“Through My Daughter’s Eyes: Shining a Light on the World of Girls’ & Women’s Competitive Sports”
I try to live with eyes wide open, hoping that what I lack in knowledge I can make up for with fair-mindedness. Well intentioned as I might be, my understanding of the world is limited by my experiences, or more appropriately the lack thereof. As much as any of us hate to admit it, we live in bubbles. Big, small, flexible, or rigid, our varying degrees of confinement are real, and are the biggest reasons why there are so few universal truths, and so many differences in public opinions. My purpose for writing this post isn’t to debate the same tired arguments about politics, money, religion, and health that so often play out in the comment sections of internet news articles and social media posts. As many of you know, one of the things I like to talk about on my blog is the world of sports, and the way that my experiences with athletics have impacted me in various aspects of my life. Jen and I have two amazing children—Graham and Penelope. If you’ve read my blog for long enough, you’ll know that I make a regular point of mentioning both kids in my writing. About a year and a half ago, I wrote a pair of posts that focused on Graham and his experiences on the youth wrestling mat (“In the Face of Annihilation: A Life Lesson on the Mat”- Post 1 of 2: “The Crusher” & “In the Face of Annihilation: A Life Lesson on the Mat”- Post 2 of 2: “The Rematch”). The story I told described the challenges Graham faced against a superior wrestling opponent, and the resultant lessons he learned to help him grow as an athlete and as a person. Today, I’ll be writing about Penelope. My daughter is kindhearted. She has a creative mind in and out of the classroom, and could serve as a poster child for the intricate beauty of imaginative play. Penelope is a stickler for the details. She loves music, art, and theater, and has a laugh that can light up a room. She’s also an athlete, and a multi-sport one at that. I was coaching a baseball game recently when I noticed her sitting in the bleachers. There she was seated peacefully in the summer sun; feet crossed beneath her, book in her lap, and hair blowing behind her in the breeze. I pointed her out to another coach who was standing beside me and I couldn’t resist smiling since what I was viewing looked like a scene straight out of a movie. “See how sweet and innocent she looks?” I whispered to the other coach. “Don’t be fooled, because in a family of competitive people, she’s probably the most competitive one out of all of us. She’s got some fire in her just beneath the surface, and that’s a good thing, because in the world that’s waiting for her, she’s going to need it.”
There’s no shortage of double standards that women of all ages in the modern era are up against, and the sports landscape on national and collegiate levels is an accurate reflection of that.
Television. Radio. Podcasts. Online. Print. Everywhere we turn our attention we’re overwhelmed by the inequity between men’s and women’s sports. Baseball. Football. Basketball. Hockey. Consider the athletes who we most routinely see competing at the highest levels of play, and ask yourself what the one thing is that they all seem to have in common. I recall watching a Milwaukee Bucks game a few years back with both kids. Penelope was three years old. We were enjoying the game and talking about what was happening in it. At one point, Penelope, who was seated in my lap, looked up at me, and with innocence in her voice she asked me a question that would break my heart.
“Dad…do girls play basketball?”
Stunned, I was overcome by the immediate realization that the effort I’d been giving my daughter up to that point simply wasn’t good enough.
Time to wake up, Dad.
As a father, I understand the influence I have on my daughter, and how impactful the time I share with her can be. I know Penelope enjoys playing sports. We have a great time together when we kick soccer balls in our yard, shoot baskets on our driveway, play catch on the infield, and hit golf balls at the park. The fun of sports is critically important for getting kids to stick with them, as are the technical aspects of them learning how to play. At deeper levels, sports can also teach athletes about inner strength, resiliency, and perseverance. These are all things I’ve strived to infuse into Penelope’s youth sports experiences, but I realize that I still need to make a stronger effort to show her more girls’ and women’s sports being played at the highest levels of competition. Below is a list of examples, both in our home state of Wisconsin and on national stages alike where female athletes and teams are being recognized for their leadership, determination, and competitiveness. The list is by no means all-encompassing, though for parents like me who have the desire to do more for their daughters, it’s a starting point. Look closely at the examples I’ve outlined below and you’ll see that there’s no mentioning of the Brewers, Packers, Bucks or Men’s Badger teams on it. That’s okay, because contrary to what many of us might be inclined (or engrained) to believe, there doesn’t have to be.
University of Wisconsin Women’s Teams
Volleyball: The Badger Women’s Volleyball team is one of the great prides of the University’s athletic program. National Champions in 2021, the Badger women have established one of the most successful college programs in the country over the past five seasons, with a cumulative record of 129-22 during that time. The team packs the Wisconsin Field House for regularly sold-out events, and is among the national leaders in home attendance with a raucous contingency of fans who are just as knowledgeable about the game as they are passionate. From 2018-2022, eight different Badger women earned All-Americans accolades, with many of them receiving the honors in multiple seasons, including college volleyball icons Dana Rettke (First Team honors in 2021, 2020, 2019, & 2018) and Sydney Hilley (First Team honors in 2021, 2020, 2019, & Second Team honors in 2018).
Hockey: Winners of a record-setting seven NCAA titles, the Badger Women’s hockey program is coming off the heels of a 2023 national championship. This year’s team, led by Bob Allen Player of the Year Caroline Harvey, will have high hopes of returning to their 15th Frozen Four appearance in the past 19 seasons. Badger Women’s teams have been a staple of excellence in college hockey for the past two decades, filling the LaBahn Arena to capacity for most home matchups, as well as their annual Fill the Bowl event at the Kohl Center where crowds in excess of 15,000 spectators have come out to watch the team play. For many of these women, their athletic successes have led them on journeys beyond the college roster, with as many as 12 different players competing for their home countries in the past two Winter Olympic games.
Basketball: Under third-year head coach Marisa Moseley, the Badger Women’s basketball program is coming off a 2022-2023 season in which their overall record was by no means indicative of how competitively they matched up against some of the top programs in Division I Women’s college basketball. With returning starters Serah Williams and Brooke Schramek on board for the upcoming 2023-2024 campaign, the team will look to build on the progress they established last season. Moseley came to Wisconsin with an impressive resume, having worked on Geno Auriemma’s staff at UConn for 10 seasons. I really hope she can continue to develop a competitive women’s basketball culture at Wisconsin. One of the perks about watching the women play is the emphasis they place on team basketball, as opposed to the one-on-one game, which from a teaching perspective makes it easier to appreciate the intricacies of running an offense, passing the ball on both sides of the basket, and playing both individual and team defense.
Soccer: Badger Women’s soccer teams have made 11 NCAA postseason tournaments in the past 19 years. Head coach Paula Wilkins has helped guide the women’s team to top-4 finishes in Big Ten play during four of their past five seasons, along with a Big Ten conference championship in 2019. The program has churned out 26 All-American selections since the 1981 season, with the most notable among the group being Rose Lavelle; a first-team honoree in 2015, the #1 overall draft pick of the 2017 National Women’s Soccer League, a bronze-medal Olympian at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, and current member of the United States Women’s national team.
Softball: The Badger Women’s softball team plays at the Goodman Softball Complex beginning in March each year (weather permitting). The program has compiled a 182-100 team record during their past six seasons, with four NCAA tournament appearances during that time.
Track & Field: Badger Women’s track and field competes at the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center, or “The Shell.” Notable world-class athletes in recent years include: Alicia Monson (2016-2020); the current North American record holder for the 10,000 meter (2023), 5,000 meter (2023), and indoor 3,000 meter (2023) runs. Destiny Huven (2019-2023); a 2021 U.S. Olympic trials qualifier and Big Ten Outdoor Champion in the 100-meter hurdles. Josie Schaefer (2017-2023); a 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in shot put and discus, and the 2021 NCAA runner-up in shot put.
Swimming & Diving: Badger Women’s swimming and diving events can be watched during the winter months at the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center. Some of the program’s most distinguished accomplishments include: 180 All-American selections, 88 Big Ten Conference Champions, and nine Big Ten Swimmers of the Year, including 2004 Olympic gold-medalist Carly Piper.
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)
The WNBA has been in operation for over 25 years. There are currently 12 teams in the league, with the season running from May to early October. Television viewership is at its highest level in two decades, with the expectation for franchise expansion to take place sometime in the next one to two years. The league still has gains to make when it comes to the equitability of player revenue-sharing, but as more people tune in to these games and recognize how talented WNBA athletes are, the list of household names like Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, Candace Parker, Sue Bird, Brittney Griner, and Sheryl Swoopes will only continue to grow.
The United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT)
The USWNT represents our country in international soccer. They are four-time Olympic gold medalists (1996, 2004, 2008, & 2012), four-time World Cup champions (1991, 1999, 2015, & 2019), and have been ranked #1 in international women’s soccer for 13 of the past 20 years. The USWNT has earned their podium, with names like Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe being synonymous with excellence not just in women’s competition, but in the sport of soccer at large. Recent headlines will tell what many of us already know, in that the team is coming off a disappointing 2023 World Cup showing in which they failed to advance past the round of 16. Still, USWNT teams have been dominant forces in international competition for two decades, opening doors and gaining recognition for women athletes perhaps more than any other team in all of U.S. women’s sports can claim.
United States women’s Olympic teams and athletes
Every two years, countries around the world send their most talented female athletes to the Olympic Games to compete at the highest level of sports competition. At the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, the talents of 1,315 women were showcased in a record 46 events. Girls like Penelope can watch female athletes compete in sports they’re familiar with, like gymnastics, swimming, basketball, volleyball, soccer, ice hockey, track, and skiing (to name a few). They can also learn about sports they’ve never participated in, or even heard of before, like bobsleigh, handball, judo, rugby, speed skating, water polo, Nordic combined, and luge. I recall watching the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018 with both kids at our home. The event was women’s skeleton racing. Penelope, who was three years old, was playing with some toys on the floor. When she caught sight of what was happening on the TV, she stopped what she was doing, stood up, and gaped in wonder.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“It’s called the skeleton,” I told her.
“I wanna do that,” she declared.
Smiling, I was about to respond when Graham beat me to it.
“I don’t know, Penel,” he told her. “That’s super dangerous. They’re going, like, 80 miles an hour.”
“Hey!” I snapped at Graham, remembering Penelope’s comment from the Bucks game earlier that same winter about whether or not girls play basketball. “Don’t tell her what she can and can’t do. If she wants to race skeleton…then by God she’s gonna race skeleton!”
Okay, I don’t know if my response was quite that harsh. I was a little touchy at the time, but understandably so.
Teams and athletes in our local communities
Our family is fortunate to live in the Village of Oregon, Wisconsin, where in recent years the athletic program at our high school has enjoyed a number of successes in both girls’ team and individual sports. Whether it’s soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, swimming, tennis, golf, or track and field, the effort we make to allow our daughters to see other female athletes from their communities compete is important. When girls like Penelope can witness the talents of these athletes firsthand, it gives them the opportunity to imagine themselves performing on the same platforms. The result is a win-win scenario for everyone involved that not only enriches girls’ youth sports culture at a grassroots level, but will eventually work its way around to pay them back the favor in kind.
Thanks for reading this month’s installment to the blog! This was a fun one for me to write since it required a little more time and research. I hope the writing finds you well, and that if you have a special girl like Penelope in your life, the post has given you some insight as to how you can try to expand not only your own horizons, but add to their experiences in the world of girls’ and women’s sports.
Until next time everyone!
- Todd
If you choose to comment, you’ll be directed to a new page where you’ll leave your name and then click “Comment as Guest.”
