Stemming from the controversial Florida State University’s new women’s basketball website, seminolehoops.com, Sharing The Victory’s Jill Ewert writes an interesting article to dispel the stereotypes of women in sports from the Christian perspective. Her article is titled: Bold and Beautiful - Can today's strong, competitive female athletes really fit the biblical model of a woman? You bet!
Ewert put together a panel of successful female athletes to discuss things like - being a strong woman, femininity in sports, and godliness in athletics. The panel consists of collegiate and professional basketball players, soccer players, an Olympic silver medalist, the 2009 Mrs. America, and FSU’s women’s Head Basketball Coach – Sue Semrau - who says, “So many people don’t think you can be strong and feminine at the same time, but these girls are, and that’s the truth. This whole thing has shown that, so often, femininity is defined by what we wear, but I don’t believe that’s the case at all. I believe that all women have a feminine side that is always present. It’s part of who God created us as women.”
It can be tough growing up as an athletic woman. At some point in their lives all competitive females have to wrestle with the false stereotypes that can come with being successful in sports. In her article Ewert does a fantastic job of addressing those issues - answering questions like:
We don’t look like most women in the media—the ones we’re told are examples of beauty. Does having strong arms and powerful legs mean we are less attractive?
We are competitive and bold. Does that mean we’re not modeling biblical womanhood?
We are often stereotyped and labeled with “manly” characteristics. Does that mean we should submit to those opinions and surrender our femininity?
Ewert's gives a terrific resource for athletic women and parents of athletic girls. Click here to read the full article on STV.com. Bold and Beautiful By Jill Ewert
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