Female hoopsters often unfairly stereotyped

By Sáde Lynnette Wise [Daleville High School]

In today’s society, the media is often what makes or breaks a person or activity’s reputation. Some critics think that this is what changed the way people view women basketball players.

According to research conducted by Elizabeth Marcus of Bryn Mawr College earlier this year, stereotypes are things that people have a tendency to get used to.

“We as a society believe what the media portrays,” Marcus wrote. “People believe that it is acceptable to say that women who participate in competitive sports, such as basketball, are either lesbian or bisexual.”

This is also an issue throughout the country. Navonda Moore, a new recruit on the UA women’s basketball team from Jackson, Miss., faced this type of stereotype in her hometown for years.

“I don’t really listen to what people say about me, because they are going to think whatever they want,” said Moore.

In order to play high school, college, or professional basketball players are required to lift weights, wear masculine uniforms, and stay in shape.

“When you play basketball and you are a female, it is your choice to be a feminine athlete or a masculine athlete. I have a nice body and I worked hard to get it, why not show it off,” said Lauren Hill, a sophomore basketball player at the university. This is also not an issue that is very popular in every town.

“I have not been asked or discriminated against on the subject of stereotypes of female athletes,” said Oreal “O” Taylor, of Courtland, Ala.

These stereotypes even happen on the high school and middle school levels.

“Where I am from, people admired us for playing basketball,” said Danielle Blevins, a former Garywood Christian School basketball player. “The boy’s basketball players encouraged us and that was the feeling towards the girl’s team all around campus.”

Although stereotypes are still common in today’s society, many fans on the UA campus choose the philosophy of “live and let live.”

Arlando Sanders, a UA student from Tuscaloosa, said he has heard the rumors about female athletes before, but he chooses to ignore them.

“We are all individuals and we are free to make our own decisions, as long as her personal decisions has nothing to do with her game performance, that’s just it, their personal business is their personal business,” Sanders said.

“People are going to be themselves whether their peers respect it or not,” said Brandon Evans, another student at UA.

Shomari Figures, a student at UA, said that it really does not affect him personally or any other male whether they are an athlete or not.

“As long as it doesn’t affect the progress or chemistry that the team needs to play well together, then it really should not be an issue,” Figures said.

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