8 Examples Of Mansplaining In Athletics That’ll Make Your Abs Hurt (From Laughter, Not Incorrect Form)

Imagine chillin' at the gym and all of a sudden you feel someone staring directly at you. You know what's coming. 10 seconds later a random dude approaches you and says, "You know if you use a switch grip it's better. Here, let me show you." If you've ever experienced anything like this, you are a victim of mansplaining, and you may be entitled to financial compensation...just kidding. (But can you imagine?!) Mansplaining, as defined by Urban Dictionary, is "when a man explains something to a woman in a patronizing tone as if the woman is too emotional and illogical to understand". And it happens to female athletes a lot. Here are 8 examples of mansplaining in athletics that will cut you up, but ultimately make you wonder about the fate of humanity.

1. Boxing Coach ✨Completely✨ Misses the Point

Giphy User / Via giphy.com

We have to give this lady credit for keeping her cool.

"I was teaching a hip-hop boxing fusion class and the instructor from the boxing class before it came in to watch. In front of my class (which is regularly filled to maximum, and which I created, developed, researched, and choreographed) he mansplained that none of these moves would be effective for them in a fight. He said that they were all made-up moves with a false title of "boxing." Uh, correct, because who would make twerking and then dropping to do a burpee their go-to fighting move?" -Kelley, 31, NYC for the Shape

2. He Got Defensive...Over Defense?!

ImageFlip / Via giphy.com

It's times like these that make us want to baseball-pitch our phones at a wall. Newsflash, Random Twitter User: not helpful.

"It was a Wednesday evening, I was tired, my team was losing and my only outlet to vent was social media. I tweeted a rhetorical question about my team’s lack of defense: “So does defense not exist? #ClippersvsBlazers” to which I received a response from a Twitter user (who was also a stranger) delivering a simplified definition of “defense” in an attempt to be helpful in addition to insulting the team I supported. He kindly pointed out, “Oh I assure you it exists defense is when you try to stop the other team from scoring. It’s really hard and Clips can’t do it.” -Caitlin Antonios for NewU

3. Y'all Really Out Here Mansplaining to an Olympian...OK

Molly Seidel @ByGollyMolly12

On my flight was talking to a guy next to me & it came up that I run. He starts telling me how I need to train high mileage & pulls up an analysis he’d made of a pro runner’s training on his phone. The pro runner was me. It was my training. Didn’t have the heart to tell him.

02:29 AM - 28 Aug 2021

Molly / Via twitter.com

Even Molly Seidel, an Olympic runner, isn't safe from mansplaining. This man really tried to explain her own training methods to her...crying, shaking, throwing up.

"On my flight was talking to a guy next to me & it came up that I run. He starts telling me how I need to train high mileage & pulls up an analysis he’d made of a pro runner’s training on his phone.The pro runner was me. It was my training. Didn’t have the heart to tell him. " 🤦🏻‍♀️

4. This Dude Thinks YouTube Videos Trump Coach. Makes Sense.

Agent M / Via giphy.com

Imagine how embarrassed you'd be if your dad did this to YOUR coach! C'mon man, do better.

"I was watching a rowing regatta from the banks of the river, wearing the apparel of the team I coached and collecting information about the crews (including the crew I had been coaching for several years) in my notebook. Despite the fact that I was clearly engaged with the race, monitoring splits and “stroke rates”, the father of one of the athletes chose that moment to interrupt me and begin to mansplain which of the rowers had the best technique. He evidently felt better positioned than me to provide information on the quality of the race unfolding before him, and which of the athletes was best suited to row in various positions in the line up. I ignored him, needing to stay focused on the race unfolding before me as he yelled increasingly loudly. After the race ended, he wanted to continue “talking”. Although I was still irritated that he had interrupted me during an important race, I asked where *he* had rowed in college. “Oh, rowing? I’ve never been in a boat before. But my daughter showed me a few videos on YouTube.” …because those are the two things women don’t understand: sports and numbers. Obviously." -Anonymous Tumblr User

5. No, But My Dad Did Teach Me How to Throw a Punch.

Mashable / Via giphy.com

Kudos to this woman for not shoving her foam finger where the sun don't shine! I guess this guy wasn't aware that women can like football, too.

“This is my 17th year with season football tickets. I told a guy behind me that ISU hasn’t had the same QB start in every game in a season since Austen Arnaud. He said, ‘Oh yeah? Did your dad tell you that?'" -Twitter User Logan Gerleman. @LoganBG

6. No Words for This One. Just...No Words.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine / Via giphy.com

We're trying to understand this guy's logic and we might need him to mansplain it to us. He thinks these girls were just dressed for the occasion and actually knew nothing about the game? Or are we missing something?

“Me and my friend - both women, decked in full rugby gear - are standing on the sidelines of a rugby game waiting to play next, when I ask my friend what the score is. A male fan standing next to her turns to us, and in a voice dripping with condescension, says, “So, it’s 5 points when you touch the ball past the try line, and another 2 points when you kick it through the posts.” -Anonymous Tumblr User

7. How Did He Even Manage to Mansplain THIS?!

Giphy User / Via giphy.com

Ohhh...touchdowns are in football! We thought you score home-runs in football. 😑

"At the first football game of the season, I sat next to a boy I know and told him I do not know many of the play-by-play rules of football. After the first touchdown, he proceeded to explain to me what a touchdown is and what it means in a very condescending way. Now, I do not know a lot about football, but a touchdown is common knowledge to anyone who follows sports; my family loves football, and I played softball my entire life. In other words, I would definitely know what a touchdown is, and he knew that." -Abby Ramirez for the Maneater

8. He Really Did This With His Whole Chest

Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com

Did she ask you? No? Then don't explain it to her. Period.

"To preface this story, I have been a multi-sport athlete since I was in elementary school (and I'm now 25). One time, I was at the gym with my friend and I turned to him to double check that I was using a machine correctly. Before my friend could even respond, a random dude came over and told me to get off the machine so he could show me. He then sat there for 10 minutes explaining the machine to me like I was a 5-year-old, and then proceeded to get up and say, "Ok honey, now you try." All of this in front of my stunned friend. The only upside is now he understands what I mean when I say 'mansplaining'." -Katie Motta for Alluring Media Co.