Research has found remarkably consistent and stable gender stereotypes within our society. In brief, to be feminine is to be "communal" or expressive, while to be masculine is to be "agentic," instrumental, and competitive (Cann, 1991; Spencer & Helmreich, 1978; Williams & Best, 1982). Our society also has many stereotypes about participants in sports, including gender stereotypes (see Kaplan, 1979). Despite legal and social changes, "sexist ideology still pervades sport" (Eitzen & Sage, 1993, p. 347). Following what Sage and Loudermilk (1979, p. 89) call "one of the oldest and most persistent folk myths,... athletic achievement has been equated with a loss of femininity." Sports participation is seen as a masculine activity; sports are a traditionally male domain, male sporting events receive far more media coverage, and participation in competitive sports violates females' traditional sex-roles and movement patterns (Eitzen & Sage, 1993; Snyder & Spreitzer, 1978).