User:JessycaH/sandbox

Gender in youth sports Most sports offer female version, as an example baseball and softball. However, some sports favor females, dance and cheerleading; while, other sports favor males, football and hockey. Female sports seem to have a place in sexualizing females and opening their eyes to what society wishes women to be. Dance and cheerleading have evolved into highly sexualized movements and clothing. In dance competitions, girls as young as 13 are played up to entice male judges or audience members, and teams are rewarded for having sexy outfits (Oppleiger). The movements done by these young girls at competitions are described as strutting and shaking their bottoms, thrusting chests and imitating lap dances (Oppleiger). Cheerleading has also had a great change over the past few decades. Yes the dances and clothing has become more sexual for girls of such a young age, one researcher described them as changing from girl next door to Las Vegas show girl (Adams).

The constant and increasing societal pressures on girls to become increasingly better, is sky rocketing. Everything is scrutinized, from the way she dresses, her test scores, etc. Now more than ever, girls are being pressured do bet better and better academically, resulting in an added stress (Davis-Laack). We’re finding that this has been taken to the next level with make-up and hair styles, clothes, and other things. Girls are feeling more pressure to change their behaviors, and identities to fit this mold of what society is telling them to be (McCall).

This behavior that has sweeping the nation is now being called adultification by the APA (Schwyzer). On top of young females being pressured to have the right moves, clothing, etc. they are now feeling the pressure to be thin. Female athletes are more likely to develop an eating disorder, like bulimia or anorexia. To accomplish this ideal, they attempt several tactics including the use of laxatives, and vomiting after eating (Taub & Blinde). The upside being that proactive coaching can improve the self-esteem of those student athletes that feel negatively of themselves (Smith & Smoll).