Stilettos & Heels: “Helping” Female Athletes Transition to the Real World
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posted by One Sport Voice Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi: This blog reflects my critical eye and voice on all things sport. I am a critical thinker, scholar, and researcher in girls & women in sport, youth sport, and coach & sport parent education. |
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Today the NCAA Double-A-Zone blog posted information on two programs that are helping prepare female student-athletes for the real world.
Kansas’ “Hoop 2 Heels” and Oklahoma’s “Sooner Stilettos” aim to help female athletes transition from athletics to the professional world by learning etiquette, networking with women in positions of power, developing skills, and building resumes. The programs also provide female role models for the student-athletes. Fantastic idea! Access and exposure to female role models in positions of leadership and power is particularly important to girls and young women, as they have fewer such role models in their lives than do their male counterparts—and this is especially true in sport contexts. Such programs may also help females more successfully navigate the confusing (and gendered) professional labyrinth, and make the process of participating, gaining access, and reaching the highest levels of power a bit more obtainable.
Unfortunately, the chosen names of both of the programs only serve to reinforce traditional notions of femininity which continue to limit females in all contexts. Being a successful professional in the real world has nothing to do with donning heels and conforming to feminine norms. In fact, based on the data women who act in traditionally feminine ways (i.e., nurturing, warm, caring) are perceived as less competent.
Perhaps renaming the programs “From Basketballs to Briefcases” would be more appropriate and helpful.
View Original Post at onesportvoice.wordpress.com
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- Filed Under:
- SportsPLUS, College, OpEd, Career, Student-Athlete
There are 4 comments on this post. Join the discussion!
AnnGaff
I cringed when I saw the titles of those programs too. Seems like a very dated approach. How about "From Dominating the Playing Field to Dominating the Conference Room". Could think of many phrases better than those. But I do think the programs are needed. Hopefully their actual approach doesn't take the lead from their title.
Monday, July 27, 2009 at 4:38pm PDT
megankillian
I agree. Where the goals of the program are great, its being marketed in a way that promotes stereotypes of women in business. Besides, do we really need to wear stilletos to be professional? I am not even tall (5'5") and I work in a male-dominated field (engineering), but I still can't stand walking around my department in high heels.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 5:55am PDT
Lisa Creech Bledsoe
Egad, did no one catch this in their promotional departments before they went live?? Are there really that few people paying attention?
I loved your title idea, Ann -- did you pass it on to them? I wonder what it would take to get either group to make a change in their program titles. Enough people mentioning it? It would be an interesting story to follow.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 9:04am PDT
AnnGaff
Maybe we should write letters to them! And offer our services as speakers... My topic will be "How worrying about how good you look will make you lose respect in the business world." There is a line between making sure to look professional and being too preoccupied with your appearance. Other people can smell when you're vain, and they subconsciously begin to view you as less serious about your actual job.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 1:22pm PDT