Cheryl.Cooky

About

Sports, Gender, and Social Change

Sports are much more than just games — they are a dynamic force in shaping as well as reflecting society. My research explores how the world of sports informs how we view gender, reinforces social hierarchies, and, at the same time, acts as a powerful platform for real social progress.

Speaking on

Media coverageTitle IXTrans inclusionSex testingPay equityFandomFeminism

Key areas of focus

Research

Promoting Fairness

Investigating the hidden barriers — and the positive driving forces — that affect gender equity for girls and women in sports.

Media Coverage

Analyzing the differences in how sports media cover men's versus women's sports.

Unpacking Headlines

Examining how the media frames major sports controversies, including systemic abuse, domestic violence, sex-testing policies, and racialized sexism.

Rewriting the Narrative

Exploring how feminist perspectives shape the stories and public conversations surrounding women athletes today.

Beyond the research

Teaching

I teach undergraduates who arrive certain that sport is just entertainment and leave with newfound understandings of how much sports figure into our social worlds and impact our own lives. Students tell me that shift — learning to see something familiar differently — is what stayed with them longest.