Body image affects athletes’ performance on the field due to the expectations of society. A lack of confidence or the wrong diet can seriously hinder an athlete’s performance and therefore stops athletes from achieving the full potential. Further to this the advancement of the availability of Sport Psychology to our elite athletes has been a great advancement in the results, however how are people in the correct state of mind to compete and win without the support from social media? Also it is also stopping girls from exercising and having fun- so who knows there could be a potential Olympic Gold medallist too insecure to train.
Further to this, before the London 2012 Olympics, Jess Ennis was called “fat” by a high ranking official in UK Athletics to the bemusement of anyone who saw her lithe, athletic physique. Another example of a performance being effected by other people’s expectations of body image is triathlete Hollie Avril who retired from the sport after a long struggle with an eating disorder which stemmed from the comment of a male coach: “You’ll need to start thinking about your weight if you want to run quick”. In a survey, 76% of athletes said their behaviour had been influenced. The most common reaction was to change their diet (87%), while exercise and training regimes had also been affected by 58% of woman athletes questioned. An athlete stated: “Sometimes it has meant my diet no longer is optimum for performance but becomes optimum for looking slimmer/thinner….which isn’t my body type.”
Although there are moves to address the problems of body image, sports like UK Athletics run annual seminars on eating disorders and body image. “They’re not tokenistic,” said a spokesperson. “At the last one we had in attendance both Head Coaches, our Performance Director and the Chief Medical Officer.” The uCoach website, the online resource for athletics coaches in the UK, includes a podcast on coach and athlete relationships which looks closely at what damage a spur of the moment comment can have and its impact on athletes.
However are these measures enough to counterbalance cultural pressures? Are they available and known about widely in the sporting community?
The Olympic committee have released four “Hungry for Gold” videos which are an educational tool aimed at athletes, parents, coaches and support staff. Through the experiences of the fictional characters, Anezka, Aiko, Tochi, Jesse and Akeyo featured in the “Hungry for Gold” videos, viewers can learn about healthy eating and exercise habits, understand the importance of a healthy body image.
Sport and exercise are part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. But for some girls and women, especially in competitive sport, not balancing the needs of their bodies and their sports can have major consequences. The female athlete triad is a combination of three conditions: an energy deficit caused by unhealthy eating habits or excessive exercise, amenorrhea (disruption of menstruation) and osteoporosis (a weakening of the bones due to the loss of bone density and improper bone formation).
The NCAA programmes and resources for coaches: http://www.ncaa.org/health-and-safety
Girls should not be too afraid to play sport due to a lack of body confidence. Therefore as a coach and a role model encourage participation in sport and make girls and young woman want to come to training and have fun.
Bio: My journey into coaching started when I was 10 when I started assisting at the swimming lessons at my club. I progressed too gradually having more responsibility and to having my own group and gaining my qualifications. I am now also an assistant coach with our junior squads and an official. I was selected to attend the Youth Sport Trust National Talent Camp due to my work in coaching and officiating. I hope to share my journey and aspirations as a young coach through this blog.
