The Social and Cultural Costs and Benefits of Entering a Sport Not Trad

The Social and Cultural Costs and Benefits of Entering a Sport Not Traditional to Your Sex/GenderThroughout time, entertainments catch been thought of as feminine sports or masculine sports. Some sports that ar thought of as feminine atomic number 18 gymnastics, swimming, tennis, riding, and ice-skating. These tend to be sports that underscore beauty and grace. Mens sports tend to emphasize strength and power, like football, basketball, or bodybuilding. The kindly and cultural stereotypes that ar placed on men and oddly women in the sports world can be hard for an athlete to wad with. Men argon expected to be masculine and strong in their sports, while egg-producing(prenominal)s are expected non to overexert themselves and still musical accompaniment their feminine appeal. Who is to say what sports are okay for men and women to participate in? Is it fair to place stereotypes on people who are just doing what they passionateness to do? Will these stereotypes diminish over time? In history, women prevail been given a hard time for coming into sports. Since at least(prenominal) the late 1800s there have been myths about women in sports, some of which we are still working on debunking to this day. Some include the whim that sport masculinizes women, sports are medically risky for women, the female body was non made for sports performance, women are not interested in sports, and women cannot psychologically bind the pressure of sports (Oglesby & Shelton, 9). Women were seen as fragile and unable to compete on the akin level as men could in sports. Women of this time who played softball, basketball, or track were considered unladylike and were queryed of their femininity (Spears, 13). Public recognition of individual female athletes deals more with their feminine beauty and status than to athlet... ...ting could become a region model for a young boy who thought that people would re cut into that he was gay if he skated.Although there are cultur al and social cost associated with a person entering a sport that is not traditional for his or her gender, there are also some benefits. The question that only the athlete can answer is whether the benefits out weigh the costs enough to stick with it. I have hope that stereotypes in sports result become less observed. Sports have changed so much in the brook century. Women were barely allowed to play certain sports like basketball at the turn of the last century and now we have professional womans basketball. More changes are coming, slowly but surely they are coming. Just the fact that we are now questioning the costs and benefits of being in a sport that is not necessarily for your gender/sex is a step in the right direction.