The Female Apologetic

Nearly every female who has ever posed for an athletic photo has experienced it, usually without knowing. 

The female apologetic is when girls and women tend to act and dress in stereotypically feminine ways while posing for athletic photos in order to compensate for the masculinity of sport. This is in response to gender roles and societal norms held around and imposed on female athletes.

The athletic arena is held to masculine ideals. Males are portrayed in media as more competent athletes and their athletic abilities are held to priority. We judge male athletes on their abilities more than their appearance. Women and girls, on the other hand, are held to gender norms that prioritize appearance and the social construct of femininity above athletic ability. This shows up in media with female athletes in mostly passive, posed, ununiformed images and it’s often difficult to even identify what sport they play, even for athletes at the pinnacle of sport. 

Gender and societal pressure leads girls and women to supplement their athletic identity with visible signs that they are upholding their femine status even through their pursuit of sport. This is the female apologetic. 

This makes me think of getting headshots taken prior to track season. My hair was down, my mascara on, and I posed with a hand on my hip. I never even stopped to ask myself why I wanted my hair down for running-related photos. It was an automatic learned response to present myself as prettily as possible if a camera was involved. Even though social media didn’t exist back then, as a high schooler I absorbed the social constructs of femininity that existed around me and fell in line.

In a 2021 study, photos from high school yearbooks between 1920-2020 were analyzed to compare how male and female athletes have been portrayed through the years. It found that male athletes are portrayed as more athletically competent and superior compared to female athletes. Gender norms play into how society views athletes and how athletes view themselves. The study’s author pointed out that images like a girls basketball team being posed outside, without shoes, hair down, and no basketball in sight is a prime example of the female apologetic.¹

The part about that gets me about the female apologetic is that we, as girls and women, don’t know it’s happening. We aren’t weighing the options of conforming to gender roles vs bucking society trends. Instead we’re mentally poisoned to believe we’re less capable athletes who need to protect our femininity because we’re engaging in aggressive, physical, and assertive sporting situations. 

As the study’s author points out, the quantity, quality, and type of sports coverage at the high school level can have an impact on the perceived value of and respect for girls and women’s athletics. In addition to less coverage, the type and/or quality of coverage female athletes receive, in comparison to males, often contributes to the misperception they are less competent athletically. 

There is an easy, actionable thing high school administrators and coaches can do: include action shots of female athletes for online and print media guides. Instead of paying a photographer to take posed headshots, pay that photographer to come to the first running meet of the season to get photos that show female athletes in motion – full aggression, skill and drive on display.

All female athletes need to be able to present themselves as they wish. The leaders in their lives have the opportunity to help them replace “femininity” with “feminism.” Young female athletes deserve the freedom to navigate the rough terrain of adolescence to arrive at the destination of their choosing.

To athletic girls and women everywhere, the mission is clear: Let’s stop apologizing. We have nothing to be sorry for.

Katie Noble is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a journalist, and a runner. She enjoys empowering and supporting female runners with evidenced-based education.

1. van Mullem H. You play like a girl? Gender and image in high school yearbooks. The Journal of Sport. 2021;41(2).