My article for this week’s blog post is titled “Representation like Week 3's historic matchup matters for NFL's growing female fan base” and it discusses how for the first time in an NFL game, there will be a female coach on each sideline as well as a female referee. The article discusses the three women, Callie Brownson of the Browns, Jennifer King for Washington, and Sarah Thomas officiating, and how they have impacted this historic event.
Although this event is monumental and a great first step for women in sports, there is far more work to be done. Slowly, more women have been added to coaching staffs and front offices, however most still remain at lower-level positions. The disproportionately small number of women involved in the NFL is still a major issue, especially considering the NFL’s own data says around 47 percent of its fan base is female.This event also holds significance for the Black community, being that King, the full time intern for the Washington Football Team, is a Black woman. The article expresses how important this representation is for marginalized groups. “Seeing King, the first Black woman to be a full-time assistant coach in the league, fist-bumping Washington franchise quarterback Dwayne Haskins pregame and interacting with other players can be profoundly impactful for a young girl who dreams of coaching. She knows it’s not impossible. She knows someone who looks like her is doing it.”
King herself stated that she previously had lost hope of coaching football “because the pathway just didn’t exist” for her. However, she is now able to provide that path for other young Black females like herself.
Although there is still lots of work to be done for females in sports, there is still lots of reason to celebrate the achievements of these three women. They have overcome many barriers to get to this point of achieving their dreams, and are subsequently shaping the dreams of others.
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