Calling All Sportswomen!
Sport Stories Press is compiling a collection of stories by, for, and about sportswomen for the first book in its Thigh Flasher series! We are seeking sportswomen of all levels and abilities who consider sport and athletic activities to be a part of their lifestyle to share their sports stories by participating in this online written interview.

Sport Story Press editor-in-chief will read, analyze, sort, and compile responses. Stylistically, the book will look like a cross between WOMEN IN CLOTHES and GIG, but with a focus on the careers, lives, and bodies of sportswomen.

Sport Stories Press will also invite a few hand-selected participants to a more in-depth Zoom interview and/or to have their story also published on the Sport Stories Press Notebook.


What's a Thigh Flasher and Why Should You Participate?

In ancient Sparta, the government required girls to participate in physical education and athletic competitions, just like the boys. The government even encouraged adult and pregnant Spartan women to exercise. This, however, was not an early instance gender equality in sport. The freeborn Spartan woman’s duty was to bear children and produce healthy sons for the Spartan army. Sparta’s physical education agenda for women was purely eugenic: women were valued only for their roles as child-bearers, not as athletes.

Other ancient Greek city-states found Spartan girls’ athleticism shocking, especially because girls, like the boys, wore very little clothing, or none at all, when they exercised. Their nudity was not shameful within the Spartan community; instead, it encouraged them to be modest and fit. Non-Spartan Greeks, however, denounced Spartan females, calling them unchaste, indecorous thigh flashers.

Sportswomen today still face similar discrimination as they did in ancient Sparta: they’re more valued for their roles as mothers than as athletes; they’re inappropriately sexualized; and media depicts them using unequal and condescending discourse. So, the title Thigh Flashers calls attention to the inequalities that still exist in sports, and this series seeks to rectify that inequality by encouraging women to share their sports experiences in their own words.


Other Participant Perks
  • Participants who have any part of their story selected for publication will receive a free ebook of the final publication.
  • Participants who have 1000 words or more of their interview published will receive a free print copy and free ebook of the final publication.
  • There is no compensation if your story is chosen only for website publication.
  • Sport Stories Press hopes to connect with and champion all participants on social media. We use Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Questions & Comments
Check out the Sport Stories Press website for more information. Email us at editor@sportstoriespress.com

*If you'd like to participate but are unable to use this form, please email us for an alternative way to participate.


Newsletter
All participants will be added to the Sport Stories Press newsletter. You can opt-out at any time.

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Email *
What are your pronouns? *
Do you identify as an athlete or as someone who makes sport or athletic activities part of their lifestyle? *
What's your age? (We won't publish this without your permission. All participants must be 18 years or older.) *
What is your current level of athleticism? Select all that apply. (All levels are welcome!) *
Required
What is your name? *
What is your sport(s)? *
Where are you located? (You can share your city, state, country, continent, etc. Whatever you'd like.) *
What's your profession/career field?
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