Health-related gender boundary crossing in youth elite sport

Gender has been found to play an important role in moderating health outcomes and behaviours. However, strong similarities in male and female athletes’ handling of pain and injury have been noted. The dominance of health practices associated with ‘orthodox masculinity’ references elite sport’s risky body culture. Drawing on the concept of ‘gender boundary crossing’, we question how athletes negotiate orthodox masculine health practices and body–self relationships in the process of socialization. Our analysis draws on qualitative interviews with male and female athletes aged 14–19 performing at the national level in German youth elite sport. Our findings indicate that while practices of pain ignorance and instrumental body relations dominate among female and male adolescent athletes, some develop less orthodox practices such as caring for the body and avoiding health risks. Critical events and alternative social networks were found to promote this health-related gender boundary crossing in elite sport.