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"Think of yourself as an athlete. I guarantee you it will change the way you walk, the way you work, and the decisions you make about leadership, teamwork, and success."- MBN |
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Women need sports, I have spoken out against professional boxing. I have said: It should not count as a sport because the intent is to inflict brain damage -- which is hardly sporting. I was talking about men. Now that women are boxing -- and now that famous daughters Freda Foreman, Laila Ali, and Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde are attracting lots of attention -- I still don't think boxing should be considered a sport, but I think it should be considered very carefully. What male reporters focus on is what the fathers think. Do George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier approve? The young boxers dodge this question. "I don't like people asking me about my dad all the time," says Laila Ali, a 5'10", 166-pound, 22-year-old former nail salon operator who has won her first four bouts, all by knockout. "It's not easy when you're trying to do something for yourself, and all the attention gets drawn back to someone else," says Freda Foreman, whose first bout is scheduled for April 1 in Las Vegas. Like most other women these days, the second-generation Foreman, Ali, and Frazier are not requesting male permission to pursue their dreams. They're doing whatever the heck they want to do, regardless of whether their fathers approve or snicker or offer advice. Here's what I find fascinating: boxing offers a graphic depiction of powerful female fighters. In a society in which men hit women, and women rarely defend themselves or hit back effectively, this matters. Picture this: A woman is getting routinely decked by her husband. She turns on her television and through her own swollen eyes sees another woman, someone she can identify with, maybe Freda or Laila or Jacquelyn, using her fists in a powerful way. Punching someone in the face. Pummeling an opponent. Light on her feet, agile. Watching this, the woman in the living room does not magically develop the strength or talent or even courage to go punch her husband in the nose. Wouldn't help matters much if she did. But isn't it possible that she might identify with the successful female boxer, and feel inspired, then fight back in her own way? "Oh yes, my heart goes out to women in a domestic violence situation," says Freda Foreman. "I hope they watch me. In boxing, you learn not only how to be defensive, but how to say, 'I'm tough, you can't get over me.' You build your territory and the other person better not cross it. Any woman who has suffered not only from hitting, but from being spoken to badly, from degrading comments - I really want to help those women to see that they're not stuck. They can always walk out the door." Freda spars with men, on and off the mats. The boxers hit hard, but the ones outside the gym are more annoying, she says. "There are so many men waiting to trample you. Even broadcasters. They say, 'This is a man's sport, you can't do it, who do you think you are?' One person said, 'Look at you, you cross your legs, this is a man's sport, you can't cross your legs here.' I'm like, 'Excuse me?' I have to block out that negative stuff. I turn the other cheek." I ask Freda: What effect might women's boxing have on these men? "It's really hard to say. A lot of men feel intimidated. I hope it doesn't cause them to be more aggressive or find other means to punish women." A sobering thought. No matter how many fighting skills women acquire, men can always fight back with bigger weapons. Nevertheless, boxing could be good for women. Even better than Women's World Cup soccer, in a way, because we're already celebrating female excellence, teamwork, victory. What we don't yet celebrate is that women can fight back, stand their ground, build their territory and defend it. Boxing is not a sport, it's a survival skill. Women need sports, but unfortunately, women need survival skills too. For reprint permission contact the author, information below. To contact Mariah about her presentations, call 703/276-8323 or write to her at Mariah@MariahBurtonNelson.com Home © 2000-2002 Mariah Burton Nelson 2002 Site Redesign by ALT
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We Should Pay Attention to Female Boxers