How to attract more female shredders to footbag . . .

[GrlShredz]

Here is my advice. please tell me what you think of it:

1) ask women why they think that other women are not attracted to the sport of footbag.
2) dont make up sexist theories to explain the lack of female shredders. it is offensive.
3) ask mothers if they'd encourage their daughters to play it. if yes why? if not why?
4) but you gotta be scientific about it!
5) publicity geared towards women playing footbag
what will all this do?
- it will give you the real reasons for the lack of female participation in the sport. you may then address these issues and counteract them. this will hopefully attract more women to the sport, right?

Tracy
maybe we can discuss this issue here, on a large scale, and keep gender bias out of it?

[Jackbag]

girl- i think you may have some good ideas...
i think as the sport slowly grows, everyone needs to be aware of the publicity. when there's a chance to show off footbag, men and women should be represented equally (as well as everything else). Some effort is already being made...for example shreditas.com and when professional women introduce themselves to beginners. --I mean, do you remember the first time you met a player that you had read about and idolized?? Didn't that make you want to shred???
When players support each other equally, I think it is reflected when you describe the sport to someone. Word of mouth is a big part of footbag's publicity.

Ok, I said what I needed to say, and it turned out not to be that different from what was already stated. It's time for pinkus to interject with something random.
-Amelia aka just a girlfriend

PS - is this really a concern of the footbag community, or are guys just lamenting over the need to date a hot chick who shreds?

[King Monkey]

i reckon its more important for the atmosphere, variety, attractiveness of the sport etc. to have more girls playing. the 'dating' thing is really not that important i dont think...

the sport needs more girls cos we dont really represent ourselves as a sport for 'everyone'. like we say that anyone can play which is true, but the majority of kickers are males <20 years old. I think having like mixed circles of girls and guys would improve the already cool atmosphere of the sport, i dont know exactly how but i think it just would, girls often have a way of doing that

[Jeremy]

50% of regular MFC kickers are under 20.
But onto the topic. I think the problem with getting girls involved in footbag is the same as the problem of getting new players. Intimidation. How many people come up when you're kicking, complement you on how good it is and then say some stupid comment, that is really starting to piss me off these days like "I could never do that."

dude I just heard an apparent recording of the Big Bang on radio

It's so not true. Everybody can play footbag. I was so unco when I started that it wasn't funny. But what can you do. In Melbourne, since I started kicking we've had two new kickers and it only took them about a month to get to the "I could never do that" level. If we play below our level we may encourage more people. But we also wouldn't enjoy playing so much. I think that ultimatly the best way to attract girls to the sport would be to already have some girls to kick with who weren't very good. But that seems like a hard situation to create and not one that you would want to continue. a girlfriend of mine once said that the reason girls didn't play was because there was no money in the sport. As soon as there was money in it she said that lots of girls would play. I won't even pretend that I understand girls or that I have any idea if that is true or not.

[scarymary]

jeremy wrote:

a girlfriend of mine once said that the reason girls didn't play was because there was no money in the sport. As soon as there was money in it she said that lots of girls would play.

.

Man, I am really hoping that you aren't with the dumb chick anymore. That is like the stupidist thing I have ever heard! I don't play footbag for money. That is really really stupid. I play footbag because the first time I saw someone doing it I wanted to try it. Scratch that...I had to try it. Yeah, sometimes I totally suck too, and maybe it would be nice to see some other chicks kicking, but I don't have to see a chick kicking to appreciate what is cool ass shit. I do it because I love it and it makes me feel good.

I am used to being one of the few in a crowd of many though. Shit, I was the only girl in Shop class(woodshop) for 2 years in school. No biggy.

-ScaRy MaRy
p.s.
Shreditas forever!

[ShredStylez]

not to be mean or anything or sexest but alot of girls dont like doing fast paced sports with tons of sweat and excersize becasue of the sweat and excersize.

[richardabshire]

Don't promote footbag as a competitive arena, but as a social arena for getting in shape. The focus of men in this sport may not have anything to do with the reasons women participate. Keep this in mind guys, women are more graceful. Have you ever seen Carol Wedemeyer do a blurrydrifter? Truly art in motion. The women who find the competitive arena to their liking will do well there. If you allow new people to enter without being forced to compete, there might be more players. Usually when a new female with any skill at all enters the sport, there at least 20 dumbass horndogs trying to sleep with her at her first event, that is the real reason for the female numbers. Guys quit running them off.

[underooninja]

scarymary was in the middle of a very progressive circle this weekend....and she was the only chick there...
there were the likes of james gilbert(austin) and curtis and joe and mike(houston) and windson pan(san antonio i think)and a few others and they were busting out some crazy shit (you know who you are) and there was no intimidation. she got right in with a knee injury and still kicked and everyone was all supportive and encouraging.
if a chick wants to kick she need not compare herself to guys. kick cause you wanna kick....period.

[Jeremy]

Man, I am really hoping that you aren't with the dumb chick anymore. That is like the stupidist thing I have ever heard!

I think that is one of the true statements I've read for a very long time and I'm not, but I think the statement about money was talking about the girls that don't play. I think she was trying to say that there would be more girls playing the sport if there was money in it. I can't believe I'm defending her...

[Sage]

Shredstylez wrote:

not to be mean or anything or sexest but alot of girls dont like doing fast paced sports with tons of sweat and excersize becasue of the sweat and excersize

If that were true there would not be any women playing soccer, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, gymnastics, need I go on?


Anyways, I just wanted to say that I just got back from the Seattle Juggling Fest and there were at least nine girls there kicking (including myself). I got to meet all sorts of women, including the wonderful Carol W., Sunny, Mel Schneider, and of course Jane Jones. I had a blast and the women were soo sweet and helpful for me. I swear my game upped two-fold after this event. Women really are starting to be a force to be reckoned with in footbag.

Why don't women play? I would reason women do not play for the same reasons why many people in general do not play. Footbag is still a very small sport and is not always taken seriously. As we grow and progress, I think the women will become more interested and follow suit.

On that note, I do think that websites like shreditas.com, and the seasoned women players helping out the newer girls will spread the word to women. There is much to be said about these support networks. I don't mind kicking with the guys (you boys rock!), but I do like the encouragement I receive from all of these great women, especially Jane. She's just awesome!

[qphox]

Well, I know a few girls right now who have expressed interest, two of which actually have an interest in LEARNING not just kicking. I sent them to Shreditas.com, and they were like, "I'm not the only girl who footbags!"

I don't think it's there to sprea the word, per se, all on its own. However, with a bit of referring others to it, it's pretty effective. shrug

[Sage]

Did I say kicking? What I meant to say by the word 'kicking' is that they all had lavers and were either shredding it up or learning how to. They all could at least do atw's or legovers.


Latez,

[TwistedTorque]

Jaimee, you rock!
My theory behind the low % of girls is that when one does come around most of the people want her to learn new tricks and get good quick when we should be focusing on making sure she has a good time. If that means just kicking and no tricks, then cool, they'll learn when and if they're ready. (This should be done with all newcomers - not just chics).
All you shreditas out there ~ Thanks for kicking so much ass! (Especially Mrs. Zerbe)

[Sage]

Awww, Evan your sweet. Thank you, you're awesome too! I hope to kick with you guys again real soon.

[Jared]

Every week, I shred with Camille, more than anyone else. In fact, we are pretty much the only hardcore players here at York.

To be honest, though, 80% of the people that approach us while we're playing are male. Why? More men footbag... more men are willing to strip down in public and get all sweaty. More men feel comfortable approaching a group with sweaty men in it (even if there is a girl there too).

I supose I could go on a huge rant about how social factors we don't even seem to care about are making women feel out of place in certain public roles, but it's probably more simple then that. The sport is still mostly male dominated (as was hockey until recent years, as was football, as was basketball) and those sports still are in many ways. Getting women involved will take time, and lots of encouregement.

Every time some jerk makes a sexist comment or any sort of discouraging comment, we are set back years of development in this area.

Anyway. Shreditas rock, and every one of them deserve a metal. One day, I hope to walk down the street, and see a whole circle of only girls shredding it up.

[pips]

I have always hated how men dominated in sports. Like in school football or wrestling; I always wanted to play in them and wondered why I couldn't (a better reason than I am just a girl). That kind of changed now that a guy in football told me that I would get molested cuz he got it as a guy. Then I was also told by my volleyball coach that girls' bodies just aren't made to be rough with guys like that. We need girls football and wrestling. Not POWDERPUFF football. Ew. I want to be rougher than flag football.

Where am I going at this? I dunno. Um...I guess there should be guys and girls footbag, and the competition should be split up due too different abilities? But it shouldn't be so split up that they don't play together. I like playing with the guys. Wait. Hehe. I have never played with real footbaggers yet. Well, I know I will once I do...I guess.

Hmm...now I just realized that this is still off the subject. Attracting girls? I am a tomboy. I can't see a pretty lil cheerleader girl liking this sport. They probably just think it is kicking a stupid bag around. Wait. That is it. I guess you just gotta be the type to love it. And money is not in it for me. I play to have fun. I guess us girls have to get out there and show the rest that we can have just as much fun playing it as guys can and that it is more than just kicking the bag around.

[Camilleon]

While I agree with almost all of the comments made, there are still a few things not yet mentioned.

Jared, you totally took the words out of my fingers; Males dominate nearly every sport. What makes footbag any different? It is still sooo young, and so of course as the sport develops, so will its players increase, male and female.

I don't think it's necessarily that women don't like exercising and getting sweaty. It's just that males progress faster than most women. This isn't to say that women are weaker or anything, but testosterone is the main hormone responsible for muscle development. Seeing as men have more of it, they progress faster than most women. And so, less women play footbag because it is more difficult for them to get better (and not to mention keep the skill they've already obtained) and therefore stay with it.

Now I'm not saying that someone should play to strictly get better. They should play because they enjoy footbag and have fun with it. But isn't getting better fun? I love footbag (with a passion) and getting better makes me feel better about myself and gives me goals to work towards. Progressing just makes the sport easier to love!

A bunch of guys come up to us at York and we teach them a few things, and I am AMAZED at how fast they learn. Some guy will just bust a hop over on his second try, and I'm like "Damn You!"

I guess it's just an unfair advantage, but hey, us girls struggle through it anyway.

Shred on.

[PegLegHolly]

bump

[Pyroman924]

There were a few ladies at the gym today who were definitely interested. But I think there is a lot to do with intimidation and self-doubt. And that isn't just limited to women, though it does seem to be more the trend with the women I've had question me about it. But people doubt themselves too much these days. I think that talking to women already involved in a sport, or women at the gym, who are obviously motivated in some way, shape or form, would be promising. If you were to go shred around some women playing soccer or at the gym there would be much more enthusiasm. Just an idea.

[Guest_1]

Richard Abshire is totally correct.