For every girl scoring points on the court, there’s another holding a camera, or stretching an athlete’s calf. This is all part of the same story, and it’s time we show more appreciation for them.
When we talk about women in sports, we often think of the ones on the field or court. But being a “sports girl” extends far beyond athletics. It’s the woman managing game-day coverage behind the camera, editing highlights at midnight, or taping ankles before practice.
These women are the backbone of college sports culture, balancing the same chaos, commitment, and passion as any athlete. Yet too often, their dedication gets overlooked in favor of flashier, more visible roles. It’s time to start giving them their flowers on and off the field.
College sports culture glorifies hustle, but for women who are the backbone of that culture, love doesn’t come easily. Women in sports navigate constant contradiction: being admired for their dedication but overlooked for their impact.
And that imbalance isn’t just a feeling, it’s reflected in the numbers.
Only 15% of sports media coverage in 2022 focused on women’s sports, according to the Women’s Sports Foundation. On college campuses, that number shrinks even more with most athletic departments reporting that women’s teams receive less than half the promotional content of men’s sports.
But the lack of love isn’t just about who’s being filmed; it’s about who’s behind the scenes as well. In 2023, women made up 17% of sports reporters and photographers across collegiate athletics programs, despite making up nearly half of student journalists nationwide.
So when the sports girl shows up to the field, she’s not just working; she’s challenging an ecosystem that wasnt built for her visibility.
The Mental Game No One Talks About
Women in sports are constantly balancing pressure and perception by working to appear strong, knowledgeable, and unbothered, even when burnout is looming. According to a 2022 NCAA study, 35% of female student athletes reported feeling mentally exhausted constantly, compared to 25% of male athletes. These numbers are even higher for women in supporting or media roles, where emotional labor often goes unacknowledged.
The emotional fatigue doesnt just come from the work, it comes from being unseen while doing it.
There’s a quiet ache that lingers in the background: editing photos at midnight that few will share, writing recaps that get buried online, or pouring heart into practices that attract half the crowd of the mens team. Yet they still show up because showing up is their form of love.
Why we should start giving them their flowers
Supporting sports girls doesn’t require grand gestures. It means:
- Showing up to their games no matter the gender. This gives them more motivation to kill it on whatever field or court theyree on and lets be real girls win their games a lot more than the boys, lol.
- Share their articles, reels, and recaps. Support goes a long way simply acknowledging their work will encourage them to keep going.
- Posting recognition for athletic trainers, med-staff and sports journalists every once in a while.
Because when women in sports win in any area they are in, it’s not just for themselves, it’s for every girl who needs to see that space belongs to her, too.