After a satisfying lunch filled with good food and intergenerational discussion, we were back for a packed afternoon of panels and workshops at Omega. Since the Feministing editors were prepping for their much-anticipated workshop Blogging Demystified, I covered the next panel with three insanely successful female athletes.
Donna Lopiano, the former chief executive officer of the Women’s Sports Foundation opened up the panel. A nine-time All-American softball player, Donna played in 26 national championships in four different sports and coached volleyball, basketball, and softball at the college level. She notes that early in the feminist movement, sport was rejected because it was seen as a male construct. But now that women are in the game, they are challenging some of the “male” values that have traditionally governed the sports world. She invites us to think about women’s sports as a subversive activity in which men are actively supporting the seeds of their own demise.
Donna talked about the history of Title IX, which opened up the sports world for women as well as “the continuum of what an ideal woman can be.” When Title IX passed in the 1970s, there was an uproar as male athletic departments claimed that women’s athletics would be the “death of American football.” But women won the media battle over Title IX—in large part thanks to their fathers. Fathers who didn’t have sons invested in their daughters and put their life-blood into their sports careers. Indeed, the first Title IX lawsuits were brought by fathers defending their daughters’ right to play. As a life-long soccer player with an obsessed soccer Dad, I have no trouble imagining the power of that father-led movement.
Next, Donna spoke with two amazing current athletes. Angela Hucles, a midfielder for the Boston Breakers, led the U.S. national women’s soccer team in goals scored when they won the Gold Medal in the 2008 Olympics. Jessica Mendoza led the U.S. Softball team to a Silver Medal in the 2008 Olympics.
How do you deal with fear?
Angela: The fear is always there. This is one job that everyone feels like they can critique. We’re always under the microscope, always being evaluated. You have the face the pressuring of performing in order to success. You have the look at fear as a challenge, as a positive thing.
Jessica: It’s the risks that you take that make you successful. You’ve gotta swing as hard as you can. And yeah, you’re gonna miss. But if you connect then you’ll hit the ball harder than anyone.
I think sports has taught us that the women’s movement can’t be from the neck up; you have the own your body. How do you feel like sports has affected your relationship to your body?
Angela: It’s given me so much confidence. You don’t know how far you can go until you push your body to its limits. Being able to feel physically and mentally fit is incredibly empowering.
Jessica: I think being able to realize that many body types are powerful. Being able to embrace the word “strong” and realize that it helps you be a better athlete.
Have you encountered male coaches who have values that are different from yours?
Angela: I think some of the male coaches out there need to realize that there are differences between men and women. Some girls aren’t gonna want to be yelled and screamed at. And I think people are beginning to talk about that more. And recognize that there are different ways you can approach a player and maximize that person’s potential.
Jessica: My dad coached me when I started out, and I always preferred having a male coach. But I eventually came to appreciate the connection we can have as women coaching women. As a coach, I find the best way to reach girls is to tell them what they did wrong, but also build them up and tell them what they did right. When you feel good about yourself, you’re going to want to get better.
Overall, the panel raised many interesting questions about women, power, and sports. And it certainly reminded me of why sports can be so empowering and were such an important part of my own feminist development.
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"She invites us to think about women’s sports as a subversive activity in which men are actively supporting the seeds of their own demise."
Explain please.
Yes, this part too please:
"But now that women are in the game, they are challenging some of the “male” values that have traditionally governed the sports world."
So, teamwork, competition and the drive to succeed (which are at the core of all competitive sports) are "male values"?
Yeah, that does sound pretty misandrist!
I'm confused too. The seeds of WHAT demise? The seeds of conventional masculinity?
If so, then I'm all for bringing that demise into being. But along the way, I'd like to make an effort to attack some horrible stereotypes, namely that all female athletes must surely be lesbians.
Yes. My apologies. In my eagerness to fulfill the “live” part of live-blogging I clearly didn’t offer enough explanation. Donna’s comment about women’s sport as a subversive activity was partly tongue-in-cheek. She pointed out that women’s athletics—when done right—is this whole establishment devoted to teaching girls and women to be strong, empowered leaders—on and off the field (or pitch or court). And that has some seriously subversive potential since it’s an enterprise—unlike many other efforts at women’s empowerment—that is, for the most part, greatly supported by men. She also argues that as more and more girls play sports and more and more women become coaches, they are challenging the conventional concepts of masculinity that have traditionally been associated with sports—aggression, individual competition, etc.—by recognizing that many female (and male) athletes respond better to positive feedback and an emphasis on teamwork, for example.
What about the demise part? I do support girls' athletics, and now I'm nervous about how it's going to lead to my undoing. Give me a hint?
I still don't see how this will lead to the demise of men. The demise of patriarchal aspects of sport and the demise of patriarchy through that sure, but the demise of men? Men is not a synonym for patriarchy!
Most of what you have reported is interesting, positive and worth discussing but you've distracted us all with this unbelievably ill considered statement.
It's unfortunate these posts can't be edited. Your explanation here makes considerably more sense.
I don't know, however, if terming it "subversive" is really correct. By definition, to act in a subversive manner is to work secretly to overthrow the powers that be (in this case, to create stronger women and chip away at the masculinity surrounding sports culture).
But it's not a secret. Guys that support women's athletics are generally not doing so thinking it's cute that girls play the same games they do, but otherwise expecting to hold women down as their forefathers did. They like the idea women becoming stronger and more empowered- a lot of these guys are thinking about their daughters, sisters, girlfriends, etc. They're probably not specifically considering the effect on sports culture as a whole, but then again, if they're for stronger women through sports, they're probably for whatever it takes to achieve that end. If that means learning a hug is sometimes better than the doghouse, they're not going to complain.
You want subversive? Find a woman who climbs the corporate ladder, plays the game, gets to the top of her company, then fires half the male executives to get women in those positions. No one sees it coming. That's subversive.
"I think some of the male coaches out there need to realize that there are differences between men and women. Some girls aren’t gonna want to be yelled and screamed at."
Newsflash - guys don't like being yelled and screamed at by coaches either, it's just not socially acceptable for us to say so.
In fact, nobody likes being yelled and screamed at - that's not a gender thing, that's a human thing.
All coaches male and male are not the same. The highly successful Pat Summit of Tennessee screams as much as any man on the other hand Phil Jackson never screams he just smirks and let Jordan or Kobe scream for him. To me one of the chief values of sports for girls is learning to work together for a goal even with folks you don't like.
Last clarification from me: Donna's quote about women's athletics as a "subversive activity in which men are actively supporting the seeds of their own demise" was a joke. She clearly doesn't believe that women's sports will spell the end of men--or even traditional masculinity. She does argue that the presence of women challenges some of the patriarchal aspects of sport. Whether it truly does and if that's something that is needed is up for debate...we could probably devote a few community posts to exploring those questions.