wonderful world of female athletes
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Over the decades, we have witnessed an increasing level of participation by female teams in multiple sports, ranging from gymnastics to hockey. The games that women contend in are no longer based on stylistic criteria, such as what their costumes look like or how graceful they appear. Instead, they are competing in games that entail a requirement for competitors to be strong, muscular, and fast; they are, however, expected to maintain their grace, poise and attractiveness. This juxtaposition forces these female athletes into fighting their own personal battles against the pressures they face from teammates and close friends. Laura Robinson argues that coaches are the main source of pressure that target female athletes of today. Her essay entitled, "Starving for the Gold," encourages a sense of empathy towards those female athletes that have been, or remain, victims of this social pressure. On the other hand, in Francis M. Berg's essay, "Passions, Risks and Benefits," Berg puts more emphasis towards placing blame on the psychology that drives these athletes. She supplies evidence suggesting that the environment surrounding the athletes, for example societal pressure, is the cause of female athletes undermining their responsibility as a role model and competitor and putting their desire for prestige above everything else. In spite of this difference in opinion, both authors believe that today's female athletes are winning medals for their countries and are paving the way for future female athletes everywhere...