Athletic Shape: What Does It Mean To Look Like an Athlete?

April 2, 2024
By Aubrey McLin

If you look up the definition of “shape,” the following words come up; “external form, contours, or outline of someone or something.” When I looked up the word “Athletic,” “physically strong, fit, and active” are the words that are used.

The two definitions do not include weight or clothing size. Instead, the words I focus on are “fit” and “active.” To me, an athlete is not an athlete because they look a certain way. Instead, I believe what makes someone athletic is hard work and dedication. An athlete has a drive and passion that they pour into their craft and are willing to push their own physical and mental boundaries.

In today’s society, I’ve witnessed and experienced that too much emphasis is placed on an athlete’s appearance. Especially for female athletes. So, how do we change this and make it more about women’s athletic ability? Today, with more attention on women’s sports, we need to ensure we spotlight the athlete’s talent and ability. Body shaming or focusing on the appearance of an athlete’s body should have no place in the culture we are trying to build for women in sports. It’s toxic and mentally damaging.

Let’s prioritize the focus on not just talent and ability but on the athlete’s training, nutrition, strength, mentality, and recovery. These are what are essential to an athlete’s performance. When we don’t, the consequences are often great and discovered too late. Words and the emphasis placed on them can be powerful tools, and in situations where they are used negatively, like body and weight shaming, they are weapons of mass destruction.

My genetics have me destined to be a pretty solid, tall female athlete. With my mom being 5’10”, dad standing at 6’3″, and grandparents, aunts, and uncles all standing on average at 6 feet, the odds of being the “big” girl were high. The word “big,” though, had a different identity for me than for others.

Growing up, I was honestly thrilled to be the tallest girl in the class or on the team. My family was athletic too, and the hope was that I would fare well in sports too. As I got older and started to fill out, I worked out regularly at my local gym and became quite muscular. As a goalkeeper, this helps me with the needed power and momentum that is required to push me across the goal.

When I started to increase my daily workouts and training, I began to get comments regarding my body weight. People started to assume I was a goalkeeper when I shared that I played soccer. Often this is followed up with a stereotype of what a field player’s ability and look should be versus a keeper.

“You’re so big,” “you must be a keeper,” “keepers don’t have to run much, right?” I politely educate them that goalkeepers have to run a lot more than they think. Keepers have to be physically fit, as our roles require a lot of agility, speed, and endurance. Being in conversations like this is slightly discouraging and disheartening; however, if they’ve never been involved in sports, I try to brush it off. When athletes, coaches, trainers, or media make assumptions or body and weight shame athletes, they should know better.

I had an incident recently regarding my size through social media. It took me by surprise and initially got me thinking about changing myself to fit society’s mold of what they perceive an athlete should look like. Luckily, I paused this destructive thinking after my club coach, a fellow goalkeeper, and a former US women’s 1999 goalkeeper and owner of Dynasty goalkeeper immediately noticed. They stepped in after seeing this on social media.

All three women reminded me of what I had referenced and written about before regarding critics and “The Man in the Arena” by Theodore Roosevelt. There will always be people, the “critics,” rushing to make harsh critiques. Yes, I have had previous experience with this, and unfortunately, it’s something I must continue to be prepared for. Hopefully, it will change for the better, with more women athletes fighting against this backlash.

Thanks to those three women and my mental skills coach, my focus these days is on building my confidence and learning to tune out all the “sideline noise.” It is on prioritizing my mental health to protect my mind and body. I also work a lot on reframing and have gone back to being thankful for being the “big girl.”

My height is what helps me showcase my top-hand saves. My weight and muscle strength allow me to fly across the goal for upper 90s. I can deadlift and bench press more than most athletes my age which usually impresses the bystanders at my gym. My ability and how physically fit I am is my current focus and, as mentioned before, should be the focus of others when discussing athletes, not their appearance.

The number of female athletes that have come forward and shared their own experiences with being criticized, turned away, or publicly embarrassed because of body image and weight shaming is unacceptable. The consequences can often lead to eating disorders, suicide, mental health crises, or, most commonly, an athlete giving up the sport they used to love.

The culture in athletic programs, schools, and clubs needs to change to one in which the focus is on individualization, not a one-size fits all mold. Fostering nutrition, strength, mentality, and recovery are essential to athletic performance, and just as important is to view an athlete’s body for what it can do rather than what it looks like.

My body is what makes me a great athlete and goalkeeper! This is my narrative and my hope for the future of female athletics.