However , athletics by its very nature challenged some of the accepted ideals of respectable womanhood .
Concerns about the femininity of women athletes remained a constant concern in this period , not just within the international governing bodies but also for the WAAA and the women 's clubs .
Athletics by its very nature challenged some of the accepted ideals of respectable womanhood .
Concerns about the femininity of women athletes remained a constant concern in this period , not just within the international governing bodies but also for the WAAA and the women 's clubs .