Harsh Criticism Levelled At Women Athletes Contradicted

Southland Times, Issue 23646, 22 October 1938, Page 16

Harsh Criticism Levelled At Women Athletes Contradicted

“Women do not think fast enough; s their reflexes are too slow, and no j matter how hard they try they will ' never approach the athletic standard of 1 men. They look terrible, are clumsy and incompetent and take themselves too seriously. They should be barred ( from competition and kept in the j kitchen.” Such are criticisms levelled ’ at women in sport periodically, states ] The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 Sportswomen have come to regard ® it as inevitable that after any meet- 1 ing they hold in any sport they will be immediately subjected to a series of denunciations from a section of the , community. Their performances ’are ’ compared unfavourably with those of men in similar sports, their dress and 3 uniform are criticized, their appearance 3 bewailed. Indeed, • sportswomen are ’ considered fair targets because they ; do not live up to some individual’s 1 idea of what women should do—principally stop at home. 1 This is quite in keeping with the 1 supreme ego of the male. The idea that : a woman might dcr something for her own enjoyment is incredible to him. I ACCUSATIONS Paul Gallico, one of the foremost sporting journalists of the United States, recently wrote a psrticularly . I scathing article, in which he condemned all women in sport. They were among ' many things bad sports, rule “twisters,” poor imitators of men, and last but most important to Mr Gallico they were not always beautiful. Apart from the unjust accusations, Mr Gallico is really remarkable. He literally suggests that women should discontinue all sporting activities, as they upset his idea of the aesthetic in women. The most ludicrous of all accusations against the women in sport, and one which contradicts itself, is that directed against their dress and appearance. When a sportswoman does not measure up to the Venus de Milo in perfection the critic immediately concludes that her lack of beauty is caused by her participation in sport That a woman or girl may have been plain before she ever touched a racket or ran a hundred yards never enters his mind- Few of the women who have never seen a golf club or a pair of running shoes would make the front line of a chorus, so why attack sportswomen for lack of beauty when in reality they include m their numbers many beautiful women/ There are certain forms, of . track athletics which do little to improve the beauty of women. But how about the men who indulge in football and boxing who proudly reveal broken teeth, battered eyes, cauliflower ears, and twisted limbs “gloriously” earned on the football field or in the prize ring? And is a sturdy male athlete appearing on the beach in brief trunks, more, or less hirsute, red of nose, knotty ot muscle, unbelievably bony of structure, and peeling haphazardly like a papery cover of a big onion, a thing of beauty. DRESS From the day Eve first donned, the proverbial fig leaf, dress has Deen second nature to women, and it is scarcely logical that, a woman who spends so much time on her street dress and evening attire would make sport an exception. Sporting fashions tor women are given as .much attention by the dress designers as any other section. No player would yield an opponent the psychological advantage ot appearing on the court, track, field, or pool in dowdy dress or costume. A male’s criticism of womeii’s dress is amusing. Think of the dirty shoes and flannels, the shapeless plusfours, the muddied football regalia, and haphazard running uniforms that can be seen in any male sporting contest, ana the shirts which have mouldered in the locker room for far too long! Now look at your female performer. Her socks, shoes, shorts, dress, tunic are freshly laundered. It is amazing that women are criticized for allowing activity and exposure to mar their attractiveness when there is so little evidence to back the accusation. Women with the barest essentials of good looks protect them carefully with creams, manicures, shampoos, and tne like. aptitude for games Disregarding the matter of strength, ■ if one compares the mastery of techni- . que among the devotees of virtually any athletic pastime, women rate very ■ high. Take a few famous women ath- ' letes. Lady Heathcoat-Amory (Miss Joyce Wethered) has been described ; by Bobby Jones as the greatest golf stylist, either man or woman. In Aus- . tralia it is doubtful if any of out’ lead- ; ing male players at tennis, with the exception of Jack Crawford, whose

style is unequalled in the world, have the effortless and easy stroke production of Misses Nancye Wynne and Thelma Coyne, both of whom have been champions since they were 16 years of age. Few men skaters compare with Sonja Henie, three times Olympic champion, and now a film star, Cecilia Colledge and Megan Taylor, whose good looks are. the equal of their matchless performances on the ice. Dorothy Green, Evelyn de Lacy, Pat Norton and Clare Dennis have swimming styles that make most of our male swimmers appear laboured by comparison. COACHES’ OPINION In all sports coaches are unanimous in their agreement that girls are the best pupils, and are easily taught Apart from the champions, uniformity of style and technique is most noticeable in sportswomen. They can concentrate and develop a style where many a man is content to muddle along. Women’s adaptability has been well proven in recent years. Cricket was until recently considered a purely male sport It was said by the mere men when the women began to play this game they could not throw or bowl a ball, yet a Saturday spent at any women’s grade match would disprove this and few can find fault with the correctness of their batting technique. In the cricket Tests both in Australia and in England the men who came to jeer on their own admission remained to cheer, and women cricketers have their keenest supporters among the best critics of the game. WOMEN’S OUTLOOK Women enjoy sport for the sake of the game, and it is unfair to accuse them of ulterior motives. Their rapid advance in all games should prove the strength of their keenness for sporting pursuits and hobbies. They do not interfere with male players, they organize their own associations and matches, and they are the last to criticize players of the opposite sex. It is important to remember that 45 per cent, of participation in and support of all sports is by women. Thus women athletes in any game cannot be judged as a group by a few isolated instances any more than can their male contemporaries—at least, not with any authority. •, , . ~ Contrary to legend that all women are “catty,” this is not evident in the. sports. Despite numerous opportunities they have they do not compare men s results unfavourably with them own. Very few women proffer an alibi after defeat, and their playing temperament is infinitely more controlled than many of the men. . , , , . No sportswoman is fool enough to fliink that her champions will surpass the male champions in the identical sport she pursues, and she is the first to admit the huge physical advantages possessed by the male. The fact that the women can approach so closely the male standards in sports is remarkable, and pays a tribute to their skill, concentration. and adaptability. Stubborn critics must realize that women have earned and will maintain their position in sport, and the more they are criticized the more determined they are to improve their ability. Force of numbers alone will keep the women outdoors enjoying all manner of games rather than staying in the kitchen. SPORTSMANSHIP Bad sportsmanship is a very unfair allegation against the huge band of women who indulge in games. Isolated instances of bad sportsmanship are too often accepted as the rule instead of the exception. Comparisons are invariably odious, but when obscure incidents are quotec against the women can they be blamed in pointing out incidents in mens sports which have occurred in international events? The races for the America’s Cup, the international yachting contest, were marred .by the ' charges of unfairness and trickery to , the English competitor. Men’s football matches at the 1 Olympic Games have ended in riots, . but incidents such as these are blandly forgotten when the sports writers or ■ critics spend columns decrying the ' poor sportsmanship of the unknown girl playing in a minor tournament who burst into tears when beaten. She. is held up immediately as a horrible ex- , ample of the poor sporting instincts of • As for rule twisters we all know . of the paunchy male golfer who tops • his drive, whacks thrice to reach the ; green, rims the cup on his second putt, I and gives himself a par four. In each t sex there are players who exploit the ■ rules to their own advantage, but with • the superior organization of the j women’s associations the offenders are • soon found and punished.