Performance or appearance? Young female sport participants' body negotiations

- We conducted focus groups of female sports participants.
- They balanced two opposite views: the performing body and the objectified body.
- They had to balance conceptualizing food as fuel versus a source of shame.
- They described being accepting of diverse body sizes, yet also noted weight stigma.
- They mentioned feelings of both empowerment and disempowerment within sport culture.

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine young female sport participants' experiences and thoughts in terms of sport, their bodies, and social appearance norms. Six focus groups with female sport participants (N = 25) from Sweden were conducted. Participants raised many positive experiences in relation to their sport participation, but they also witnessed a conflict in the intersection between the culture within their sport (emphasizing physical performance) and the culture outside their sport (emphasizing physical appearance). Through thematic analysis, four themes illustrating the balancing act between these two cultures were formed: (a) the performing body versus the objectified body, (b) food as fuel versus source of shame, (c) appreciation of body type diversity versus appearance prejudice, and (d) empowerment and agency versus disempowerment and restraints. The findings of this study indicate that young women who engage in sport have to face complex, ambiguous, and restricting norms and notions.