March 25, 2021
Lions Monique Simon-Tucker shares her story in her own words
With 1 in 3 Canadian girls dropping out of sport in adolescence, compared to just 1 in 10 boys, Canadian Women & Sport launched a national awareness campaign, She's Got It All, to challenge traditional mindsets on how women and girls experience sport. Only by better understanding the needs of women and girl athletes will we be able to make changes that support them to stay in sport. In support of the campaign, Ontario University Athletics reached out to our athletes, coaches, and administrators to learn about their experiences. We appreciate their honesty and vulnerability, and we are excited to spotlight their stories, in their own words, and encourage all of us to consider how we might behave differently after listening to their stories.
Toronto - Let's face it - women in sport are viewed very differently by people within the sport versus outside of sport, and adding a racial experience creates additional layers of challenges.
The biggest challenge for me as a Black woman in sport is navigating the spaces I am in, whether that is on the track, in the classroom, at work, or other social gatherings. Each space comes with its own set of challenges, such as being the captain of my team. I know my responsibilities to those around me, as the way people perceive me reflects on to my team. For example, if my behavior is perceived negatively, it may lead to the generalization that all women on my team act in this manner.
"The biggest challenge for me as a Black woman in sport is navigating the spaces I am in"
It is unfortunate that sometimes, as a Black woman, my passion for topics outside sport, such as equity, may be demonized based on others' perceptions of what I am saying and how I say it. On the track, meanwhile, if I am demonstrating the same strength and passion, it would be viewed as the stereotype of the mad "Black woman". As a result, there have been many times when I've felt that I have overextended myself to be viewed as a nice person or continually code switch so that I make white people feel more comfortable.
Additionally, if women display too much strength or emotions associated with men, such as too much aggression, they are often told to calm down rather than being praised for their athletic ability. I also find that women in leadership positions are held to a higher standard and scrutinized more than men in leadership positions. I find that women in sport make up the majority of roles for planning, organizing, and executing events within our athletic communities on top of academics, competing in our sport, and sometimes working. Often the excessive work done by women is underpaid and underappreciated, as it is "expected of us", which then creates more barriers for women.
Even though I face these challenges as a female athlete, I feel that they should not limit our opportunity as women in sport. It is important to continue having conversations, educating yourself, reflecting, and learning from experiences. One way that I have been able to do this is through the development of York University's Black and Indigenous Varsity Student Athletes Alliance, where we share our experiences and put forward recommendations to our sports administration.
Overall, I hope that we continue to grow, learn about one another, and develop not only as athletes but as all-around individuals.
"Even though I face these challenges as a female athlete, I feel that they should not limit our opportunity as women in sport."
Monique Simon-Tucker | York Lions | Student-Athlete
Toronto - Let's face it - women in sport are viewed very differently by people within the sport versus outside of sport, and adding a racial experience creates additional layers of challenges.
The biggest challenge for me as a Black woman in sport is navigating the spaces I am in, whether that is on the track, in the classroom, at work, or other social gatherings. Each space comes with its own set of challenges, such as being the captain of my team. I know my responsibilities to those around me, as the way people perceive me reflects on to my team. For example, if my behavior is perceived negatively, it may lead to the generalization that all women on my team act in this manner.
"The biggest challenge for me as a Black woman in sport is navigating the spaces I am in"
It is unfortunate that sometimes, as a Black woman, my passion for topics outside sport, such as equity, may be demonized based on others' perceptions of what I am saying and how I say it. On the track, meanwhile, if I am demonstrating the same strength and passion, it would be viewed as the stereotype of the mad "Black woman". As a result, there have been many times when I've felt that I have overextended myself to be viewed as a nice person or continually code switch so that I make white people feel more comfortable.
Additionally, if women display too much strength or emotions associated with men, such as too much aggression, they are often told to calm down rather than being praised for their athletic ability. I also find that women in leadership positions are held to a higher standard and scrutinized more than men in leadership positions. I find that women in sport make up the majority of roles for planning, organizing, and executing events within our athletic communities on top of academics, competing in our sport, and sometimes working. Often the excessive work done by women is underpaid and underappreciated, as it is "expected of us", which then creates more barriers for women.
Even though I face these challenges as a female athlete, I feel that they should not limit our opportunity as women in sport. It is important to continue having conversations, educating yourself, reflecting, and learning from experiences. One way that I have been able to do this is through the development of York University's Black and Indigenous Varsity Student Athletes Alliance, where we share our experiences and put forward recommendations to our sports administration.
Overall, I hope that we continue to grow, learn about one another, and develop not only as athletes but as all-around individuals.
"Even though I face these challenges as a female athlete, I feel that they should not limit our opportunity as women in sport."
