The training environment of the typical Wesleyan student-athlete is a cutthroat and demanding one that requires keen focus, especially in times of ultimate fatigue. Observing this environment has shown me how combative the competition is between the collegiate students themselves; specifically, the inner-relationship between the male and female athletes.

Some prominent characteristics I have seen develop from this relationship are rooted from an ideology of male superiority. The ordinary training day begins with the athletes trickling in for their 7:30 a.m. training session. Both male and female athletes are moderately weary-eyed and sluggish; however, most of the male athletes have already begun blatantly laughing, throwing tennis or lacrosse balls back and forth with each other. This already illuminated an atmosphere in which the male individual seemed to be more comfortable in the environment. On the other side, the female athletes, respectively attached to their familiar teammates, continue adjusting their hair into ponytails and critiquing the situation and their comfort levels: “I always wanna wear the Nike leggings but it’s too hot in here. Why is it so hot in here?” The male athletes, casually intermingling with other teams, pick more abstract discussions: “Dude, I didn’t do any work last night.”

Alongside the visibly rambunctious male behavior, another immediate observation was the segregation between the male and female athletes. The male athletes are clustered on the right side of the rectangular room while the female athletes are bunched on the left side of the room. From this, it is evident that when male and female athletes are put in the same room together, it becomes much more than just a joint pursuit to becoming a better athlete. The presence of the male athletes intimidates the female athletes. However, these initial observations only spark the obvious male superiority in the room.

When the first whistle blows, the athletes are called to perform a warm-up jog of four laps around the track. The many male athletes who are late candidly stroll to their teams, while being high-fived for their lateness. The singular female that is late, sprints to her team and joins the group as quickly and as unnoticeably as possible. It is remarkable to recognize the reward given to the male athlete for noticeably being late; a comical trophy for drawing attention, perhaps. When the first lap begins, the group is fairly mixed: boys in the front, girls in the middle, and more boys in the back. When the athletes encounter their first turn around the track, the male athletes nonchalantly pass the female athlete. It is critical to note that during this passing, there is no eye contact or interaction between the male and female. It is seemingly a common doing for the male athlete to be passing the female. When this happened, a female athlete commented to her teammate, “Just let it happen.”

But what is the female athlete really thinking? Most of the female behavioral instincts show no cares of what the male is doing. They continue with their respective paces and remain on the track they are on. Moreover, it is clearly a very common occurrence for the male to physically prove his strength and power over the female athlete.

I found it strange at first, the idea that the female was OK with this happening, but I began to think of their own thoughts and how superior they must feel in some ways by being able to even run alongside a few of the male athletes. One female stood out, competing her hardest with a male athlete at the front of the running pack. Although this may disprove my theory of the male superiority existent in the training environment, it does show an urgency of some female athletes in trying to prove their capabilities. Her stamina did not enable her to run at that speed for very long, but it is a remarkable thing to take note of the fact that she left her respective group of female athletes and entered a world outside of her comfort zone. It is unfortunate that more female athletes did not join her; however, this shows that the social environment between the gender roles may be changing or even evolving to a more exemplified confidence in the female athlete when placed in a male dominant environment.

A friend once told me that she wished she had the confidence to perform in any environment. It was even clear to me, growing up as a female athlete, that when a male athlete was in the room, he had a natural tendency to prove his dominance and power, especially when around the females. Perhaps it was a sign of insecurity to try and impress the females.

Following the warm up laps, the dynamic stretches begin. Again, there are groupings of males and females, although, a high level of intensity and focus is demonstrated by both. The male groups would occasionally throw in extra push-ups during some of the activities. However, the female groups continued to do exactly what they were told and stayed focused on their drills. When the drills were completed, the boys would scream and shout, “Woo!” to let everyone know of their completion. They would drench their faces in gallons of water, perhaps to draw attention. However, the girls would collectively jog off and quickly get their water before the next activity. As an observer of this, the feeling that struck me was that the male athletes seemed to have a sense of ownership over what they were doing. Almost as if they had been more acquainted to performing these drills so they were comfortable in being loud and drawing attention.

These male athletes may have no conception of how they are impacting the performance of other female athletes but they continue to do so anyway. However, it is not just the male athlete. The trainers have an impact on the female athletes' performances as well. In observing the trainers, their attention was primarily put on the male athletes, constantly driving them to work harder. With this system in place, it could affect the female athletes in showing them that their training is potentially not as important as the training of the male athletes.

Nevertheless, male superiority is an inherent conception that seems to stretch out further than just the Wesleyan training rooms. It is a concept that furthers itself into the world and affects the female environment in a majority of ways: intimidation in the work place, the government, and socially. However, I have concluded that in the athletic world, there is an inevitable tendency for the male athlete to take on a more supreme and dominant role when around the females; however, an aura of female confidence is evolving and proving to the world that they, too, can compete at the highest of levels alongside the distinguished male athletes.