As a former figure skater, then figure skating coach, and now someone who works every day in the field of sport and performance psychology, I think a lot about aesthetic sports.
When I say “aesthetic,” I’m referring to sports like figure skating, dance/ballet, gymnastics, etc., where appearance is directly intertwined with the sport or activity. This enmeshment brings its own kind of pressure, and in the worst cases, can create body image issues and even lead to disordered eating.
So today, I want to talk a little bit about the term “aesthetic sports,” the potential pitfalls athletes pursuing aesthetic sports may deal with, and how as parents, coaches and mental health professionals, we can support youth involved in aesthetic endeavors.
What is an aesthetic sport?
First, an aesthetic sport is defined as an “appearance-related” sport.
Appearance can mean a lot of things, down to how an athlete styles their hair, or what type of costume they wear while performing.
In sports or performing where “style,” is factored into judging, aesthetics can mean whether an athlete points their toe during a maneuver, or if their landing is neat or wobbly.
But what we primarily focus on in my work as a mental performance coach are aspects related to an athlete’s physique – body shape, weight, height and development in puberty and beyond.
Truthfully, this is where we can get into a real danger zone.
Impact of aesthetic sports on body image and health
As I recently wrote about here, body image issues are a huge concern in our culture. But in aesthetic sports, sometimes an athlete is literally performing with a spotlight on them.
So aesthetic sports and performance can intensify our culture’s unhealthy focus on appearance.
When an athlete faces constant, ongoing pressure to look a certain way, it can be a really slippery slope into food restriction or disordered eating.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for athletes to face enormous pressure to conform to a certain body type, even if that means they are underfueling themselves.
Appearance-based judging in sports and performance
The sport I am most deeply familiar with, figure skating, has come a long way. A few decades ago, athletes were awarded separate marks for technical skills and also for “style.”
And style could mean a lot of things.
Katerina Witt, a two-time Olympic figure skating champion faced scrutiny during her career in the 1980s because of her choice in performance apparel. There was even a rule created by the International Skating Union called “the Katarina Rule,” because some of her costumes were considered “too dramatic,” or even “too sexy.”
Sometimes, Katarina, a hugely talented athlete, was “judged-down,” simply because of what she wore during a performance, meaning her overall score was impacted because judges didn’t approve of her “look.”
Over the years, the sport of figure skating has made attempts to make scoring less subjective by changing its judging system.
But still, athletes in aesthetic sports, their parents and coaches tend to keep in mind that costumes, hairstyles, makeup and more can play a role in how a performer is judged.
The role of parents and coaches in aesthetic sports
When it comes to youth athletics and performance, adults – parents, coaches and mental health professionals – must realize that some sports come with appearance-based challenges.
Researchers are actually studying the impact of aesthetic sports on body image in athletes as young as 5 years old.
Children that young are not thinking about their bodies unless they are getting messages from somewhere.
And so adults need to step up and protect young athletes from the potential harm that comes from being “on display,” and consider the possible on-going psychological impact of aesthetic sports if they are not approached with care.
Keeping aesthetic sports healthy
I believe that there are steps we can take to help athletes in aesthetic sports have a healthier experience:
- We can be thoughtful about how we talk about body shape and size
- We can provide positive modeling when we talk about our own bodies
- We can help athletes to see food as fuel
- We can stop labeling foods as “good” or “bad”
- We can talk openly and honestly about the unique challenges of aesthetic sports, and provide support and resources for athletes – helping to connect them with sports psychology professionals and nutrition experts familiar with athletics*
(*this is huge – any nutrition expert working with an athlete must take into consideration the energy required and calories burned during training and how nutrition requirements for athletes differ from those of non-athletes)
Providing armor for athletes in aesthetic sports
But just as importantly, we need to consider how we got to this point in aesthetic sports, and what we can do to help make both the sporting world safer and more supportive for youth.
We must work to build up athletes, and give them protective armor by helping them train their minds along with their bodies.
This is one of the main reasons I offer mental skills training 1:1, in group settings and through speaking and through the camp I founded, Camp Ultraviolet.
It’s vital that we see youth athletes as whole people, and find ways to counteract the negative messages that come at them constantly.
Worth is never dependent on appearance.
And it’s part of the job of every coach, every parent of an athlete and every person who works in the sports psychology world to reinforce that message every chance we get.
