We've all heard it, whether it be from a coach, a teacher, a parent or otherwise- "You play like a girl!". Normally it is used to motivate a team of boys into playing better, insinuating that girls are inherently less talented when it comes to sports. When I was younger I used to hear this at baseball games or in gym class, and it wasn't until I was older did I realize how much it hurt. However, it's 2015 and things are (slowly) beginning to change for us. People are starting to recognize that maybe, just maybe, girls deserve to be respected when it comes playing sports. It's a long, slow road but we're getting there. Here are five female athletes who "play like a girl".
1. Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey is one of the women who helped bring female mixed martial arts to UFC, when she became the first UFC women's champion. She is an expert at judo, and won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. On top of a long list of other accomplishments, Ronda is known for her dominating style inside of the octagon. Her specialty is armbar, and has a reputation to "tearing arms apart". This has earned her the nickname "The Arm Collector".
2. Lolo Jones
Lolo Jones is an American track and field and bobsled athlete. Her specialty are the 60 and 100 meter hurdles. She won three NCAA titles and received 11 All-American honors during her time at LSU. At the world indoor championships in 2008 she won gold for 60m hurdles. At the 2010 indoor championships she won another gold medal for the same thing. At the 2010 continental cup she won silver for 100m hurdles. Then in 2013 for the world championships she won gold for mixed team in bobsledding.
3. Serena Williams
If there is one person in this world who understands the definition of the word "dominance", it is Serena Williams. Serena, and her sister Venus, have been the world of tennis since they were children. She has won an innumerable amount of awards since the year 1998. To give a very short list of the things she has won: 6 US Opens, 6 times at Wimbledon, 3 French Opens, and 6 French Opens...and that's only in singles.
4. The US Female Soccer Team
The United States women's soccer team made huge headlines this summer when they won against Japan 5-2 in the final of the Women's World Cup. This makes the USA the only country to win three FIFA women's world cups. Extra: Carli Lloyd scored the fastest hat trick (three goals in a world cup game for any player) in world cup history.
5. Nadia Comăneci
Nadia Comăneci is a former Romanian gymnast who won three gold medals at the 1976 Montreal summer games. This feat is amazing in itself, but what makes her stand out even more is the fact that she became the first female gymnast to score a perfect 10 in an olympic gymnastics event.
When it comes to talented female athletes, the list could go on. So here are just five that should make you question the meaning behind "Playing like a girl".
