What does National Girls & Women in Sports Day mean to you?
What it means to me is that women are given a chance to express themselves in sports, not just as an athlete but further along. Playing, coaching, contract writing, ownership. Just a chance for women to show their pride in sports and how it affects them.
Who is a woman in sports that has inspired you?
Her nickname was Flo-Jo, but her name was Florence Griffith Joyner, and I loved her because no one had ever seen anybody like her before. She was athletic, strong, beautiful. But the power, the speed, her hair, her nails, her outfit, it just changed the sports world. She made records that are still held today in the 100 and 200 meters, and I just loved her because she was magnificent and something the world had never seen. And it came from a woman. So that was empowering and it was great to see as a young child growing up.
What advice do you have for young women in sports?
Don’t limit yourself, don’t think about what you can’t do. Think what you can do. There used to be this advertisement from Gatorade that said “play like a girl.” I wish they still had, that but it’s just something that girls should think about. Play like a girl, because I look at it as a compliment.
What do you want people to better understand about women’s sports?
I think it’s about the limitations. Remember there was a time that women couldn’t even participate. A woman had to pretend, to get into the Boston Marathon. So now, not only are women playing in sports, participating in sports, they’re owners, coaches, contractors, helping write things. So I think this is a great time for women in sports from beginning to end. Just to see the progress, I love it.
Photo Credit: MHSAA, Matt Mitchell, Kelly Branigan, Lynika McCrary
