Women in sports have faced many challenges on their journey, whether that be joining and justifying the sport or getting people to watch. On campus, students and coaches at GCSU also understand the hardships that come with being a woman in sports.
“There are less people watching women’s sports because people don’t take it seriously,” said India Collier, a junior exercise science major and manager for the GCSU’s women’s basketball team. “I feel like people think because they’re women, they’re not as strong or as tough as men.”
There are many misconceptions about female sports. Ideas about the player’s drive, the entertainment of the game or the physicality of the game under a new context. These misconceptions are proven not to be true by the girls on the court.
“[People think] that they’re not entertaining, that the kids aren’t as athletic, that it’s not worth people’s time, that females shouldn’t be in sports,” said Abigail King, head coach of the women’s volleyball team. “It can be an eye-opener for people when they actually go and watch females compete and see how aggressive they are and see how important it is to them to win.”
King has seen the girls she coaches grow up and become both great players and great people. She has been with many girls since they were freshmen, sometimes even younger, until they are ready to walk the stage and graduate.
“It’s building that relationship and gaining trust in that ability for us to help them through those next four years and really grow into an adult,” King said. “The most rewarding thing is being able to see them walk across the stage in four years and then being able to continue to see them prosper.”
Many people look for community in sports, and women who play, manage or coach the game are no different. The connections and the people they meet are driving factors for many, both directly on and off the court.
“I want to be an athletic trainer when I graduate,” Collier said. “So, I feel like I made that connection. And every time I’m at a basketball game, I’m talking to her, coaches to the players and what they like and making new friends.”
Another possible effect of the community formed in sports is the inspiration that comes from watching someone play the game at an elevated level. Seeing other women in sports can serve as a driving force for both high school-level and younger women.
“[Watching the women’s basketball team play is] really empowering to women, because there are a lot of girls in high school who think ‘maybe I’m not good,’ or ‘maybe I won’t do it in college,’ and it gives them that motivation to keep going,” Collier said.
It is not only people on the sidelines who recognize, appreciate and are inspired by the amount of work the players put into the game. Some players find motivation in their teammates who push them to become better.
“Many people look up to professional players, but the people that have impacted me the most are my own teammates,” said Kimber Kent, a sophomore exercise science major and player for the women’s softball team at GCSU. “I look up to all of them in different ways; they help me push myself and get better each day.”
While many GCSU players look up to their teammates, they do not look down on themselves or feel inferior when comparing their sport to the male counterpart.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever thought of myself as inferior to male players,” Kent said.
King wishes the same level of self-confidence for all women who play sports, explaining that they should never doubt themselves and should try whatever they want to do without letting anyone stop them.
“Try them all,” King said. “Don’t be afraid to go and try, and don’t be afraid to go and try in a situation where you might be the only female. You’re probably going to get bumped around and told you can’t join and can’t be part of it, but go do it because you’re probably better than half of them, at least.”