As the only female Sabb, Will Charlotte Winter face a challenge as York Sport President?
YES – Sally Dolton
The world, and especially the world of sports, is male-dominated. I know this first-hand from being the female sports editor at Vision. It is not a conscious act but men do not take me as seriously as my male co-editor, or they do a double-take when I tell them I’m editor, not a watching WAG taking notes.
This is not an overreaction or a problem only in university sport – Cameron faced accusations in April last year for telling MP Angela Eagle to “calm down dear”. It is this condescension, even if innocently intended, that makes being a woman in a stereotypically male environment a challenge. Within sport, this can be seen with elite attitudes to women’s football. Winter, as York Sport President, is taking over from the very manly Sam Asfahani and the male sports teams will be used to dealing with him.
This is not to say that Winter couldn’t cope with this; she is an incredibly strong woman, and after working with her on the College Sport committee and seeing her being an inspiring captain to both the uni lacrosse and Alcuin netball, I know that she has the experience necessary to overcome this unconscious bias. However, that is not to say she will not have to face it, but as her lacrosse opponents would testify, she is not easily intimidated.
NO – Ben McGladdery
Having worked with Winter on the York Sport committee and watching her play on the lacrosse and netball pitches I know first-hand that Charlotte is not one to take any rubbish from anyone! When it comes to the committee the mix of personalities is what will drive it to be successful.
Although I can’t deny that the committee is, and historically has been, rather sausage-heavy, I feel that Charlotte, being the only female on the team, will take it in her stride, use it to her advantage and become an excellent York Sport President.
If we look back before the indomitable Asfahani, we notice Emily Scott was our YorkSport President, and what did she do for us students? How did she cope with the pressures of gender in a male-dominated environment?
Well, together with the help of York Sport President-to-be Sam, she set in motion the abolition of the £40 membership. She fought for improvement of better facilities and, as anyone who has ever known her will tell you, she played every sport she could, and was a great advocate of college sport. Sound familiar?
Truth is, if Winter keeps her head on her shoulders, continues with the same proactive, enthusiastic attitude to sport, she is currently renowned for, she will be the best York Sport President we will have seen in a long time. Good luck to her!