Challenging the cultural narrative of women and sports through video portraiture
Portraiture
Equity and Diversity in Sport
Older athletes are not typically seen or heard in the dominant sport discourse, but instead marginalized in an individualistic culture that reveres eternal youth. Each woman’s video portrait expands the narrative of what it means to be an athlete and what’s possible in the later years of life.
The Method of Portraiture
Portraiture combines the scientific rigor of traditional research with the aesthetic appeal of the human spirit to simultaneously inspire and educate others. Portraiture elucidates the “richness, complexity, and dimensionality of human experience in social and cultural context.” -Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997
Acknowledgements
Thank you to these nine incredible women who welcomed us into their lives, so we may all learn from their journeys.
This work was made possible through funding from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology’s Oglesby-Snyder Grant for Equity and Diversity.
Portraits
About the Researchers
Jess Kirby, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She is driven to develop innovative research methods that amplify and elevate the lifetime sport experiences of girls and women.
Dannon Cox, Ph.D., is a professional videographer. He thrives on crafting the words and images seen behind the camera’s lens, into stories that exemplify the human spirit.
Thank you to Dr. Megan Babkes Stellino, Professor at the University of Northern Colorado, for her steadfast support and mentorship on this project.
Competing and Aging 