Should Women Play Sports?
by Derek W. on December 17th, 2005
While browsing through a religious forum, I came across a link to an article that argues that females should not be playing organized or competitive sports.
A lengthy discussion has developed at the forum, which you can view here and here.
The author of the article writes:
One of the trends in schools is the participation in sports by women; therefore it shouldn’t surprise us that so many Christian daughters today participate in sports. But is this really all that bad?For those of us who believe we should train our daughters according to Titus 2, 1 Peter 3, and other Biblical passages, my answer is “Yes, it is not good.” I propose that sports greatly hinders the development of godly, Biblical, feminine character.
The author argues that due to sports, today’s Christian women are “often ill-prepared to be Biblically obedient wives and mothers,” and that the physical and mental training involved in sports tends to make women more masculine. Moreover, the author argues that due to sports, girls will develop a “competitive and contentious spirit” that will cause problems when they get married.
But the author doesn’t stop here. He also says that women’s sports promote immodest attire, and that “in many cases” we shouldn’t be watching women’s sports due to the immodest clothing.
This really caught my interest, since I love sports and I enjoy writing, and I’ve found a job in the sports department at my local newspaper that combines both interests. Part of the job requires covering local high school events, and I have ofton covered girls’ softball, basketball and volleyball.
I have some thoughts on this, but in the interest of discussion here, I’d be interested in hearing what our readers think of this idea first. Do you agree with the idea that women should not play sports? What about girls playing high school sports? Are there ever any circumstances where it is acceptable for females to play sports or engage in physical activity? What are your thoughts on the article in general and what the author all says?
7 Comments
Hannah
December 18th, 2005 at 11:16 am
“The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.” Many girls I know play sports for the exercise. If girls are to be unhealthy (according to Scripture), then sure! No sports! But that’s not the case.
Back in Bible times, the physical labor was so much more than today. Girls didn’t need to do extra physical stuff because they got enough from making bread, washing clothes, walking to market, chasing children etc.
I think as long as modesty is the standard, sports are fine. We don’t get that extra workout everyday, so we need an alternative to getting fat. Ya know?
:-)
Theresa
December 18th, 2005 at 4:25 pm
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with baseball with Dad in the back yard, basketball with the next door neighbor, or something like that. I don’t think it’s a girl’s place, though, to be in all kinds of competitive sports. Especially sports like wrestling, boxing, and football…
SecDef
December 18th, 2005 at 9:22 pm
I know I am a guy, but I stay in shape without really playing sports…so it is possible. ;)
I would like to point out that, on coed teams, women can have a negative effect on the men as well.
One thing I have noticed when I have played sports in a coed environment…the women are always much less agressive, and there is lots of pressure to make it “easier” for them. For example, a week or so ago, we were playing basketball during PT, and I was watching how the male cadets treated the female cadets…quite a difference. :) This one cadet who would nearly tackle male cadets for the ball was just standing in front of the female cadet. I heard thing like “give her a chance to shoot” – from the opposing team! Now, let me tell you, if I had that ball, that would NOT have happened!
See, I can plow over another guy in soccer..and we are fine. But woe to me if I do that to a girl! ;) So, in addition to making girls more aggressive, it also makes guys less agressive. Just something to keep in mind….
Lindsey
December 19th, 2005 at 5:03 pm
I think it is perfectly OK for girls to do sports. I object far more to activities like dance and cheerleading, since many of those outfits are completely inappropriate and many of the dance moves are likewise. But as for sports…like Hannah said, it keeps your body fit. I was a competitive swimmer last year, and I played basketball the year before on an all-girl team. The attire for both was completely modest- even the girl’s swimwear. Exercise is excellent for the body, and last year I was in really wonderful shape because of sports- more than this year, without sports. Being competitive is absolutely fine. As for the statement about sports hindering godly, feminine, Biblical development… well, I think that is completely untrue. I know wonderful Christian girls my age who are very into sports. I’ve always played on girl only teams, except for swimming. Swimming is a personal sport more than a team one in many aspects, so there was no problem there with boys and girls there: you swim your best and hardest for your own personal benefit. As for sports in general…There are many positive aspects to them, in my mind. Whenever I played a game or swam a race, I did it for God’s glory. And people on my team could tell that there was something different about me, in the way I swam and the way I interacted with others. So sports can actually open a door for witnessing. Just my thoughts! :)
~Lindsey
Lindsey
December 19th, 2005 at 5:13 pm
Oops, sorry- I entered in my website wrong! It was a typo…
Adam Graham
December 19th, 2005 at 11:20 pm
I think blaming women’s lack of preparation for being wives and mothers on sports is a bit far-fetched. I’ve known plenty of women who never played sports and made poor wives and mothers and those who played who did. Its really a wash.
There’s certainly a point regarding immodest attire, but how much of this is just relevant to women. Basketball uniforms for guys are hardly modest attire either.
Derek W.
December 20th, 2005 at 12:27 pm
Thanks for all the comments!
My general thought on the article is that it has some good points but takes the idea that women shouldn’t play sports too far. The author seems to condemn high school athletic activity just as harshly as other levels of athletic activity, and I don’t agree with that. I agree with the author that females should generally not be playing on a male team (in organized football, wrestling, etc.) and that some sports women really shouldn’t be playing competitively (i.e., rugby, football, boxing). (Actually, I think there is a good case for banning boxing completely, but that’s a different story!)
But like Hannah pointed out, organized sports is an excellent way to get exercize and have fun, and a lot of physical activity that was required of people in the past is no longer required. And the idea that playing sports turns high school girls into unattractive, masculine, overbearing unChristian women who make poor wives strikes me as being untrue.
I’m curious though—how do you respond to the author’s quoting of Titus 2 and 1 Peter 3?
About the immodest clothing—I think basketball uniforms are fairly modest, especially when you compare them to what else passes for clothing these days. Most softball uniforms that girls wear (that I’ve seen around here, anyway) aren’t so bad either. I think volleyball is an area of concern though, since the uniform that seems to be normally used is pretty skimpy and extremely revealing.