Why do outdated perceptions of masculinity still dominate sport?
themindroom.substack.com
Everyone gets angry. Even Chelsea manager Graham Potter, it turns out. By now, you may well have seen the clip of the London club’s head coach answering (with admirable self-restraint) a question about whether he airs his frustrations from time to time. For those with better things to be doing than scrolling through their Twitter feed, Potter - on the back of calls from English pundits to be more aggrieved at decisions that go against his team - was asked, simply: ‘Do you get angry?’
Thanks. In my work with ADHD clients (and in my personal experience) anger/masculinity is a consistent issue. So much so that I am currently considering writing a book about it, maybe next year (or at least including it in the one I am slowly working on). One of the most interesting conversations about anger for me in current times is about the constructive role of anger in Black activism, for example in the work of Myisha Cherry, building on the work of Audre Lorde and others (even more interesting for being largely a conversation about women and anger). This opens up lots of interesting angles when it comes to considering whether anger can be a constructive element in sport, but it also invites deep consideration of the differences in context and application between the two conversations. I think Roy Keane’s infamous tackle is Exhibit A on the evidence table for me, as a complex example of the use of anger in sport, and how it can open up all sorts of questions about violence, revenge, and competitive spirit. Such an important conversation, and great to see it raised here.
Thanks. In my work with ADHD clients (and in my personal experience) anger/masculinity is a consistent issue. So much so that I am currently considering writing a book about it, maybe next year (or at least including it in the one I am slowly working on). One of the most interesting conversations about anger for me in current times is about the constructive role of anger in Black activism, for example in the work of Myisha Cherry, building on the work of Audre Lorde and others (even more interesting for being largely a conversation about women and anger). This opens up lots of interesting angles when it comes to considering whether anger can be a constructive element in sport, but it also invites deep consideration of the differences in context and application between the two conversations. I think Roy Keane’s infamous tackle is Exhibit A on the evidence table for me, as a complex example of the use of anger in sport, and how it can open up all sorts of questions about violence, revenge, and competitive spirit. Such an important conversation, and great to see it raised here.