Written by Kylee Seaver
Image Coursey: RF._.studio from Pexels
We have all heard the phrase “you play like a girl” at some point in our lives. As a society, we have normalized the idea that female athletes are inferior to males simply because of their gender. These subtle microaggressions continue to build up and result in a toxic environment for many female athletes across the spectrum. Due to the intense scrutiny put on female athletes, many of them face immense mental health issues. Although there have been more conversations about prioritizing mental health, I have noticed people rarely discuss specific double standards female athletes face and the mental health issues associated with them. So, in this article, I am talking about how specific double standards within sports take a toll on female athletes’ mental health. I will use Simone Biles’s recent health struggles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games to illustrate how women navigate being leaders in sports.
It’s not uncommon for women to be encouraged to look and act a certain way. The preconceived notions of how a “lady should look” have notably trickled into the world of sports. Male athletes are supposed to appear muscular, and their appearance generally isn’t a topic of conversation, but it’s a whole different ball game for female athletes. In a research study involving highly trained female athletes, the authors noted, “female athletes experience both sociocultural and sport-specific pressure to change their weight, body, and appearance and they are at risk of developing dissatisfaction with their body” (Kantanista et al., 2018, p.1). There’s a tightrope that women walk on, they can’t be too muscular and robust because that particular look is for men, but they have to be strong to excel in these competitive arenas.
The pressure of looking a certain way can lead to female athletes developing body image issues. In a study conducted by ESPN, “30% of female collegiate athletes admitted to being afraid of becoming too muscular, and 14% admitted to having been diagnosed with an eating disorder” (ESPN). This speaks to the gender constructs within our society because female athletes feel an extra level of scrutiny about their appearances due to the double standards between males and females.
Image Courtesy: Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Along with the unrealistic body standards set for female athletes, there is also the blatant comparison of male and female athletes. Male athletes are considered “the bar,” so when a female starts making headlines, everyone is quick to put her into place by unfairly comparing her to a solid male athlete. For example, after dominating the 2016 Rio Olympics, Simone Biles was compared to other well-known male Olympians. In an interview, Biles stated, “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps, I’m the first Simone Biles.” Biles shouldn’t have to explain that her accomplishments are unique to her, but this again shows how gender biases contribute to how female athletes are treated on all levels. When male athletes break records, the attention is solely on them, but when a female athlete makes headlines, we feel the need to compare her accomplishments to others.
Simone has been at the forefront of tackling gender biases within the sports world and has shed light on how it has affected her mental health. She was the main attraction of all 2020 Olympic coverage leading up to the games. So, when Simone pulled out of the team final competition and several other individual events, the world was left stunned. Simone said she did not feel safe competing in these events due to mental health concerns that started to impact her performance and, therefore, put her physical health at risk. In an Instagram post, Biles stated, “I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me, but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha!” This exemplifies the immense pressure put on female athletes and the anxiety to constantly perform their best to prove the strength of female competitors. Like Simone, female athletes can develop anxiety and depression due to the pressure to perform while facing the disadvantages set by gender biases. Simone walked away from the 2020 games with two more Olympic medals but, more importantly, opened the floodgates for discussing the mental well-being of female athletes on a global scale.
Image Courtesy: Simone Biles
As a woman in a leadership position, Simone has experienced firsthand the many barriers that come with gender construct in our society. Rather than letting the system change her, she decided to change the narrative herself. Stacey Abrams mentioned in her TED talk, “I know we have to have women who speak for the voiceless.” Simone Biles and many other notable female athletes are standing up for the voiceless, for those who feel trapped in the double standards within their sports and our society. Simone is calling out the double standards and the stigma surrounding mental health for female athletes. This shows that where there are women in sports, there’s a way to showcase the strength of all female athletes.
As you can see, female athletes are forced to carry the unfair attitudes that narrow in on women in sports. Many female competitors experience mental health concerns, such as body image issues and anxiety, stemming from these double standards. For these double standards and the pressure that comes with them to end, we must break the barriers of gender biases within our society. We must teach our youth that there is strength in playing like a girl.
References:
Abrams, S. (n.d.). Transcript of "3 questions to ask yourself about everything you do". TED. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://www.ted.com/talks/stacey_abrams_3_questions_to_ask_yourself_about_everything_you_do/transcript?language=en.
ESPN Internet Ventures. (n.d.). Body image confidential. ESPN. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/19232937/espnw-body-image-confidential#!survey.
Garber, M. (2016, August 17). Simone Biles also wins at media criticism. The Atlantic. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/08/the-olympic-quote-that-should-be-heard-round-the-world/495653/.
Kantanista, A., Glapa, A., Banio, A., Firek, W., Ingarden, A., Malchrowicz-Mośko, E., Markiewicz, P., Płoszaj, K., Ingarden, M., & Maćkowiak, Z. (2018). Body Image of Highly Trained Female Athletes Engaged in Different Types of Sport. BioMed research international, 2018, 6835751. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6835751
[@simonebiles]. (2021, July 26). I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me, but damn sometimes it’s hard, hahaha! [Instagram photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/CRxsq_kBZrP/?utm_medium=share_sheet
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