PUNCH! Why Women Participate in Violent Sports

Rating:
Summary: You're not the exception if you play a contact sport
Review: As a woman who has been interested in contact sports for most of my life, this book definitely caught my attention. The introduction immediately captured my interest, even brought tears to my eyes in recognition of the struggle women have had to face to play a contact sport. I found the book especially uplifting because, as a woman with a desire to participate in violent sports, it shows that I'm the norm rather than the exception. The many interviews with women from all walks of life make the book objective and unbiased. The book definitely brings insight into what it means to be a woman which, curiously enough, is something many women have failed to identify in themselves. Rather than suppressing their desire to participate in violent sports, women should embrace who they are and draw strength from it. If I could give this book six stars, I would. It speaks the truth. Read it!

Rating:
Summary: You're not the exception if you play a contact sport
Review: As a woman who has been interested in contact sports for most of my life, this book definitely caught my attention. The introduction immediately captured my interest, even brought tears to my eyes in recognition of the struggle women have had to face to play a contact sport. I found the book especially uplifting because, as a woman with a desire to participate in violent sports, it shows that I'm the norm rather than the exception. The many interviews with women from all walks of life make the book objective and unbiased. The book definitely brings insight into what it means to be a woman which, curiously enough, is something many women have failed to identify in themselves. Rather than suppressing their desire to participate in violent sports, women should embrace who they are and draw strength from it. If I could give this book six stars, I would. It speaks the truth. Read it!

Rating:
Summary: Book Delivers a Punch! of a Message
Review: My seventeen-year old daughter's current dream is to be an ice hockey goalie. I must admit that I feel a certain amount of trepidation when I encounter her enthusiasm for what I have always felt to be a violent sport. My daughter is very slightly built and has never played hockey in her life, although she does take ice hockey lessons at a local rink. Why on Earth, I have often wondered, would she even WANT to expose herself to all the dangers inherent in the game? The other day I picked up Lawler's book, and began reading. FINALLY, I found some answers to my question. PUNCH! is a highly entertaining, exceptionally well-written treatise, combining interviews with women athletes and painstaking scholarly research, on why women today participate in contact sports that traditionally were the realm of "rugged ultra-he-man types." I was extremely impressed by Lawler's background as the holder of a black belt in martial arts. She definitely practices what she preaches. The women that she interviewed for her book are STRONG women, and not just in the physical sense. These women have a strong sense of self and an awareness of their own power, and this certainly comes through in all the interviews. I came away from my reading of this book with a new appreciation of my young daughter's budding "warrior spirit," and have resolved not to thwart her in the attainment of her dream. (I may even let her borrow this book!)

Rating:
Summary: A serious and informative look at a widespread phenomenon
Review: Punch! Why Women Participate In Violent Sports by Jennifer Lawler is a candid, thoughtful look at women in violent, competitive sports such as boxing, hockey, and martial arts. But what type of women choose to become involved in such pastimes? Why do people have such concern over it? These questions and more are addressed in-depth in Punch!, which is a serious and informative look at a widespread phenomenon reflecting changing gender roles with the progression of a few decades. A fascinating, informative, seminal, ground breaking, thought-provoking study, Punch! is a strongly recommended addition to Women's Sports and Feminist Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.