Over the past century, women have come along way in terms of equality. Ever since Women’s Suffrage (which, by the way, may be the worst name ever for women’s equality), in most aspects women have been put on a level playing field with their male counterparts. During the brunt of the 20th Century, women largely spent their time tending to the home. However, as a society we have since left those archaic times, and women currently comprise nearly 50% of the work force.
So, the next question that comes to mind is whether or not this equality issue should be taken to the next level, allowing women to participate in sports that are predominantly played by men. Here are my thoughts on the issue.
I generally feel as if I am a progressive thinker. In no way, shape or form do I believe that women are of a lesser life form than men. Women are just as intelligent, talented and capable as men, far surpassing men in some areas. However, when it comes to sports, it is a virtual certainty that men are bigger, faster and stronger than women. As a result, it is no secret that women find it rather difficult to compete with men. But, does that mean that women should be excluded from the male side of sports? Not necessarily. I feel that in sports like swimming, golf, track, and tennis, women should be allowed to compete with men if they feel up to the task. You may be wondering why women should be allowed to compete in some sports and not others. Here is why. The aforementioned sports are individual, non-contact sports. If there is no physical contact between the contestants, the outcome of the game depends less on physical prowess than on skill. Physicality still is a factor, but not nearly as much as in team or contact sports. When skill is the main determinant, I don’t see any reason why women should not be able to play with men.
However, when it comes to contact sports like football, basketball, soccer and hockey, I personally don’t think that women should be allowed to compete. My reasoning is two fold. First, when women and men play together, men find themselves at a distinct disadvantage. Men have been raised to treat women with respect and kindness. This notion definitely shows up on the playing field. For example, when in college I participated in co-ed intramural sports. As I found myself playing against a female opponent, I felt bad taking the ball away from her. Furthermore, even if I did decide to take the ball, I did it in a very unnatural way, trying not to be too rough. I simply did not want to be that “jerk” who was too physical with a girl. Because of experiences similar to my own, I feel that women should not be allowed to play contact sports with men.
The second reason I am against women in male team or contact sports is as follows. I have heard countless horror stories of sexist treatment of women who play male sports. The one that comes to mind occurred in 1999. At the University of Colorado, a young women by the name of Katie Hinda played on the football team as a replacement placekicker. During her tenure at Colorado, she was subjected to sexual harassment on a daily basis, eventually claiming that she had been raped by a fellow teammate. Regarding whether or not women should be allowed to play sports with men, I thing this instance speaks for itself.
In summation, I want to reiterate my belief that women are equal to men. However, when it comes to contact sports, there are just too many issues and obstacles in the way. Not only are men at a psychological disadvantage because of our society’s consensus towards gentle treatment of women, but also, women can often times find themselves in very compromising, even dangerous situations. Therefore, women in men’s sports is not a good idea.
By: Nishan Wilde
Posts Tagged ‘Brunt’
Sport Shoes
October 16th, 2009There are many different shoes to wear for sport. You may be thinking that all sport shoes come under the heading trainers, which is correct in a way but there are many different variations of trainers. Depending on the type of sport you are playing or what physical activity you are involved in will depend on the type of sport shoe you should be wearing. Here is a look at some of the different sports / activities and the sport shoe you should be wearing for them.
Football Sport Shoes – typically football sport shoes are studded because you generally play outdoors, and with normal trainers you can easily go sliding on the grass. The studded boots stop you from spending half the time on your bottom and allow you to still play the game with ease and speed. If you are playing indoor football then the normal sport trainer will do as no studs are needed because you are only playing in a hall on wooden floors usually. Ridged bottomed sport shoes are better in this situation because you can still slide around which can cause injury, the ridges will stop this and allow you to move in different directions speedily without hesitation.
Running Sport Shoes – if you are runner then your footwear really is very important. Running puts pressure on your legs and knees, especially if you are running on hard surfaces such as concrete roads and pavements. Running shoes are padded and have quite a heel on them to cushion your feet from the impact of the floor. Instead of your foot smacking down on the floor which causes injury the running shoe absorbs the brunt of it so your legs and knees feel very little or nothing at all. Running shoes are quite high as well so they protect your ankles, if you have ever gone for a run in gym trainers you may have noticed that your ankles hurt and ache the day after, this is because gym shoes do not protect or give any strength to your ankles. Running shoes give them that extra security so your ankles don’t hurt the next day.
Gym Trainers – sport shoes used for gym are generally a lot smaller than your average trainer you see for outdoor sports. This is because in a gym you are in a very controlled environment with soft cushioned floors, and the equipment is specially designed to make it safe for you and your body. Your trainers do not need to be as big because they do not need to absorb any impact because there isn’t any. If you are doing weights or situps for example your feet are very much protected in simple and thin trainers, even if you use the running machines, the conveyor belts are so cushioned that light trainers are fine to use without causing damage to your knees or ankles.
By: Joe Denver
