World Cup time!!!! Are you watching the women play? It's only every 4 years...so tape some games and enjoy:)
As I watch the women play, I absolutely fall in love with the strength of soccer players. All of the hits and falls your body takes in the game, and you just get up and keep going. You just cannot be weak and be a good player. Dave and I have been commenting over and over again how strong some of these women are. (not how lean or how great they look, but how strong)
When I played soccer, I don't remember stressing about my weight with teammates. Sometimes we complained about being a little out of shape or chunky from too much partying or not doing our off-season training, but I never had a teammate on a diet. Ever, actually. I mean, I think if ever we tried to lose 5 pounds it was to impress a guy or something. No one was ever "too big" for soccer. I think I was always working to make my legs bigger in the gym. And actually, my best season in college was my heaviest weight ever in my life. If I were to play now, I would get mauled out there.
Triathletes seem to be a different breed. I feel more exposure to body image issues in this sport than I did in soccer. I hear more comments now about so- and- so "looking great" or "getting lean" or even "gained some weight." True, weight can hurt in this sport. It is easier to run when you are leaner. I get that. We are running around in bathing suits and tight clothing. We get race pictures that sometimes give us unflattering angles. :) It is certainly easier to judge.
And the nutrition. Triathletes obsess over nutrition! I don't think this is a bad thing either, and it is the 4th discipline to our sport. But I find this sport to sometimes applaud severe food-type restrictions and obsession over losing weight by cutting back and eliminating food. I am always trying to absorb the good information about food=enhancing my performance and ignoring the message I sometimes hear that good triathletes=perfect with food choices.
But as I watch the World Cup, I am reminded that it is good to have role models in different sports and to appreciate the different beauty of all types of bodies. What is important is that you are strong, healthy, and "can play your position" or "complete/race your race." It is not about your weight or your leaness-factor. It is: can you get the job done? It is about matching your inner strength with your outer strength. And strength is not always about the number on the scale or how good you look in your kit.
Catch the US play again 7.6.11 vs Norway.
2 comments:
This is a great post. And none of my teammates in college ever stressed about weight. In fact it was the opposite, I suffered A LOT of grief for being the smallest. Triathletes are just a tad bit nuts!
Have I told you this before? There used to be some women's sport magazine, like SI for Women or something, that had a picture of a different woman every month, and you guessed her sport based on her body type. Very interesting. Definitely makes you appreciate the wide range of very successful athletes' body types.
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