There are so many stories about women's sports that need to be told
Pressure is a privilege.
Those are the words that Billie Jean King, the iconic tennis pro, became known for during her legendary career. It's a phrase that so clearly illustrates the moment that women’s sports are in right now.
When this column launched last year, its goal was to elevate the stories in women’s sports. We began this journey on the eve of Title IX's 50th anniversary, and every week since then, we brought you numerous examples of everyday athletes thriving in New Jersey. We also summarized some of the biggest issues facing women's sports, from a lack of resources in recreation leagues to gender equality at the pro level.
This column — lucky No. 60 — will be our last. I, as the sole writer of this column, have accepted a new, exciting role at another outlet, after nine years with NorthJersey.com.
It has been a privilege to write you for 60 weeks straight, and I’m sad to see this chapter close. But let me be clear: this is not for a lack of interest in women’s sports or these kinds of stories. In fact, I’ve witnessed the opposite since this column debuted.
Readers have reached out to share their own stories or voice their relief that women's and girls' sports stories were getting the attention they deserved through this column. I’ve also heard from readers wanting to engage in deeper conversations about the topics covered, including discussing ideas for what to write about next.
And that's the thing — there are so many stories about women’s sports that still need to be told.
'Paradigm shift' in women's sports
There are countless stories unfolding in professional women’s sports right now. The WNBA is in its super team era. Women’s hockey is undergoing a massive shift with the launch of a new women’s professional hockey league on the horizon after the Premiere Hockey Federation, formerly NWHL, folded last week.
On the soccer pitch, all eyes will be on New Zealand and Australia, where the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off on July 20 for what's sure to be a historic tournament. As USWNT veteran Megan Rapinoe told press at a recent briefing, there’s a “paradigm shift” in women’s sports across the globe that just can’t be ignored right now.
“You've seen what's happened since last World Cup [in 2019], whether it's stadiums selling out, or the women's Final Four, [or the] cricket league in India — like, there's so many examples of this,” Rapinoe said. “It feels like this is a paradigm shift or a moment we'll look back to and say, ‘Nothing was ever the same after this Women's World Cup.’”
With the World Cup starting, there will also be opportunities for players to step up and fill roster vacancies in the NWSL. That could be a career-making moment for local, young talent.
There’s also so much happening at the college, high school and youth levels of the game – whether it’s talking about the launch of an all-girls flag football league in Bergen County, or how the recent closure of Immaculate Conception, a prominent all-girls Catholic school, will change the face of high school sports next year.
Knowing there’s so much still to cover is both exciting and intimidating.
Keep the conversation going
The goal of this column was to get the conversation started, and we did. Now, it’s on all of us to keep the conversation going. We should feel that pressure — as journalists, as athletes, as people who feel gender equality in sports translates to better conditions for all outside of the pitch or off the court.
And as King so famously said: “Usually if you have tremendous pressure, it’s because an opportunity comes along.” For King, that opportunity was at Centre Court at Wimbledon. For us, that opportunity comes in the form of elevating the women’s game.
I encourage you to consume all the women’s sports coverage you can. Write your local news reporters and editors here at NorthJersey.com when there’s a story you know is worth telling. Or reach out to me on Twitter, and I'll know who to connect you with.
Invest in the growth of the sector. Go to local games. Watch games on television. Connect with local supporters’ groups. Or, if you’re thinking about starting a basketball team for your daughter and her friends to increase opportunities for youth athletes, don’t hesitate to reach out to another parent for advice — like the local father who asked me to connect him with a Paramus coach I had written about.
There’s so much to be done. The pressure is on — and that’s a privilege we can’t take for granted.
Women & Sport is a NorthJersey.com column devoted to female athletes from the rec league level to those in college and the pros. If you've got a tip on an athlete from North Jersey who should be noted in the column, no matter how young they are or how old, please drop me a line at anzidei@northjersey.com.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: So many stories about women's sports need to be told
