Abstract:
The primary aim of this study was to determine the reasons why sportswomen compete at a high
level in sport but terminate their sporting careers soon after school during the tertiary phase and
prior to reaching their full potential. The second aim was to explore the impact of gender
stereotyping in conjunction with the role of the media on the sportswomen in sport. A qualitative
approach was utilized where 40 high level sportswomen completed a questionnaire that was
specifically developed to identify the reasons why sportswomen terminate their sporting careers
and to explore the role of gender stereotyping and the media. Results indicated that five of the
most important reasons for sportswomen terminating their sporting careers are decreased
motivation and interest in sport, coaching problems, academic pressure, injuries and politics in
sport. A significant number of the subjects agreed that gender stereotyping in sport does exist and
that the media contribute to gender inequalities in sport.
