Female Athletes: What We Know. What They Need.
Isn’t so crazy how we can vividly remember our childhood memories? Right now, I picture myself in elementary school. I remember I never wanted to wear a ponytail despite my growing curls and unruly bangs. I remember swinging on the bars at recess and practicing my round-off, back handsprings in the grass. I remember being able to do the perfect push-up in physical education class. I remember beating the boys in arm wrestling contests. I remember running the mile and girls being just as fast as the boys. Flash forward about four years. It is track season at the middle school level. We line up at the end of the gravel track. We take turns seeing who is the “fastest”. When was the last time they measured those middle school tracks? Suddenly, the boys are beating the girls. Even my fastest female peer couldn’t walk the walk anymore. Were we getting slower? Or were the boys getting faster? Another flash forward to high school. Less girls are on the track team. They are inv...