Positive Changes For Girls, Women In Sports
May 15, 2021Posted by james
At age 17, Mary Cain was one of the top runners in the world. She was the youngest U.S. athlete to compete on a world championship team. However, soon after joining a training program, her health deteriorated as did a promising professional career. Mary said that her coaches forced her to lose weight, which affected her menstrual cycle and caused stress-related injuries that included five broken bones.
Mary began to dread the sport she had loved since she was in fifth grade as her physical, emotional and mental health spiraled beyond her control. She developed an eating disorder, started to cut herself and developed suicidal thoughts. The all-male coaching staff at the program did not include a certified sports psychologist or a certified nutritionist to support the athletes. The head coach suggested that Mary obtain a subscription for birth control pills to help her lose weight. She said her mental health was damaged by the coaches who berated and humiliated her in front of other athletes.
Since leaving the program, Mary has spoken at sports forums to address the treatment of women concerning body image (she said this is more of a societal issue and that a lighter weight is more attached to a woman’s appearance and meaning). She said that weight issues permeate professional sports; it still matters for men, she said, “but the dialogue is different” for them.
Many additional women athletes supported Mary’s claims. The sponsor of that training program reviewed and investigated the issues. To date, results have included more women coaches for that program and investment in research to understand the impact of elite sports training on girls and women.
Mary has said that her goal is to ensure that no other athletes, particularly girls and women, have to go through similar suffering to improve their standing in a sport. She feels teams and training programs need to provide more support for young athletes that includes mental health counselors and trained sports psychologists who are separate from the coaching staffs. She also has called for additional certified training for coaches who work with young athletes.
Women’s sports have enjoyed many advances during the last several decades. But, there are so many more steps that are required to support girls and women that will allow them to excel at and fully enjoy their chosen sports.
by james on May 15, 2021 |
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