The report talks about how athletes choose their trainers. When the injury is something that both men and women can have, most male football players say they prefer a male trainer, but if they feel sad or depressed they usually pick a female trainer because they think women are more caring. Researchers say these choices show that gender stereotypes still affect how players view women’s abilities. The report also mentions a program that works with coaches to teach boys and young men to respect girls and women, even using sports like cricket in India, and to teach them about healthy relationships and how to stop digital abuse. These efforts aim to change attitudes and make sports environments safer for everyone.
- stereotypes
- Definition: oversimplified ideas about how men or women should act that shape players' views of female trainers.
- Example: The players' stereotypes made them think a female trainer was too caring.
- depression
- Definition: a feeling of sadness caused by an injury that leads athletes to prefer a female trainer.
- Example: When the injury made them feel depressed, the players chose a female trainer.
- trainer
- Definition: the athletic professional who treats and supports injured athletes.
- Example: The male football players said they would usually pick a male trainer.
- respect
- Definition: the consideration and regard that boys are encouraged to show toward girls and women.
- Example: The Coaching Boys into Men program works to teach boys to show respect toward girls.
- abuse
- Definition: harmful behavior, such as unwanted digital contact, identified as digital dating abuse.
- Example: Excessive texting and hacking a Facebook account are called a form of abuse.
- According to the study, what type of trainer would male football players most likely choose if their injury made them feel depressed?
- A male trainer
- A female trainer
- No trainer at all
- A physical therapist
- Which of the following words did over half the players use to describe female trainers?
- Aggressive
- Caring
- Strict
- Indifferent
- Who led the study that was published in the Journal of Athletic Training?
- Heidi Grappendorf
- Feroz Moideen
- Brian O’Connor
- Jim Tedder
- Which organization provided the million-and-a-half-dollar donation used to expand the program to cricket players in India?
- Nike Foundation
- UNICEF
- Family Violence Prevention Fund
- VOA
- What term does Brian O’Connor use for unwanted or excessive digital communication such as text messaging or Facebook hacking?
- Cyberbullying
- Digital dating abuse
- Online harassment
- Internet stalking
- Do you think the gender of an athletic trainer should matter when you are injured? Why or why not?
- Have you ever preferred a male or female professional (like a doctor or coach) for a personal reason? Share your experience.
- Why might male football players feel less comfortable talking about depression with a male trainer?
- What reasons do the researchers give for players describing female trainers as “caring” and “nurturing”? What does this say about gender stereotypes?
- The article says players might see the training room as not a place for well‑qualified women. Do you agree that this is a problem in sports? Explain.
- Should sports programs require both male and female trainers to be available for all athletes? Why or why not?
- Imagine you are designing a training room that encourages both male and female athletes to feel comfortable with any trainer. What three changes would you make?
- If the study had asked female athletes the same question, how do you think their preferences might differ? Why?
- Do you think programs like “Coaching Boys into Men” can really change attitudes toward women in sports? Why or why not?
- Have you ever seen or experienced digital dating abuse (such as unwanted messages or hacked accounts)? How would you respond to it?
In Treating Athletes, Is the Trainer’s Sex an Issue?
This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
One job of an athletic trainer is to treat injured athletes. But does it make a difference if the trainer is male or female?
Sometimes, yes , if an injury or condition is a “male problem” or a “female problem.” Then athletes say they are more likely to want treatment by someone of their own sex.
But what about a problem that could affect either sex, like a dislocated shoulder? Researchers at North Carolina State University asked male football players at two American colleges.
The study found that those players would still probably choose a male trainer — unless the injury made them feel depressed. Then they would most likely choose a female trainer.
The researchers offer two possible explanations. They say football players might be seen as “weak” if they talk about their depression with a male trainer. Also, over half the players described female trainers with words like “caring,” “nurturing” and “affectionate.”
The researchers say this shows that “gender stereotypes” have influenced the opinions of the players about women. They say the concern is that players might see the training room as not the place even for well-qualified women.
The study, led by Heidi Grappendorf, is in the Journal of Athletic Training.
Trainers are an important part of an athlete’s life. But an organization based in California is working with coaches to help influence boys to show more respect toward girls and women.
Feroz Moideen is director of the Coaching Boys into Men program of the Family Violence Prevention Fund. He says the nonprofit organization works with police, judges, teachers and coaches. He says the group used a million-and-a-half-dollar donation from the Nike Foundation to expand the program to cricket players in India.
FEROZ MOIDEEN: “We tried to use the power of cricket coaches in that instance to reach young boys and, once again, to educate them about healthy relationships and to model healthy and respectful behavior toward women and girls.”
Written materials are also being provided to other countries through UNICEF, the United Nations children’s and educational agency.
Brian O’Connor of the Family Violence Prevention Fund says young men need guidelines in how to treat young women — in person or online.
BRIAN O’CONNOR: “Talking about unwanted or excessive text messaging, or breaking into someone’s Facebook account. We’re calling this digital dating abuse, another form of abuse that has been really heightened now through technology.”
And that’s the VOA Special English Education Report. You can find our reports online at voaspecialenglish.com and on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I’m Jim Tedder.
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