The Athlete Narrative

 Article Spotlight: Body-Shaming of Black Female Athletes in Pro Sports  This article is an examination of the body shaming that Black female athletes experience in pro sports. All credits go to the original source.  Link:  https://cmns324.wordpress.com/2018/04/17/the-problematic-body-shaming-of-black-female-athletes-in-professional-sports/

       The Power of Sharing - A Personal Anecdote                                                                                     By TAN’s Founder         I founded TAN in December of 2020 with one goal in mind; to share my own narrative experience with athlete body shaming, and to raise awareness on the issue. The first Instagram and blog posts were made on December 24th of 2020 - and with it came a reaction from my peers that nothing could have prepared me for.      Dozens of messages thanking me for my one Instagram and blog post flooded my Instagram message forum. These were close friends, acquaintances, people that I had never spoken to before in real life - all thanking me for ...

 Don’t Shame Back: The Importance of the “Golden Rule”                                                                   The “ Golden Rule ” is the simple kindergarten rule:  TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. If you are in a situation where you are on the receiving side of body shaming, remember! You do NOT have to shame the other person back. Fighting fire with fire is NOT effective. Another way to think about it: Fighting fire with fire creates more fire, while fighting fire with water will put it out and stop it from spreading. Potential Alternative Solutions: Take a deep breath to calm your nerves and consider your words before you speak. Convey your feelings in an honest way. Ex. “Hey, that’s actually really hurtful. Could you maybe not say that, please?”  Tak...

Types of Body Negativity in Sports: Negativity From Non-Athlete Peers                                         Although any athlete can experience negativity from peers about their bodies, teenage athletes are some of the most vulnerable.  While bodily insecurities are usually dubbed as “part of growing up” for most teenagers, negative comments from peers about their appearances can only make matters worse, and much more serious. Why does this happen? Although there are very few professionally written articles about the topic, here may be several reasons:  Have a lack of interest/understanding of the sport  Harbor Feelings of jealousy (ex. own body image issues, lack of opportunities to play the sport, jealousy towards athlete’s high performance, etc.)  Accidentally say something harmful that they do not intend A concept that both athlete and peer...

 The Athlete Narrative - Share Your Story #2 Hello all! This is our second launch for the opportunity for all athletes/non-athletes who have either experienced or witnessed athlete body negativity/shaming. We now have a Google Form where anybody can anonymously share or opt to publish their experiences with athlete body shaming.  Here's where to find the Google Form: https://forms.gle/Ac7i94Nt3VAo1RZt6 All submissions must be appropriate and names in the stories cannot be real. PLEASE take this resource seriously, as it outlines an important and sensitive topic for many. 

 A NY Times Must-Read Article  This article by Lauren Fleshman is a look into a heartbreaking personal story that serves as a cautionary tale to people of all genders in sports. All credits go to the original source. Read the article on The NY Times site by searching:  Title: “I Changed My Body For My Sport. No Girl Should.”  By: Lauren Fleshman  *This article may require a paid subscription to The NY Times.