Perspective: Body Image and Athletics
We are constantly surrounded with images in the media that portray the "ideal body". Our younger generation is heavily influenced by this and it must change. Sports must push to promote body positivity in order to create a more welcoming environment.
The Return of Paly Athletics
While online learning has stripped Paly of its spirit, culture, and student life, after-school practices at Paly have brought the light back onto campus. The return has not been easy. The pandemic has challenged athletes with reduced practice time and limiting restrictions, but even if cheerful shouts of encouragement are muffled by a mask and six feet of distance, the sense of joy is undeniable.
Editors Note: This story was written and researched prior to Santa Clara county reentering the purple tier on Nov. 17, which prompted school officials to suspend both indoor and outdoor workouts. Hopefully our athletes can get back to training soon.
The Evolution of the Athlete-Activist
In the past, an athlete’s power to exert change as an activist was always limited by the receptiveness of their audience. Today, a rapid shift in the way we think about athletes has given a new wave of players the chance to redefine what an athlete can be.
Over Before It Started
While blue chip, Olympic level athletes across the nation felt pressure to succeed at the heart of their NCAA season, prominent colleges around the nation felt financial pressures from major budget cuts due to the pandemic. COVID-19 forced professional and college sport seasons, particularly the spring of 2020, to come to a screeching halt. Many college level athletes who have spent years perfecting their game were confronted with the news that their sport had been cut indefinitely.
Compulsion: The Complicated Intersections of Exercise and Mental Health
Health. Fitness. Wellness.
When defined by their participation in athletics, each of these athletes would certainly be considered physically fit. But lost in the mix is the question of mental wellbeing—and the intersection of physical health and mental health is far more complex than a workout routine.
On the Basis of Gender
Examining the role gender plays in sports.
Training for Two
Hormones run amok, stomach swelling in size, and, after nine months, the birth of a new life. While pregnancy is a life-changing, celebrated process for most, female athletes are rarely able to undergo the experience free from worry. Already burdened by the expectation that they’ll quickly bounce back to their previous physical form, female athletes have also faced severe discrimination from their employers and sponsors.
Judges of the Game
Referee's are responsible for enforcing the rules of a certain sport, thus legitimizing them in the eyes of the fans. But the toxic environment created by difficult calls has encouraged sports legues to change the way referees operate.
Play Like A Girl
Talented women across the sports world have been breaking down systemic barriers as they join—and succeed in—the men’s leagues. However, their experiences bring to light two concerning phenomenons. These women were often promoted because they were considered too good for the female leagues, implying that as whole, female leagues are inferior to their male counterparts. Even more concerning, perhaps, is the fact that each of these women credited the men around them for their success, when in reality, it was their own drive, talent, and grit that got them to where they are today.
