Kaelin's Corner: Celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Week

Allow me to start this by saying Happy National Girls and Women in Sports Week to all of my female athletes, coaches and sports staff who are making a difference in Southeast Missouri today.

National Girls and Women in Sports is a celebration held in the first week of February. It is a time to set aside and recognize those who are often overlooked and undermined, women.

This national day of recognition was first acknowledged in 1987 to be celebrated on Feb. 5 in honor of Flo Hyman.

Hyman, an African American female athlete, was one of the most popular volleyball players of her time. She led the U.S. to a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Overlooked as a woman and undermined as a Black woman, she fought vigorously for equality in the world of sports, a field dominated by men.

As this week honors women in sports and it is the first week of Black History Month, there is no better time to honor Hyman’s legacy than now.

She was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1988, and her fight for equality in sports continues today. Due to Hyman’s efforts in the 80’s, and the work of so many women after her, female sports are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve.

The rise in popularity of women’s volleyball has brought the induction of the Professional Volleyball Federation. Women’s college basketball has sparked new interest in the WNBA, bringing a bigger fanbase than ever before. The 2024 WNBA season saw a 48% increase in game attendance compared to previous years.

The Women’s College Softball World Series had over 1.1 million views this past season, which cracked the top 10 for most viewed college championships of all time. In 2024, 42% of adults who play tennis were female and 49% of kids who participated in the sport were also female. The rise in tennis for women has been due to the numerous historic role models in the sport.

The U.S. Women’s soccer team has grown so much in popularity. Now, it currently has a bigger fanbase than the U.S. Men’s soccer team. The list can go on, but the basis of my argument is women's sports are on the rise, finally, and this is beautiful to see. The rise of women's athletics professionally gives little girls in towns like ours a dream and a purpose. Maybe more girls will try out for little league sports or even high school athletics. Studies show girls who participated in sports as youth are more likely to grow up and gain leadership roles in their careers.

Every girl deserves a chance to reach their full potential, even (and especially) those in the small towns of Southeast Missouri. I will conclude this with a conduct of my appreciation, not only to those professional athletes who are making a difference in women's sports but also to all the girls playing little league and high school sports and to all the female coaches leading by example to equality for all.