Even so, gender matters. It especially matters for counselors when working with men in sports settings because in North American culture, masculinity and sports are virtually inseparable experiences. Men who don't or can't play, usually watch. Sport is a lifelong interest for many, many men. Although masculinity is not likely to be identified as the presenting problem, these issues are certainly in the background for most concerns brought to counselors.
Evidence exists that many traditional men prefer classes and workshops to individual counseling.
This appears to be especially true for men involved in athletics. On the KSU campus, we have developed classes for both Performance Enhancement and Leadership Training. These classes have been available to athletes for several years. In addition, numerous athletes from all sports are seen on an individual and confidential basis. At UCS we have also worked directly with collective teams in areas such as team goals, leadership, motivation, and mental practice strategies.