Although National Girls and Women in Sports Day was on Feb. 7, March is Women’s History Month, so I felt that it was important to talk about the importance of women in sports during a month dedicated to empowering women.
As a woman who grew up playing sports and is now in sports journalism, I have had to face the constant feeling that I do not belong or that I cannot succeed because it is a male-dominated field. Sports can bring people together, empower people, serve as a comfort for people, and be a place where women dominate.
I played many sports growing up, but the one that stuck with me was softball. I played for 12 years and loved every minute of it. However, there were always some boys at school that would constantly say it was the “easier form of baseball” or that it “wasn’t a real sport.” This really hurt me because it felt as though all the effort and time I put into softball was undervalued. Despite the mean remarks, I never gave up. Playing softball made me into the person I am today. I have made lifelong friends, learned tough lessons, and grew as an individual. This is why sports matter, and this is why all girls should have the opportunity to play sports without the fear of being looked down upon.
As I enter my third year of college with a sports journalism minor, I understand that the sports media field is dominated by men. Of course, I always knew in the back of my mind that this was the case because I watched ESPN, where all the anchors were men. However, it did come as a shock to me when I saw how many boys surrounded me as I entered my first sports journalism class. As more and more women enter this field, I want them to know that they belong. We belong. Women belong in sports media because our opinions and interests matter. We can bring new ideas and perspectives to sports that men cannot, and it is important that all the young girls out there feel represented in the media and in sports.
Overall, I think that it is important to emphasize how powerful women can be in the world of sports. Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast of all time, and she is now a household name. Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky has seven gold medals and plans to compete in the 2024 Olympics. The Michigan State women’s sports teams have had and continue to have extremely successful seasons overall.
Women can and do dominate in sports and sports media. During Women’s History Month it is essential to reflect on all of the powerful women in history. Personally, I believe that it is especially important to highlight the female athletes who paved the way in sports to show young girls everywhere that they do belong and can succeed in sports.