Women in Sports By: Valerie Reyes Editor-in-Chief Alyssa Nakken, assistant coach for the San Francisco Giants, made history April 12, 2022, as the first woman in Major League Baseball (MLB) to coach on-field in a regular season game. Nakken unexpectedly took over as the first base coach when Giants’ first-base coach, Antoan Richardson had been ejected from the game. Alyssa had been hired in January of 2020 and works with baserunning, outfield defense and has previously coached the position in spring training. As she took her position, she was welcomed with a handshake from San Diego Padres first basemen Eric Hosmer and the home plate umpire. Now her helmet she wore from the Giants game is making its way to Cooperstown, New York where it will join her Jersey from the Opening Day of the 2020 season at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Nakken is not the only woman to have made history in the sports industry. During the 2021 MLB season, sports announcers Melanie Newman and Jessica Mendoza were part of ESPN’s first all-women broadcast team for a nationally televised MLB game. Becky Hammon became the first full-time female assistant coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2020, Katie Sowers was the first female to coach at the Superbowl and the first openly gay coach in the National Football League (NFL). In 2021, Jennifer King became the first black female assistant coach in the NFL. University of St. Francis freshman, Quetzalli Garcia says, “It’s great to see that slowly but surely women are getting more representation in sports. These women are inspirations for girls who want a career in sports and are opening the door to their future.”
There are more influential women in the sports industry who have worked hard to defy these gender roles and are proving to show that men and women are equals. Their journeys are inspiring and are providing girls, and women with role models in an industry dominated by men. “The contributions of women, particularly in leadership positions, can bring diversity and alternative approaches and expand the talent base in areas such as management, coaching and sport journalism.” says un.org. Women in sports are empowering girls and women allowing them to become more confident and showing that females can have leadership positions. The more women are represented in professional sports the more awareness it brings. It’s amazing to see women make history, they are creating a future for girls and women who want to pursue a career in sports.
Alyssa Nakken usfencounter.stfrancis.edu
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