On Wednesday, February 7, organizations and teams across the country celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Stockton University celebrated by dedicating a post on the Stockton Osprey’s account drawing focus to the women’s teams the university offers.

Women have been trying to find their footing in the sports world for as long as the sports world has been prominent. In 1875, the first professional baseball match between all-female teams was held. While only 16.4% of professional athletes are female, their presence is not silent. In the past couple of years ,coverage of women’s sports has grown immensely; most recently with the inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League being this year. 

On the field and off the field, women begin to make a place for themselves in the industry. Stockton University works to help women in those strides. Women sports outnumber men’s sports eleven to six, with the offering of club sports in their arsenal also. Within these teams, over half of the head coaches are women. Women fill not just head coach positions, but also the roles of assistant coaches, trainers, and more. Women fill the offices of the athletic department. Every layer you can attribute to working in sports, there is a woman filling that seat and making things possible. 

While representation is still small in comparison, it has grown massively over time. Representation has drawn attention to not only to the prominence of female athletes, but also to the women working behind the scenes. These role models can give younger generations the confidence and encouragement to continue to make a place for women in sports.