The columns of Badzine are open to those who want to express a testimony, a feeling, ideas. Start discussions, too. We therefore open this first “chronicle from elsewhere” with a testimony sent to us by Anaëlle, which we found important to relay. We publish it as is. Raw.
“I have always had imposing arms. It has, moreover, on many occasions, greatly amused those around me. For my part, I was sometimes proud, sometimes embarrassed because these arms did not correspond to the criteria of beauty conveyed by our Company. It was not very in line with the expectations we had of a female body.
Coincidence or not, I started to practice a sport in which I very quickly felt good. We could even speak of a revelation: badminton. It turns out that this practice in turn accentuated what I could now call “my Popeye arms”. However, this muscular hypertrophy has served me well in the practice of this sport: my punching power has become my strong point. I was finally proud of my arms because I had found an area in which my strength could finally be valued and deployed without embarrassment.
Another thing really attracted me to badminton: it’s the mix. I regret that diversity is the exception in sport in general. I don’t understand why we have to separate men and women in most sporting practices. Let no one advance me the argument of the difference in strength. This gets me angry very quickly. Is sport really only a question of physical strength?
If we take badminton as an example, skill and accuracy are just as important as strength. And then the question of strength is all relative in this sport: too much power, and the steering wheel is “out”. We must therefore rely on something other than this force which divides men and women so much. Strength should not be an end in itself. For my own example, my strike force has always bowed to better tacticians. No, strength is not everything in this case, it’s the vision of the game that wins. Where things start to bother me is when men are credited with being strong and powerful where women have to stay nimble and gentle. Beware of those who aspire to a position of power because obviously, we do not have to venture into this field.
Basically, however, mixed doubles starts from the good intention of having women and men play together, but some points still need to be improved, in my opinion. Mixed doubles goes something like this: man in back, woman in front. For what ? I have questioned him several times. Often I was told “as the girl has less strength she stays in front”. The man will rather cover the back part of the field because he has more strength and the woman will stay in front for the precision, the cushioning, the finesse of the gesture…in short, a whole area that Madame is supposed to master because it is like that. Sir, it is strength and power.
Danes Juhl-Pedersen, symbols of female strength on a pitch
Many women internalize this dogma and accept without flinching this position assigned to them. These women are not going to try to invest the back part of the field, we are not going to disturb Mr. in the area that he masters best. And anyway, everyone has their place.
If as a woman you have the misfortune to say that you do not like to play only on the front part of the field, several answers are possible:
– We can caress you in the direction of the hair and say that you have a VERY VERY important role at the net because it is you who have the honor of finishing the points (if this role is so enviable in this case why don’t you take not my place?)
– Then there are those who will tell you “OK, we’ll try to get you to play behind and you’ll see what’s going to happen…” And then this person who finds himself in front of you will shoot at your direction with all his strength and smash you in the face to make you understand that your place is not behind but in front.
If as a woman you are strong in front and weak behind everything will be fine for you.
If you’re zero in front and a little less behind ouch… things get complicated.
Better as a girl to conform to the roles that are assigned to us because those who come out of the mold quickly become problematic.
I happen to be one of those girls: zero in front and better behind. I, by the way, find it difficult to show good will when someone suggests that I improve at the net, for fear of being stuck there forever. What is the meaning ? I have to improve on the front part of the court to take back my place as a woman at the net because that’s where I’m supposed to be.
At no time do we question or challenge this way of thinking that was put in place probably a very long time ago.
I probably wouldn’t have been interested in this question if I fit perfectly into the boxes, if I conformed to the expectations that we have of us dear ladies. But this is not the case. I’m a girl more raw than sweet and that’s how it is. I don’t like the net and I prefer the baseline….what do we do with that now?
The hardest thing is to blame a woman who has the misfortune to back off for a defeat in a match. It’s very guilt-inducing to hear “we lost because you didn’t stay in front and since you have less strength, well, you got smashed on by the guy opposite”.
The worst is that this lack of legitimacy of the woman at the bottom of the course has the effect of making her completely lose confidence in herself and makes her enter the vicious circle of a mediocre game which will validate the expectations of the less benevolent. If you are not expected behind, the slightest mistake is fatal.
It’s also hard to hear “you have to play on the weak point, that is to say the girl”.
The rare moments when I “ready for the game” in front with a guy who behind only makes clearances before telling you at the end of the match “it was too good I had a blast” when you didn’t touch no steering wheel …. the pleasure is not shared.
Some are more tolerant and less focused on winning “the main thing is that you have fun. If you’re frustrated then I will be too.” Others just go with the person you are and not your gender. Your strengths, your weaknesses, regardless of your gender.
I think women could be much stronger than they are. They have internalized the idea that they were weaker and are not going to seek to develop their muscular strength for reasons that are still obscure to me…do not overshadow these gentlemen? Because a strong woman is frowned upon? Unsightly?
If we let women take over the rear part of the field, they would have all the legitimacy to develop their strength and exploit their unsuspected potential.
My strong arms inevitably guided me towards these questions. If I had been better at the net than at the bottom of the course, I would have blended in and would have accepted the situation.
People are uncomfortable with the unusual. It destabilizes them. They prefer to come to terms with reality as long as we remain wisely in our boxes.
I heard several times “you have a guy’s game” … why shouldn’t I have a woman’s game?
I am a woman with strength…ouch…that’s it, I did it…I associated two words that are opposed.
Ladies who like to play net, don’t be offended by my words. I don’t blame women for playing net. I just blame our society for not accepting that some women may not like it. I have a lot of admiration for your dexterity at the net but personally, I prefer to hit hard.
Anaelle
