**5.1. Nicole**

Even when I played basketball in Denmark I was around athletes who were professionals and they were worried about their physical appearance and body type. When I was walking around in the town that I lived in I was constantly told that I looked like a basketball player. How do I look like a basketball player when I am walking around town while wearing jeans, boots, and a winter coat? I always wondered what made people label me as a basketball player? Similarly, in high school walking around in airports as a team, we were constantly asked if we were a volleyball team or a swim team. Why never a cheer team or a dance team? I can only assume that it was because of the "the look" that we had.

As a coach at both the NAIA level and the NCAA D-1 level I have seen first-hand how women's basketball players have a perception of beauty that is shaped by numerous factors. They want to be strong and seen as a threat within the sport but don't want to be "too big" when it comes to lifting weights and having muscles. They are affected by each other, and peer feedback is a huge factor in how they see beauty. They do not necessarily have a sense of modesty when it comes to being in the locker room, but they are constantly critiquing their own bodies as if they are begging for a compliment from their teammates. They compare themselves to other girls who are not athletes, who are "skinny" and don't have to worry about being able to lift a certain amount or being stronger than an opponent. I have heard so many times "well I'm self-conscious" or "if I didn't have these basketball legs" while girls talk in the locker room. Their distorted views of their bodies come from society, the sport itself, spectators, and unspoken pressure from coaches. The sad reality is that so many young women their age would love to have the bodies these athletes do.

Both my experiences and seeing how the athletes I coach are affected by outside factors have affected my view of beauty. Because of the sport, I played and the criticism I received as a player I see a certain body type as the "perfect body" and this view is only solidified by validation from others. I will coach much differently than how I was coached—I will see and support women to be powerful and beautiful as they are.

Upon further reflection of the experience I had at USD, I was even more concerned with my experience as a player in regard to how I was treated with my weight because I had a female coach. It struck me as so insensitive and concerning that a female in a position of power and leadership would be comfortable treating an athlete that they are coaching and supposedly mentoring in this manner. She had no concern for my overall well-being or how her comments about my weight would affect me mentally, either in the long or short term. The other concerning thing is that I was only one of many players that were treated like this. My teammates who were seniors had been treated like this and had their weight yo-yo anywhere between 150 and 180 lbs. for some of them. The way that we were treated was not right by any means, and even worse was the way that we were somehow rewarded for this behavior with praise, compliments, and in some cases, more playing time.

Comparing this situation to the situation, I am witnessing now as a graduate assistant coach is drastically different. The male coach that I work under now does not ever mention the girls' weight or physical appearance. He had never talked about putting them on a diet, nor has he put any restrictions on what they eat when we are on road trips. The girls are not monitored as closely as I was when I played, however, the team is aware of what they should and should not be eating. While meal preference differs from player to player, it is interesting to see how some of the freshmen have changed their eating habits since arriving in August. Have they changed their habits based on necessity and the new physical demands their bodies are going through? Or are they just modeling their eating habits after the upper classman because that is what they feel is expected? These questions always cross my mind and I often compare the situation I am witnessing now to the experience that I had as a player.

With these two extreme approaches in mind, I feel that there must be some sort of middle ground that can be reached when it comes to how female athletes should be treated and approached when it comes to weight, which is already a sensitive issue within itself. The first suggestion that I would make is that a head coach should not be the one to have a conversation with a player in regards to any weight issues. A head coach is already in a position of power that can be seen as intimidating for players, and players are already under enough stress to perform. The head coach should not be responsible for weight management or discussing these issues with a player. If at all possible, a certified nutritionist should be available to consult. This nutritionist can serve as a liaison between coach and player to discuss any matters that are concerning to a coach as far as health, weight, and diet is concerned.

Another way to prevent negative experiences for players as far as weight is concerned is to educate the players and take more preventative measures, instead of being strictly reactive. The team nutritionist could have weekly meetings with players and team meetings to educate players on how to properly fuel their bodies based on the amount of energy they are expending. This would give players a safe outlet outside of their coaching staff to talk about nutrition concerns or body image issues. Furthermore, the players would have at least some knowledge as to what food they should be consuming so they do not resort to habits or diets that could lead to eating disorders or further body image issues.

As a former player and current coach, I see now more than ever the importance of building healthy habits and a positive body image for female athletes. The media and other outlets already do a poor enough job at educating women in this field, and this problem does not need to be compounded by more negativity from coaches or other influencing parties within each athlete's athletic circle.

#### **5.2. Lisa**

**5.1. Nicole**

166 Perception of Beauty

Even when I played basketball in Denmark I was around athletes who were professionals and they were worried about their physical appearance and body type. When I was walking around in the town that I lived in I was constantly told that I looked like a basketball player. How do I look like a basketball player when I am walking around town while wearing jeans, boots, and a winter coat? I always wondered what made people label me as a basketball player? Similarly, in high school walking around in airports as a team, we were constantly asked if we were a volleyball team or a swim team. Why never a cheer team or a dance team?

As a coach at both the NAIA level and the NCAA D-1 level I have seen first-hand how women's basketball players have a perception of beauty that is shaped by numerous factors. They want to be strong and seen as a threat within the sport but don't want to be "too big" when it comes to lifting weights and having muscles. They are affected by each other, and peer feedback is a huge factor in how they see beauty. They do not necessarily have a sense of modesty when it comes to being in the locker room, but they are constantly critiquing their own bodies as if they are begging for a compliment from their teammates. They compare themselves to other girls who are not athletes, who are "skinny" and don't have to worry about being able to lift a certain amount or being stronger than an opponent. I have heard so many times "well I'm self-conscious" or "if I didn't have these basketball legs" while girls talk in the locker room. Their distorted views of their bodies come from society, the sport itself, spectators, and unspoken pressure from coaches. The sad reality is that so many young women their age

Both my experiences and seeing how the athletes I coach are affected by outside factors have affected my view of beauty. Because of the sport, I played and the criticism I received as a player I see a certain body type as the "perfect body" and this view is only solidified by validation from others. I will coach much differently than how I was coached—I will see and

Upon further reflection of the experience I had at USD, I was even more concerned with my experience as a player in regard to how I was treated with my weight because I had a female coach. It struck me as so insensitive and concerning that a female in a position of power and leadership would be comfortable treating an athlete that they are coaching and supposedly mentoring in this manner. She had no concern for my overall well-being or how her comments about my weight would affect me mentally, either in the long or short term. The other concerning thing is that I was only one of many players that were treated like this. My teammates who were seniors had been treated like this and had their weight yo-yo anywhere between 150 and 180 lbs. for some of them. The way that we were treated was not right by any means, and even worse was the way that we were somehow rewarded for this behavior with

Comparing this situation to the situation, I am witnessing now as a graduate assistant coach is drastically different. The male coach that I work under now does not ever mention the girls' weight or physical appearance. He had never talked about putting them on a diet, nor has he

I can only assume that it was because of the "the look" that we had.

would love to have the bodies these athletes do.

support women to be powerful and beautiful as they are.

praise, compliments, and in some cases, more playing time.

The problems of beauty I experienced were based on clothing styles and comments people made about me or those in the sport of gymnastics. For me, I was not that concerned with the latest styles because I was the most comfortable in my athletic clothing. I did not see the point in getting too wrapped up in the fashion world when I had bigger goals to meet in my sport.

I did not concern myself too much with what others said about me or about my body and the sport of gymnastics. I was so connected to gymnastics. It brought me such a feeling of accomplishment and through the years it had become a big part of my identity. If others thought my body looked unfeminine then they did not understand the satisfaction, through strength and power that I had with my body. And I successfully demonstrated that for years. Also, whether I was too big or small, I had a great deal of success in other sports I played because of my gymnastics background whether it was medaling at state track or playing on a championship softball team. When the time came to leave gymnastics, I knew I would be able to pick up another sport as a strong competitor.

Gymnastics made me feel beautiful, confident, strong, and successful. Even when the time came to let it go and move on, I knew I would always carry it with me. To this day, it still contributes to my feelings of self-worth and my desire to push through difficult challenges in life.
