Some of you might be scratching your heads as to why I would call this past summer an “Athenian Summer.”
This generalization has nothing to do with the Olympic Games and its birthplace. As all of the mythology nerds out there know, Athens received its name from Athena, the Greek Goddess of weaving, wisdom and warfare. This past summer, inside the world of women’s sports, we saw many reincarnations of our heroine Athena rise.
I was initially blown away on July 6, when I heard that Team USA captured their third World Cup. I was further elated when I saw how the media and Americans responded to this impressive victory and hat trick from Carli Lloyd, who was the player of the game. Over 25 million viewers tuned in on July 5 to watch Lloyd and the Americans take on their Japanese counterparts. In a society where fewer people are watching live television, these numbers were groundbreaking. The statistic that really put this into perspective is the fact that these ladies’ historic victory attained more viewers than any game in the 2015 NBA Finals. On July 11, the revolutionary response to Team USA’s achievement continued when a ticker-tape parade was held in their honor in lower Manhattan. This was the first ever ticker-tape parade for a women’s team in the United States.
Flash forward to the end of July and three more women disclosed their inner Athena.
Becky Hammon became the first woman to lead an NBA Summer League team to a championship and Dr. Jen Welter became the first woman coach to hold a coaching position in the NFL. Hammon, a former WNBA star, was hired before the 2014-2015 NBA season as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs. She became the first woman in North America to become a full-time paid assistant coach in any of the four major sports (Baseball, Basketball, Hockey and Football). On July 27, Dr. Welter was hired as an assistant coaching intern for training camp and the preseason to work with inside linebackers of the the Arizona Cardinals.
Although she hasn’t been guaranteed a full-time coaching position on the Cardinals, the league has never seen anything like this. Who is Welter may you ask? With a PhD in psychology and a masters in sports psychology, Jen Welter has a career that spans from sports academia to motivational speaking.
Additionally, she had a 13- year professional football career in women’s and men’s leagues where she played running back.
Also, on July 31, Nancy “Lady Magic” Lieberman was hired to assist the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.
So, what do all of these achievements by women mean for our society? In my mind, there are two important take- aways from these events:
1) People care and will watch women’s athletics now more than ever. Another fact about the Women’s World Cup Final is that in the United States, it was the most watched game of soccer ever recorded. This completely defies the misconception that “no one cares” about women’s competitions unless the women are sexualized. But, we do still have a long way to go; for example, amending the (formerly Lingerie) Legends Football League.
2) We are starting to realize that women aren’t just being hired or praised for their gender. This past July, UFC phenomenon Ronda Rousey was the first woman ever awarded the ESPY Award for Best Fighter. Gender roles and norms are being challenged thanks to Ms. Rousey as she’s the biggest star of a sport that is notorious for displaying masculinity. Ronda Rousey is an athlete and is successful because of her natural talent and discipline rather than her gender.
Additionally, Amy Trask, former CEO for the Oakland Raiders, believes that Sarah Thomas (the first full-time hired female official in the NFL) “should be booed” when she makes a questionable call like any other referee would, regardless of her gender.
With an incredible Athenian Summer almost at its end, what can we look forward to? Besides continuing to watch Hammon and Dr. Welter break more barriers, we can anticipate the regular season debut of Sarah Thomas. Additionally, we can follow the college career of Sarah Hudek, an 18 year old southpaw pitcher who received a baseball (not softball) scholarship from Bossier Parish Community College.
The future is looking awfully bright for women making a mark in all fields of the sports community. This Athenian summer is just the beginning and the Goddess herself is probably looking down at us with a smirk, thinking, “I told you so.”
Powell is a member of the class of 2018.
