PRETTY&FIERCE&&

&&&&&&EDITOR’S&NOTE&

HELLO&MY&PRETTY&FIERCE&FOLLOWERS,&&

AS&A&YOUNG&FEMALE&ATHLETE&YOU&GO&THROUGH&A&MUCH&DIFFERENT&AND&MAYBE&MORE&INTENSE&STRUGGLE&THAN&THE&AVERAGE&LITTLE&GIRL.&&BEING&AN&ATHLETE&HAS&ITS&OWN&PACKAGE&THAT&COMES&ALONG&WITH&THE&SPORT&YOU&LOVE:&LIKE&LOSING&GAMES,&WINNING&GAMES,&BEING&THE&BEST,&STAYING&THE&BEST,&COACHES,&PARENTS,&TEAMMATES,&ETC.&&BEING&A&FEMALE&ATHLETE&MYSELF&I&KNOW&THAT&THERE&ARE&FAR&MORE&ISSUES&WITH&YOURSELF&THAT&COMES&WITH&BEING&IN&THE&WORLD&OF&SPORTS:&THE&STRUGGLE&OF&IDENTITY&ISSUES,&FEMINITY&PROBLEMS,&STEREOTYPES,&KNOWING&WHO&YOU&ARE&AND&BEING&COMFORTABLE&WITH&IT.THIS&MAGAZINE&IS&DESIGNED&FOR&THAT&LITTLE&GIRL&,&THAT&TEENAGER,&AND&THAT&GROWN&WOMAN&THAT&HAS&TO&DEAL&WITH&THE&BATTLE&OF&WHICH&SIDE&SHE&WANTS&TO&PLAY&OF&BEING&MASCULINE&OR&FEMENINE.&&WHY&CAN&NOT&HAVE&BOTH&OR&BE&BOTH?&&

THE&ANSWER&IS,&“IT’S&OKAY”,&YOU&CAN&BE&WHATEVER&YOU&ARE&COMFORTABLE&OF&BEING;&WEATHER&YOUR&REALLY&FEMININE&OR&REALLY&MASCULINE&OR&A&COMBONATION&OF&BOTH.&&

WE&ARE&&

FEMALE&ATHLETES&COME&IN&ALL&SHAPES,&COLORS,&BACKGROUNDS,&SEXUAL&OREINTATION,&AGES&AND&THEY&ALL&COME&TOGTHER&ON&A&COURT,&FIELD,&RINK,&COURSE,&MAT,&AND&POOL.&

&STAY&FIERCE!!&

&&&&

KENDRA&JOHNSON&&

&

SOCCER&SUPERSTAR&AND&MOM&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&MIA&HAMM&

THE&PROBLEM&&

“Gender identity made big news as people began to question whether a woman, who "looks like a man," as everyone kept reminding us, could really be such a good athlete. It seems that female athletes are either A. too manly, B. sexualized to the point where their athletic prowess no longer matters, or C. portrayed as suffering from the ultimate female problem: how to juggle work and family.”&

But&whereas&Shaq&was&hailed&for&being&big,&bold,&different,&Griner&is&sometimes&viewed&in&a&harsher&light,&with&skepticism&bordering&on&suspicion.&

When&people&called&Shaq&a&freak&of&nature,&it&was&a&compliment;&when&directed&at&Griner,&the&term&often&carries&a&cruel&edge,&punctuated&with&the&

refrain&of&"She's&a&dude!"&

&This&video&is&an&interview&with&basketball&superstar&Brittney&Griner,&Sports&Illustrated&Maggie&Gray&asked&some&personal&questions&about&females&in&basketball&and&the&homophobic&issues&in&sports:along&with&Elena&Delle&Donne,&and&Skylar&Diggins.&

&

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Brittney&Griner&Speaks&Out&&

Brittney&Griner&Speaks&Out&Continued.&

Brittney&Griner&interview&http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhFaVkeq7Y977E90L3&

&

College&basketball&sensation&(now&in&the&WNBA)&Britney&

Griner&

WNBA&player&Candace&Parker&&

Q&A with a Pretty Fierce Player:

Sha’Quanna Marshall- Rutgers-Newark-Women's Basketball Player

Me: What sports have u played? Sha’Quanna: I’ve played Soccer, Softball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Track, Baseball, all competitively. Me: Have you ever had issues with how people looked at you because you were an athlete? Sha’Quanna: I've always been a tomboy just not in the traditional sense. I was a girly tomboy. I never really cared what people said but they honestly never really said anything at all. Me: Do you prefer to play against girls or boys? Sha’Quanna: I prefer to play against guys because I feel like they are more competitive and I can only get better that way. Me: Have you ever had the issue of people assuming your sexual orientation because you were an athlete?

&&

Sha’Quanna: I never really had the problem of people calling me gay or anything like that; but I have been asked just because I did play sports, mainly just by other female basketball players because there are a lot of lesbians in that sports so it is assumed. I wear girly clothes off the court or field unless it was game day then I wore sweats or basketball attire. Me: Do you feel like people respect u more as a female when they find out u play a sport? Sha’Quanna: Yes. I feel like when people find out I' am an athlete they're pretty surprised, like a girly girl isn't supposed to play sports. I think its weird that they find it weird when a girly girl and people find out you play a sport; it’s like someone who is girly cant play a sport but we can do them both. And I find a lot of guys like that I am girly and I am an athlete because its different it sets you apart from the other regular girls. Also people respect me more because being an athlete means that I’m balancing my schoolwork, a job, family, on top of my sport and everything else. Me: What is your most memorable moment in you sports career so far? Sha’Quanna: I was in Vegas for an AAU basketball tournament and was hurt because I fractured my left hand but I still played and we were kicking everybody ass even with my hurt wrist. I just wanted to play so bad that I played through it every game. We ended up making it to the finals but one of our other starring players got hurt during the semifinal game and we lost in the finals; but I will never forget that at all, it was an amazing experience.

&

Q&A&With&Pretty&Fierce&Player:&Sharee&Gordon:&RutgersgNewark&Volleyball&

Player&&Me:&What&sports&do&you&play?&&Sharee:&I’ve&played&Volleyball&and&Basketball,&but&Volley&is&my&love.&&Me:&&Have&you&ever&had&a&problem&growing&up&with&your&own&identity?&&Sharee:&Yes&I&did.&&I&was&insecure&a&little&bit&because&I&was&an&athlete&but&I&was&not&the&girliest&person&in&the&world.&&People&started&to&question&me&a&little&bit&I&started&to&question&myself&like&should&I&balance&out&being&an&athlete&and&being&a&girl.&So&I&wore&girly&clothes&just&so&the&questions&would&stop,&but&I&was&not&comfortable.&&I&don’t&think&I&should&have&to&prove&my&feminine&or&have&my&feminine&side&questioned&because&I&was&an&athlete.&&I&don’t&think&tats&okay&at&all&but&once&I&got&to&college&and&I&started&to&come&into&my&own&and&I&stopped&caring&about&what&other&people&thought&and&I&dressed&how&I&wanted&it&and&I&found&that&when&you&are&real&with&yourself&and&walk&around&with&that&self&confidence&that&you&know&who&you&are&and&proud&of&it&you&see&that&people&don’t&really&question&as&much.&&&&Me:&Why&do&you&think&people&tend&to&question&female&athletes?&&Sharee:&&I&feel&like&females&playing&sports&especially&basketball&is&seen&as&being&masculine.&Males&have&“dominated”&the&sports&world&but&then&women&came&in&a&started&to&do&all&the&sports&that&men&did&and&we&did&it&well.&&But&like&I&said&I&think&it’s&like&that&just&because&sports&as&seen&as&something&masculine.&&&&&&

&

Me:&Why&do&you&think&people&tend&to&question&female&athletes?&&Sharee:&&I&feel&like&females&playing&sports&especially&basketball&is&seen&as&being&masculine.&Males&have&“dominated”&the&sports&world&but&then&women&came&in&a&started&to&do&all&the&sports&that&men&did&and&we&did&it&well.&&But&like&I&said&I&think&it’s&like&that&just&because&sports&as&seen&as&something&masculine.&&&&It’s&kind&of&funny&though&because&volleyball&is&kind&of&a&feminine&sport&because&the&clothes&are&tight&and&short&and&I’m&the&complete&opposite&of&that&so&I&guess&I’m&breaking&the&mold.&& Sharee: Well I do identify with the being a lesbian but yes I have especially when I went through my phases in high school and wasn’t not to sure if I wanted to be out yet. So to avoid questions I tried to dress more feminine. Me: What would you say to any girls that is going through those self issues as you did when you were younger? Sharee: I would tell them to be themselves at the end of the day. You are an athlete weather you are girly or not or both it really doesn’t matter and it really shouldn’t matter.&

&

&

You.Are.Amazing..

As. you. are. Stronger than you know.

More beautiful than you think. Worthier than you believe.

More loved than you can ever imagine. Passionate about making a difference. Fiery when protecting those you love.

Learning. Growing. Not alone. Warm. Giving. Generous.

Quirky. Sexy. Funny. Smart. Flawed. Whole. Scared. Brave.

And so, so, so.much.more.

Be Strong. Be Confident. Be You. &