The Princess Athlete
The days of volleyball players being call a “tom-boy” is over. Girls no longer have to choose between being athletic or girly; thanks to photographer Heather Mitchell. The now famous mom from Alabama decided to not make her…
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Continue ReadingThe days of volleyball players being call a “tom-boy” is over. Girls no longer have to choose between being athletic or girly; thanks to photographer Heather Mitchell.
The now famous mom from Alabama decided to not make her young daughter choose between wanting to play sports or be a princess. She featured a photo series with youth softball players dressed in elegant princess gowns. They highlight both sides of the player’s personality with tough expressions opposite delicate dresses. Thanks to social media, her artistic representation captured this idea; and the sports world can’t get enough.
Volleyball has always been known as a mostly female sport, yet many players were still judged for liking spandex versus skirts. If you chose the gym over a dance studio, we were somehow made to feel less feminine. But thanks to Mitchell, today’s female athletes will grow up with a new mentality.
Social norms are always changing and this is one idea everyone can get behind. Mitchell’s stand on this topic was eye opening, although not the first to promote it. Similar is the “girl power” movement of 90’s. And more recently Nike’s campaign featuring famous athletes like Senera Williams. Williams has long been a fixture for the woman empowerment campaign. Again proving the female athlete is unstoppable by winning the Australian Open while pregnant and returning to competition after the birth of her child.
Heather Mitchell’s social media is flooded with empowering messages: ” because you can do it all”, and “there is no box.” The idea has spread to photo shoots across the country. It is important for female athletes to feel entitled to be sporty and womanly.
So girls remember and coaches and parents reinforce this message: you can wear pink, you can hit home runs, you can have muscles, you can wear makeup to practice, you can serve hard because the female athlete CAN do it all.
*Mitchell’s portraits have been featured on the Today Show and other news outlets