons suggests that girls should participate in sports and be involved with a team because the "shift in scrutiny, away from what makes a girl popular and on to what makes her a good player…can make the difference" in her self-confidence and relationships with other girls.[5] It is seen as acceptable for boys to show aggressive behavior in everyday life, but girls need an outlet for their aggression as well as a place to form positive relationships with other girls through that behavior. "A world that acknowledges the hidden culture of aggression, girls would cease to play out their own fearful prophecies of loss" and "knowing that conflicts are periodic, and that relationships can survive them, girls might be less inclined to engage in the repression, back-stabbing, and ganging up" that ruin relationships.[6]

Bowdoin Womens Track Dr. Mary Pipher in Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls discusses how girls change through adolescence and their self-esteem levels drop significantly. Pipher says that in early adolescence, "girls' loose their resiliency and optimism and become less curious and inclined to take risks" in addition to losing, "their assertive, energetic and 'tomboyish' personalities" and they, "become more deferential, self-critical and depressed".[7] As athletes, girls are able to express themselves with energy and assertiveness in, "his gap between girls' true selves and cultural prescriptions for what is properly female creates enormous problems".[8] I think that participation in sports during adolescence helps to create a space where girls can gain that confidence back. "Adolescence is when girls experience social pressure to put aside their authentic selves and to display only a small portion of their gifts".[9] By playing a sport, girls are allowed to show and develop other skills that they might not be able to otherwise.

One example of how athletics positively affects girls' self-esteem life skills is Rachel Cook who was the 1998 Teen Athlete of the Year.[10] Rachel liked sports including basketball, track and field, softball, and cheerleading, and she has "come to understand the value of teamwork and self-reliance, and how to balance the two". [11] She "also discovered the importance of having a positive attitude, even when things aren't going [her] way".[12] All of those things are important in creating self-confidence.

Bowdoin Lacrosse Another reason it is important for girls to participate in athletics is so "girls can come to appreciate their bodies and the fact that strength and endurance are assets".[13] This is especially important based on what girls see portrayed in the media as being a beautiful body, which does not usually include having an athletic build. Through sports, girls will grow up to be "stronger, both mentally and physically".[14] Also, it seems that sports create an environment where girls can show off their skills and strength as well as gain confidence through praise from peers and coaches.

[1] Health Care Industry, "Sports Participation and Self-Esteem: Variations as a Function of Gender and Gender Role Orientation" available online: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_2003_July/ai_104634717/ Accessed March 2009.
[2] Ibid
[3]Ibid
[4] Science Daily, "UF Researcher: Participating in Sports Gives Girls Strong Self-Images" available online: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/11/981117150259.htm Accessed March 2009.
[5] Simmons, Rachel. "Odd Girl Out" p. 233
[6] Ibid p. 262
[7] Pipher, Mary. "Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls". Putnam Books: New York, 1994, p. 19.
[8] Ibid p. 22
[9] Ibid p. 22
[10] Family TLC, "You Throw, Girl! Girls, Sports and Self-Esteem" available online: http://www.familytlc.net/girls_sports_teen.html Accessed March 2009.
[11] Ibid
[12] Ibid
[13] Science Daily, "UF Researcher: Participating in Sports Gives Girls Strong Self-Images" available online: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/11/981117150259.htm Accessed March 2009.
[14] Ibid