Written by As I write this, today we celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day in the United States. Women have come a long way in the sports world, and quite frankly still have a long way to go. We celebrate firsts like Sarah Thomas as the first woman to officiate in this weekend’s Super Bowl LV. We respect the male coaches who value having female coaches on their staff. We admire the female athletes like the USWNT and US Women’s Water Polo Teams who continue to be the best of the best and show dominance on the international stage.
Recognizing the value and importance of girls and women in sports contributes to positive culture. It teaches that everyone is capable and has value. When young girls see women in sports, they can dream a little bigger and set their goals a little higher and know that it can one day be possible.
There will still be armchair athletes that think they can beat a professional female athlete, or that women do not belong in sports, but what those armchair athletes don’t understand, is they are what make us want to shatter those glass ceilings. Their naysaying adds more fuel to the fire.
Female athletes, coaches, and administrators still have many more opportunities to be the “first” and every time a new ceiling is shattered, we are honoring those who came before us to fight for equality and opportunity. As females continue down this un-blazed trail, we need the support of men while we continue to support one another and create opportunities for those that come after us.