Competing in sports can be taxing on one’s physical health, especially because of the amount of time that needs to dedicated to them. Oftentimes, though, an athlete’s mental health tends to be overlooked. This also causes the factors which specifically affect an athlete’s mental health to be misunderstood. Of these factors, stereotypes in sports present some of the main reasons behind the deterioration of an athlete’s mental health. Many of the statements that you are about to hear can be heard in casual situations where you are talking with a friend, or watching a basketball game. While many people argue along the lines of “it’s harmless, we all think like that,” there are always ways to improve the way we address athletes, especially if it is in relation to their emotions. 

Now without further ado, let’s get to the stereotypes:

Stereotype #1: Black NBA players are gangsters.

With the explosion of hip hop culture in the 2000s, people began to associate Black NBA players with rappers. Furthermore, people began to associate rappers with being “gangsta,” as in openly partaking in stealing and robbing banks. Because a lot of Black NBA players such as James Harden sported large chains and a lot of NBA players also had gun charges against them, this stereotype was wrongly upheld among the sports community. 

Stereotype #2: Women’s sports teams are less enjoyable to watch.

Since the dawn of women’s sports, many sports viewers thought that it would be beneficial to examine the differences between women’s and men’s sports. Yet this examination leads people to develop stereotypes as they come to believe that men are more exciting to watch (whether because of their gender or people’s comparison of men’s skills to women’s). Stereotypes such as these are heavily influenced by companies, who often prefer using men to represent their brands and, in some sports, pay women athletes lower salaries than their male counterparts.

Stereotype #3: Athletes cannot be in the LGBTQ community. 

This is a stereotype that has vastly improved as more and more support has accumulated for athletes who come out. Despite this, stereotypes about athletes in the LGBTQ community continue to be influenced by homophobia in the sports that they play as well as commercialization in sponsorships just for their sexuality. 

Stereotype #4: Men are not “macho” enough if they dance.

Now this is a stereotype that really boils my blood. Because of the continuous Americanized definition of masculinity, many sports viewers believe that masculinity is supported through sports such as football or basketball. This is definitely not the case. Masculinity is not determined by what sport you play; it is something that is relative to you and something connected to your experiences. 

How do we change our thinking so that we don’t engage in stereotyping? 

Education

Spreading awareness about how harmful stereotypes can be and actively advocating against sexism, racism, homophobia, and other prejudices in the sports community is a very effective way to rethink our attitudes toward athletes. Furthermore, it helps to reach out to a community who actively engages in stereotyping and explain the hurt that they are causing not only to their team, but the workplace as well. Consistently advocating for yourselves and your teammates will definitely help improve stereotyping in sports, but it is easier said than done, so never give up.

Changing the coaching doctrine

I know that you are probably reading this and are thinking “Wait, what?” but coaches do have a large influence on the sports community. What coaches say to their players highly impacts the ways that they will respond to others and that individuals will respond to stereotyping. Coaching philosophy should seek to talk about unprejudiced ways to make all athletes feel comfortable regardless of their race, sexuality, or gender. It should also be noted that coaches should confirm that being different as athletes is ok and should not be a source of ridicule. 

Acceptance

Accepting every athlete as they are is a way to heavily improve our beliefs surrounding sports. Making sure that all players feel comfortable in the spaces that they play in and with the individuals that they are around is a huge actionable way to advocate for athletes and their teammates. 

Using stereotypes in sports is a very harmful way to treat athletes, especially because an athlete’s mental health does influence the way that they play. To engage in more healthy behavior when referring to athletes, it is important to treat them with acceptance and affirm their identities.

Oluchi Chukwuemeka can be reached at ochukwuemeka@wesleyan.edu.