Sports and stereotypes go hand-in-hand and if you played sports or did any kind of physical activity growing up then you have been a witness to these stereotypes. The sports in which you may of heard most stereotypes used are basketball, football, softball and soccer but the truth is that there is a stereotype for almost every sport that is played.
Asking if they are true for the most part depends on a number of factors.
Cabrini sports involve men and women’s basketball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, cross country, tennis, softball, volleyball, field hockey and men’s golf.
For Cabrini, saying that all lacrosse players are drug users and that they are lazy is a stereotype but also may not be completely wrong. “[It’s] true to a certain point, I would say that some people do it more than others,” Zach Johnson senior lacrosse player and a graphic design major said. Drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and percocets are a few examples of what the lacrosse players are accused of abusing.
When dealing with a community it reflects what goes on in society and naturally there will be people that drink and do drugs. “I don’t think it is identifiable through one team,” Jackie Neary women’s lacrosse and field hockey head coach said.
As generations change, the stereotypes that use to be used either die off or get modified.
“I think your generation is much better than 20 years ago,” Neary said. “I think sometimes stereotypes come about over not knowing and not having empathy. People being jealous or mean and I think being small-minded creates stereotypes.”
Another stereotype is that the women’s soccer team are party girls. “I wouldn’t say that everyone is but it’s kind of a popular opinion,” Jessica Breuning sophomore soccer player and graphic design major said. This may be a stereotype at Cabrini but is not always the case because there are always a few people that disprove the stereotype.
For women’s basketball and softball it’s about the girls on the team being stereotyped as lesbians. “I feel like there are lesbians on any sport team,” sophomore biology major and softball player Brianna Milillo said. “Softball can be considered more of a masculine sport and there is a lot of girl-on-girl contact.”
Living in more of a diverse society today makes people believe that there should not be a box that categorizes people on a team.
One of the many stereotypes, not just here at Cabrini but in colleges everywhere, is that basketball and football players are dumb. Who and what classifies someone to be dumb? Comparing our knowledge to theirs? The fact that they never go to class?
“I think many folks don’t think football players are as gifted academically as they are playing football,” associate biology professor David Dunbar said. “
Cabrini volleyball players are stereotyped because of their tight shorts and tight pants that they wear.
“Wearing spandex does not make a girl a slut and not many of the girls I know are sluts. They’re very conservative people,” junior exercise science major and volleyball player Jen Grenauer said.
“I really feel so much more confident with your generation [and] that you guys are going to get past these types of things,” Neary said.
@ Mr_TyDavis24
