Pretty. Strong. Doesn't Send the Right Message to Young Female Athletes

Today we face a society that objectifies the female body and equates a woman's worth to her body's appearance and sexual functions. In many cultures this has led to several mental health issues that affect women in the form of eating disorders, depression, sexual dysfunction, etc.. When most women begin to allow the self objectification to continue, it spills into the minds of our young women encouraging them to wear less to feel or become more accomplished. This often times has lifelong psychological effects on women who fall short of what is glorified in society as being sexy, beautiful, or in this case, "Pretty. Strong."

The University of Minnesota's Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport reported that women make up 40% of all sport participants, but only 4% is covered by the media. There are many semi-professional women's football leagues that are in existence today. These leagues bring women out for tryouts, and they focus on the athletic competence these women work hard to achieve in a sport considered dominated by men (IWFL, WFA, etc). All of these women are beautiful, pretty, and strong in their own way. The Legends Football League (formerly known as the Lingerie Football League), on the other hand, has a owner that has been quoted as saying "First and foremost, you have to be beautiful. We have to be able to market you." This is not the message I would want to send to my young female daughter. One Legends Football League player was quoted by ABC News as saying "I definitely had my top ripped open," said Bliss team captain and quarterback Heather Furr. "After I scored, you know… I gave the crowd a good shake." This is not what football is about. There are a ton of handsome football players in the NFL, and the ONLY focus when they are on the field is their athletic ability. Why should our young, up and coming female athletes be treated any differently? Why would they be exposing and shaking their breast for TV ratings just to prove they are pretty and strong enough to play the game of football? Why would Oxygen and NBC promote viewers tuning in just to see the next wardrobe malfunction but hoping they get a little bit of football too?

Don't let Oxygen and NBC get away with this!!! We have to change how our young female athletes see themselves by changing the statement the world makes of how they should see themselves. You can wear a regulation football uniform just like your male counterparts, and still be just as beautiful, pretty, and strong.

END THIS SHOW!!!