{"id":56747,"date":"2017-05-12T16:36:39","date_gmt":"2017-05-12T21:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/?p=56747"},"modified":"2017-05-08T16:58:03","modified_gmt":"2017-05-08T21:58:03","slug":"women-and-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/2017\/05\/12\/women-and-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"Women and Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"

I spend a lot of my time filling out my March Madness bracket and catching up on LeBron\u2019s journey to becoming the best basketball player to ever play.\u00a0 <\/span>As a female who adores sports, there are plenty of times when I\u00a0 <\/span>feel judged. People are often shocked by women who know a lot about sports and men get offended because they think they\u2019re the only ones who can know anything about sports, which I think is ridiculous. One of my best friends, who happens to be a guy was shocked because I knew exactly how many three-pointers Stephen Curry made in the NBA Finals last year. I definitely know my stuff.<\/p>\n

I sat down with KU Student and KJHK Sports Staff member, Jahreya Evans to discuss her perspective on Women and Sports and as one who knows a lot about it:“The guys are really welcoming, I do a lot of the photography for KJHK Sports.”<\/em> I also asked her about some advice she would give to any other women who have a passion for sports: “Just stick to what you love and if that’s sports then so be it.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve attended countless basketball games and people have looked at me like I was crazy all because I knew exactly what I was talking about. I can show my sports related emotions too. Do I ever feel bad? No. Do I feel like I should shut up and let the men yell \u201cwhat kind of play was that?\u201d<\/em> No.\u00a0<\/span>Liking sports is no more impressive than going shopping or getting our nails done. Sports are another thing women enjoy and there\u2019s no need to act like it\u2019s the bravest most unbelievable thing a woman\u2019s ever achieved. I guess because of the shocking and ridiculous fact that I happen to be a woman who likes basketball, guys still tend to give me a lot of shit. But do I care to listen to them? Definitely not.<\/p>\n

I also spoke with KU Student, Meghan Kennedy who is a die-hard Kansas City Royals fan and I received her perspective along with some advice on Women and Sports: “It’s funny seeing guys’ reactions when women actually know their sports. Don’t let anybody feel bad about knowing anything about sports and don’t dumb yourself down to make someone else feel better.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Assumptions and Stereotypes are the two main issues regarding Women and Sports. I know I’m tired of hearing: \u201cYou\u2019re not like other girls.\u201d<\/em> or \u201cI\u2019m so impressed\u201d<\/em> and \u201cAre you just trying to be cool?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I don’t think s<\/span>ports should be seen as a \u201cmasculine only\u201d form of entertainment. As females, we constantly feel like we need to prove to men our knowledge about sports. I think people should stop placing labels on women who have a passion for sports; whether that’s\u00a0playing or watching it.<\/p>\n

A woman who likes sports is no different than any other woman. People need to quit making sexist and physical assumptions based on women who like and know sports. If you ask me, I think it\u2019s really just a double standard.\u00a0 I believe g<\/span>ender is a social construct and I am really tired of my passion for sports being attacked all because of the fact that I\u2019m a female. My advice to women who have a passion for sports is: Don\u2019t listen to those stereotypes and assumptions, just keep doing you and run game on anyone who doubts your sports knowledge.<\/p>\n