Good for a Girl Summary

Why should girls feel like they must choose between being strong and being feminine? A runner's journey through the sports industry reveals the challenges of being a woman in a field designed for men.

1. The Double-Edged Sword of Puberty for Female Athletes

Puberty changes the game for young girls in sports. Lauren Fleshman recalls her realization that her physical abilities were not limitless when she suddenly found herself outrun by a boy in her PE class. Until then, she'd been competing head-to-head with boys and often winning.

As hormones begin to influence development, biological differences come to the forefront, especially for girls. The physical changes in female bodies – wider hips, increased body fat, and growing breasts – directly affect athletic performance and the way girls view their bodies. These transformations often lead to self-consciousness, reducing girls' participation in sports.

The data supports this attrition. In the US, over half of girls give up sports around the age of 14. Sports-related embarrassment due to body changes and ill-designed sports clothing contributes significantly to this decline, forcing many promising athletes to leave their passions behind.

Examples

• Lauren's own puberty delayed, allowing her to continue excelling in high school sports.
• A UK study of 2,000 British girls saw 76% feeling self-conscious about their breasts during physical activity.
• Widespread drop-off rates among American girls in organized sports after early adolescence.

2. College Athletics Unveils the Gender Divide

Lauren's transition to college athletics revealed how the system is built from a male perspective. At Stanford, male athletes celebrated peak performances during ages 18–22, while women struggled with natural physiological changes.

For Lauren and her teammates, coaches often lacked understanding of how female bodies function in this timeframe. Misguided motivational tactics, like body-shaming and strict diets, created cultures prioritizing results over health. As her team underperformed compared to the men’s team, frustration grew despite their relentless effort.

The expectations for women to match men’s physical trajectories ignore the realities of female biology. What's needed is training tailored to women's unique developmental cycles, not harmful measures that include disordered eating or damaging fitness standards.

Examples

• Lauren’s sophomore dip in performance attributed to natural body changes.
• Female athletes subjected to body checks and restrictive diets under untrained male coaches.
• The NCAA’s lack of protective policies for eating disorders compared to concussions.

3. The Hidden Dangers of Chasing Race Weight

As a pro runner, Lauren grappled with the growing pressure to achieve an ideal “race weight.” Professional standards, driven by misconstrued ideals of fitness, demanded perfection at any cost. Striving for a thinner physique initially seemed like an asset but turned out to endanger her career.

Her strict diet and calorie counting contributed to a serious injury, revealed as a consequence of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). This condition arises from insufficient calorie intake, which can harm bone strength, immunity, and even menstrual health.

Lauren's experience underscores a systemic issue in athletics: the glorification of weight-specific performance. Health education for both athletes and coaches is essential to dismantling the dangerous obsession with extreme calorie restriction.

Examples

• Lauren’s injury stemming from undereating during her 2004 Olympic training.
• RED-S impacts athletes by weakening bones and causing menstrual dysfunction.
• Coaches' emphasis on idealized body weight instead of functional fitness goals.

4. Women Reduced to Objects in Sports Marketing

The objectification of female athletes is a widespread problem. Lauren was repeatedly confronted with this issue during her partnership with Nike. Their ad campaigns ignored real athletes, opting for models with little relevance to sports.

One campaign required her to pose nude to promote a women's running shoe. Frustrated with the shallow marketing, Lauren innovatively shifted the narrative by creating the “Objectify Me” campaign. This initiative flipped the idea on its head, celebrating the beauty of strong, athletic women without diminishing their dignity.

The larger issue remains: marketing often veers toward stereotypes, pushing female athletes into a limited mold. Greater effort is needed to present authentic representations of athleticism and strength.

Examples

• Nike’s catalog featuring models over real female athletes.
• Lauren's successful push to include genuine athletes in Nike's marketing materials.
• Her refusal of a nude campaign, replaced by her message-driven “Objectify Me” ad.

5. The Struggles of Women in Male-Dominated Environments

The sports world often sidelines women’s stories. When Lauren missed her Olympic dream again in 2008, she turned her focus to sharing her journey through her website. For female athletes, platforms for authentic storytelling are scarce.

Mainstream media provides women with minimal coverage despite their success. Lauren’s website created a space to highlight her challenges and triumphs, offering advice to aspiring runners. Access to these narratives is vital for reframing public perceptions and supporting younger generations.

Women’s voices in sports need amplification, not only to tell their stories but also to push for better policies for support, funding, and inclusivity.

Examples

• Lauren’s blog connecting her directly to fans.
• Media consistently devoting less than 10% coverage to women’s sports.
• Advice she shared about health risks like eating disorders through online platforms.

6. Injuries That Changed Lauren’s Mission

Injuries shaped many of Lauren’s years as an athlete, often removing her from high-stakes competitions like the Olympic Trials. Though painful, these setbacks ultimately shifted her focus beyond medals.

Instead of pursuing personal achievement, Lauren became an advocate for systemic reform. She teamed up with others who shared her mission, like the founders of Oiselle, to support female athletes in healthier, more sustainable ways.

Lauren’s setbacks demonstrated the fragility of professional athletics and the need for a culture that values well-being over results. Her advocacy work moves this vision closer to reality.

Examples

• Her injury before the 2012 Olympic Trials resulted in a last-place finish yet an emotional victory.
• Partnership with Oiselle to improve conditions for women in sports.
• Creation of Littlewing Athletics to promote health-based coaching.

7. Redefining Coaching for Women

Lauren’s work with Littlewing Athletics aimed to challenge traditional coaching methods. Rather than focusing solely on winning, Littlewing emphasized athlete well-being, a revolutionary approach in sports.

The coaching system prided itself on treating athletes with dignity, addressing issues like eating disorders, and building a healthy team culture. Though Lauren admits there’s room for improvement, this initiative represents a brighter path for women’s sports mentorship.

This change in coaching reflects a broader stadium-wide need to remove harmful practices that prioritize competition over health.

Examples

• Littlewing’s approach reduced focus on medal obsession.
• Active steps in building policies addressing eating healthfully and sustainably.
• A team culture addressing female-specific concerns respectfully.

Takeaways

1. Educate coaches and athletes on the unique biology of women and its effects on performance, prioritizing health over stereotypes or outdated beliefs.
2. Advocate for more representation of female athletes in marketing, media, and leadership roles, ensuring women's stories and strengths lead the narrative.
3. Build sustainable support systems for female athletes through well-informed policies on health, eating disorders, and training tailored to various life stages.