March is Women’s History Month. The Mountaineer would like to take this opportunity to highlight women in sports.
According to Women’s History, the Girls Athletic Association (GAA) was formed in the 1920s. It included softball, volleyball, dance, tennis, bowling, and archery. Women’s sports started to grow from there.
During World War II, as men went to war, and women took on new roles. Women took over working for the men. Baseball needed players, so Major League Baseball (MLB), opened it up to women. Women were looked down upon when playing baseball. Their uniforms were one-pieces with a skirt bottom and a t-shirt style top.
Women’s sports became a part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the 1980s. Field hockey and cross country were the first women’s sports to hold championships in the NCAA. Since then, women’s sports have grown in college and so have the opportunities.
“It is good to see other women like you on television and doing the sports that you enjoy. It gives younger girls the opportunity to look up to more women athletes,” expresses Katren Lavra, ‘26.
Alex Morgan was a soccer player for Team USA. She has grown the confidence of many young girls all over the world and inspired girls in soccer. Morgan started playing soccer at fourteen and joined Team USA at seventeen. She has twice been named Female Athlete of the Year (2012, 2018), and she is a three-time Olympian. Morgan retired in 2024, but she continues to inspire the love of soccer for young players.
Ilona Mahr is an American rugby player. She has played for Olympic Team USA twice and has won a bronze medal. Mahr spreads body positivity on her social media while encouraging women to be who they are and be comfortable in their own bodies. Mahr is built and the definition of a strong, independent woman. Recently, on Dancing With the Stars (DWTS), she performed “Surface Pressure” as the character, Luisa Madrigal from Encanto. Luisa is a muscular woman, who takes on the heaviest tasks and kicks down the barriers of a masculine-built society, Mahr in real life.
Caitlin Clark, a basketball player for the Indiana Fever, has grown in popularity in the last couple of years. With her success in March Madness in 2024, Clark gained the hearts of young women. She attended Iowa University, and with her sudden popularity also came criticism from opponents and some teammates. Clark blocked out the hate and harassment from critics and social media much like she did her competitors on the court, all while she continued to dominate the courts during March Madness. Clark was the number one pick of the first round in the 2024 draft. She also shows up for other women and appears at her Alma Mater to watch games and support her past teammates.
These three women are only the smallest fraction of strength in women’s sports. Women’s sports have grown over the last century. According to the National Football League (NFL), women’s flag football is growing in the NCAA, and sparking in the professional setting, which shows that women’s sports are nowhere near done expanding.
Women in sports have knocked down the barriers established by the mentality that they are not as strong as men. Women’s sports is an outlet for so many to become who they are and to shine. Stroudsburg High School includes softball, tennis, volleyball, swim, basketball, soccer, field hockey, rifle, and just added in 2024, wrestling, all for women to participate in.
As we celebrate all women this March, think about the women that you look up to in your life.
Do you have a favorite female athlete?
