Take Serena’s lead in a stand against prejudice in sports
BY CONSTANTLY REFERRING TO THE GENDER OF FEMALE ATHLETES, COMMENTATORS DENIGRATE BOTH THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND THE JOY OF SPORT ITSELF, WRITES ANNA GEARY
THE world of sport is changing. Equality is starting to emerge. Men and women are finally on a par. Blah, blah, blah. Lies, all lies.
A politician is slammed in the media for messing up, the details of the scandal take centre stage with no mention of whether or not the shamed politician has to wear a bra every day.
A teacher manages to help their students achieve high results in an examination and they are praised for their effort irrespective of whether or not they carry a handbag.
A doctor saves the life of a new-born baby and is inundated with messages of gratitude from the family regardless of gender, yet in sport the magnitude of your success and talent are largely determined by your bodily parts. Why is that? Why in the 21st century do we still think and speak about athletes and female athletes. You would never declare that Rory McIlroy is a supreme male golfer, yet Katie Taylor is a talented female boxer.
Can someone enlighten me as to the different ingredients needed to train hard and be the best for men versus women? Sorry, but I never got that memo!
I was born a woman, just like some of you out there were born as men. You did not have a part to play in making it happen, so why do you get extra credit for it when you step into sporting arenas or onto playing fields? As a man, genetics gave you the ability to run faster and become physically stronger. But that does not make you better than I am.
Serena Williams recently won her 7th Wimbledon title and her 22nd Grand Slam overall.
That is an incredible feat by anyone’s standards. A journalist interviewing her last week asked her what is feels like to be regarded as “one of the greatest ever female athletes?”
Que the pregnant pause. Serena’s composed reply was like a slap in the face for that reporter,
“I prefer the words ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time”. As comebacks go that was a sucker punch.
He would not have dared lead with a question relating to her being “one the greatest black tennis players” or he would have had to resign for racial comments, but it was deemed acceptable for him to try and make her sound inferior to her male counterparts because she has breasts?
I work in the world of sport. I frequently comment that I feel privileged to have the op- portunity to do so. This is because I now have a job that I love, not because I am a woman working in sport. I don’t claim to know more than the men I stand beside in the press box, but because I wear high heels why is it an automatic presumption by some that I know less?
I have graced the pitches of our country’s main stadiums on big match days. I have tasted bitter defeat and sweet success. I have experienced the gruelling routine of an athlete and have dedicated years of my life to my sport.
So listen up. Yes, you reading this article, the one sipping your tea, trying to decide if you agree with me or not.
Permission to speak candidly… let’s cut the crap. If you ask someone to throw “like a girl” or run “like a girl”, the majority will pose in an almost mocking-like stance and will stereotypically throw like they don’t mean it, or run while simultaneously flicking their hair. Stereotypes, you are a pain in my ass! I don’t know who created them but why are we still adhering to them?
You ask a young girl to do things “like a girl” and she will do them with power, conviction and vigor.
Is it only as she grows up that she is led to believe that doing things “like a girl” (in the world of sport anyway) is a sign of weakness.
If you don’t believe me check out the recent #Likeagirl Campaign on the internet.
Why does doing something “like a girl” insinuate it is done at a sub-standard level?
This is not a cry to expect women to get superior treatment, but why should we put up with being classed as ‘mediocre at best’ in sport or skillful for a woman.
I’m tired of it. Why can’t we just be skillful full stop? Let’s remove the gender association.
How about we use sport to tear down these barriers once and for all? Sport permeates into every aspect of society. Let’s use it to build a different future, a better one.
Who breaks the cycle? If not you, then who?
HOW ABOUT WE USE SPORT TO TEAR DOWN THE GENDER BARRIERS ONCE AND FOR ALL? SPORT PERMEATES INTO EVERY ASPECT OF SOCIETY. LET’S USE IT TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE.