The first time I watched this film, I cried. The second time I watched this film, I cried. Even today, I cry. Please, allow this film to hit home. Allow it to pull at your heart strings. For a moment, imagine what it's like to grow up in a world dominated by the message that you are not good enough.
The most important point I will make throughout this blog is as follows:
GET YOUR DAUGHTER INVOLVED IN A SPORT.
Sports have SO MUCH VALUE!!!!! I can not stress this enough. All my life I have been a soccer player. Through coaching and competing, I have learned the value of my body and my health. I have learned that my size is a beautiful thing. That my height (5'8) is a powerful asset to my life. I have learned the importance of proper nutrition, before and after competition. Throughout the crucial development years of my life, I was surrounded by a team, a peer group that did not define themselves by their weight, their wealth, or their popularity. Instead, we were young women who defined ourselves by how fast we could run, how many passes we could make, and how well we could get up when we were knocked down.
But be warned, some sports are good for your self-esteem, others, the ones that require you to be a certain image or weight, can be damaging. Take dancing or gymnastics for instance. These sports, although beautiful and very challenging, create an environment that constantly stresses thinness. These athletes are constantly being judged on their appearance and without strong, positive self-image, young girls may develop body dysmorphic disorder.
I'm not saying steer away from these sports, (because honestly, if I could go back and do it all over again, I would be a dancer!) I am saying proceed with caution. If you do get your daughter involved in any type of competition that is constantly critiquing appearance, make sure their self-image is in check.
I wish to persuade women to endeavor to acquire strength both mind and body.
-Mary Wollstonecraft, 1792
“If people found us attractive, great, but more important we were natural, we were down to earth, we were just like every girl in the stands watching…We were proud of our accomplishments and our muscles, and people were drawn to that.” -Julie Foudy, former 1999 Women’s World Cup Champion.
Also, I recommend the following books for more on this topic.
Built to Win By: Leslie Heywood and Shari L. Dworkin
Raising Our Athletic Daughters By: Jean Zimmerman and Gil Reavill
2 comments:
I completely agree with your thoughts about being an athlete. I think body image isn't the main focus when your competing in sports, it's more how you maintain your health to be a better competitor.
I completely understand, my whole life I have felt inadequate for society. Especially growing up in southern California with all the beautiful people, I am constantly reaching for the goal that is unattainable. I have had cosmetic surgery and it just deepens the pain when you realize that your nose isn't as small or as cute as you wanted it to be and after the pain of the surgery your nerve endings still haven't regrown. Image is such a huge market, I always get sucked in by the diet pills and next fad to help loose weight. The media is to blame. i wish there were a way to restructure our media and the image young girls have of perfection. How about internal strengths like intelligence? With the trash on TV, it is no wonder everyone wants to be like LC from the Hills. A life that is filled with money, looking cute, hot guys and partying. It is absolutely sad. How can we stop being so detrimental to the youth in our nation?
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