Masculinity In Sports

Words: 569
Pages: 3

Our gender is typically the first thing that we typically notice when we look at anyone. In the sports world, society has shaped certain sports to be considered either a man’s sport or a women’s sport. Once a man participates in a sport that falls under the women’s category or vice versa, the athlete’s sexuality becomes homosexual. That if an athlete decides to step out of either the hegemonic masculinity or emphasized femininity sports, they are less of a man or woman.
While many households still fall into the preassigned sports for their children, my household was different. Even though I grew up with a father who played a typical man’s sport, golf, my mother did not follow those same patterns. She instead participated in a karate and kickboxing, two sports that are seen more masculine. With examples from both sides, my parents encouraged me to take on sports that I enjoyed rather than just putting me in something that was assumed. I jumped around with sports like tennis, golf, and a bit of track. Since I participated in sports more when I was younger, the question of my sexuality was never something I considered. I was never the best athlete so the
…show more content…
My grandfather came from a strict military family where stepping out of the masculine attitude in anyway was not tolerated. This led to him playing in the big three sports that men typically played, baseball, football, and basketball. The combination of always having to act like a man and playing the three masculine sports, my grandfather continued this path of hegemonic masculinity with my father. The influence of my grandfather’s upbringings continued in to my father’s through the sports he played, these sports included, baseball, football, basketball, and golf. Seeing that there were examples of hegemonic masculinity, I was curious about emphasized