American Gold Sports Alliance

Women in Sports

Billie Jean King Serves Another Historical First For Women With Congressional Gold Medal

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By: Liz Elting | Forbes

September ended with a historic win for women’s sports. As announced in a post made by the U.S. Open’s Instagram account last week, Billie Jean King is now the first individual woman athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. This is no small feat—the Congressional Gold Medal is one of the highest non-military honors presented by the U.S. Congress to those who’ve made outstanding achievements for American society.

The Congressional Gold Medal has been around since the American Revolution and includes notable recipients such as former NFL player Stephen Gleason, activist Rosa Parks, former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, the Wright brothers and even George Washington. After President Joe Biden signed the “Billie Jean King Congressional Gold Medal Act” legislation into law last Thursday, that list now includes King.

This isn’t the first time King has received a high governmental honor. In 2009, President Barack Obama bestowed King with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is given to those who make significant contributions to U.S. national security, world peace or culture. The fact that King won not one, but two governmental honors in her lifetime isn’t surprising. In fact, it’s beyond well deserved. As King’s Congressional Gold Medal Act cites, her historic defeat against Bobby Riggs, a former number one tennis player who sought to discredit women in sports, forever set the precedent that women can be just as—and even more—athletically skilled and competitive as men.

Of course, King went on to be the first tennis player and woman to be named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, but even more crucial is her role in progressing women’s rights both on and off the court. King founded the Women’s Tennis Association (an organization that is actively increasing funding for women’s sports), successfully lobbied for women tennis players to be paid equally to men, and formed an independent women’s professional tennis circuit. Moreover, other professional athletes, including former United States women’s national soccer team captain Julie Foudy have cited King’s advice as pivotal in their own fight for equal pay.

Though arguably her most profound accomplishment is her work to establish Title IX. One of the clauses in Title IX requires educational institutions to equally reward women and men athletes. Research from the International Journal of Physiology, Nutrition and Physical Education has shown that access to collegiate, and subsequently professional sports, has significantly increased because of the foundation of Title IX.

What’s more, King’s honor couldn’t have come at a more momentous time for the business of women’s sports. According to ESPN, during the Paris 2024 Olympics, women accounted for 26 gold medals—the most won by a women’s team in a single Olympics. The four most-watched days of the 2024 Games also coincided with the women’s gymnastics events raking in around 35.4 million viewers. And it’s not just the Olympics. From professional women’s soccer to basketball, Nielsen has found that viewership for women’s sports is progressively on the rise and according to PwC, 85% of experts forecast double-digit growth for women’s sports revenues over the next three to five years.

King’s fight for women in sports is far from over. She might be approaching 81 years in age this November, yet King continues to fight for women by investing in women’s sports teams and women-founded companies. King and her wife, Ilana Kloss, fund several sports teams and startups through their investment firm Billie Jean King (BJKVanEck Vectors Gaming ETF 0.0%) Enterprises. Additionally, King continues to collaborate with companies to further inclusivity in Corporate America. For instance, King’s campaign with E.L.F Beauty “serves facts” about the importance of having women and more diverse candidates on corporate boards.

There’s no way around it—King has made and keeps making history for women’s rights in ways that will continue reverberating for generations to come. Whether it’s putting forth a federal law to protect women athletes or winning Congressional awards, King has forever empowered millions of women both in and out of sports. This is just another page to add to the history books as King continues to change the world.

First Pakistani woman nominated as international cricket umpire

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ISLAMABAD (AP) — Saleema Imtiaz became the first Pakistani woman to be nominated to the ICC international panel of development umpires, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Sunday.

Imtiaz’s nomination on the panel makes her eligible to officiate in women’s bilateral international matches and ICC women’s events.

“This isn’t just a win for me, it’s a win for every aspiring female cricketer and umpire in Pakistan,” Imtiaz said in a statement. “I hope my success motivates countless women who dream of making their mark in the sport.

“This moment reflects the growing influence of women in cricket and the PCB’s commitment to fostering that development.”

Imtiaz’s daughter, Kainat, played 40 international games for Pakistan — 19 one-day internationals and 21 T20s.

Imtiaz said she had always wanted to make her own name in the field of umpiring ever since her daughter made her international debut against South Africa in 2010.

“My own dream was to represent my country at an international level,” Imtiaz said. “I’ve had opportunities with the Asian Cricket Council, but officiating at the highest level has always been the ultimate goal.”

Imtiaz joined the PCB’s women’s umpires panel in 2008 and has officiated in a number of Asian Cricket Council tournaments over the last three years.

Imtiaz’s first on-field appointment in a bilateral series will see her officiate the three-match T20 series between Pakistan women and South Africa women that begins at Multan from Monday.

WOMEN’S SPORTS WIN BIG AT 2024 ESPY AWARDS

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By: Claire Watkins | Just Women’s Sports

Thursday’s 2024 ESPYs doubled as a celebration of the rising popularity of women’s sports, as retired tennis superstar Serena Williams hosted the proceedings with ease.

“Get up, get off the TikTok, work hard, find out how capable you are. Be great. Be so great they don’t want to believe in you and then be even greater,” she told the next generation at the end of her opening monologue.

South Carolina Gamecocks accept the Best Team Award onstage during the 2024 ESPY Awards
The 2023-24 South Carolina Gamecocks took home the ESPY for Best Team. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Women’s sports take center stage at ESPYs

Athletes in women’s sports were big winners throughout last night’s ceremony, reflecting a watershed year across the entire sporting landscape.

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark took home both the Best College Athlete and Best Record Breaking Performance Awards for her historic NCAA career at Iowa.

USC star JuJu Watkins won Best Breakthrough Athlete after an exceptional freshman season with the Trojans.

Gymnast Simone Biles won Best Comeback Athlete, as the two-time Olympian prepares for her third Summer Games later this month.

Las Vegas Aces’ all-time leading scorer A’ja Wilson came up big in both the Best Women’s Sports Athlete and Best WNBA Player categories.

The undefeated 2023-24 South Carolina Gamecocks won the award for Best Team.

Dawn Staley accepts the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance onstage during the 2024 ESPY Awards
The Jimmy V Award recognizes “a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination.” (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Dawn Staley honored with individual award

SC coach Staley picked up her own honor, receiving the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for her continued contributions in the field of cancer research advocacy.

Named after NC State men’s basketball coach Jim Valvando, the Jimmy V Award recognizes “a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination.”

“I must confess, I feel a little undeserving of this recognition,” Staley said in her acceptance speech. “Past recipients of the Jimmy V Perseverance Award have faced incredible challenges and proven themselves as true warriors. I have merely been a spectator to such immense courage and resilience.”

After opening up about her family’s personal connection to the cause, Staley spoke about her greater journey as an advocate, both on and off the court.

“I try my best to do things in the right way, knowing that some little girl is out there watching me… maybe, she’s one of the 13 pairs of eyes that see every little thing I do everyday and make sure to comment on it, that’s my team,” she said, motioning to her undefeated Gamecocks squad seated in the audience.

“How do I not fight pay disparity, when I do the same job and get paid less but win more?” she continued. “I can’t ask them to stand up for themselves if I’m sitting down. Nor can I ask them to use their voice for change if I’m only willing to whisper.”

U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team sets out for its ‘redemption tour’

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In past Olympics, the U.S. women’s gymnastics roster included athletes who seemed destined to make the team throughout the four-year cycle.

That was not the case this time.

Simone Biles went two years without competing after the Tokyo Olympics.

Last year, Suni Lee was told by a doctor that she probably wouldn’t be able to do gymnastics again due to two kidney diseases.

Fellow Tokyo Olympians Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey competed throughout this Olympic cycle, but both were beaten out for spots on the 2023 World Championships team by younger gymnasts.

Hezly Rivera was in the junior division last year. She began the run-up to the Olympic Trials by placing 24th at the Core Hydration Classic last month.

Yet Biles, Lee, Chiles, Carey and Rivera make up the team for the Paris Games. That lineup wouldn’t have been predicted before injuries took out three contenders over a three-day stretch last week.

Skye Blakely, the 2024 U.S. all-around silver medalist, ruptured her right Achilles in training Wednesday.

Shilese Jones, a 2022 and 2023 World all-around medalist, injured her left leg on a vault Friday before competition began.

Kayla DiCello, the 2021 World all-around bronze medalist, ruptured an Achilles on her opening vault Friday.

That left 13 gymnasts to perform over two days of all-around competition on Friday and Sunday in Minneapolis.

Biles continued her excellent comeback by winning the trials by 5.55 points, which was greater than the margin separating runner-up Lee from ninth place.

She extended her all-around win streak to 30 consecutive meets dating to 2013. Biles has the world’s top handful of all-around scores in this Olympic cycle, according to the Gymternet.

At 27, she will be the oldest U.S. Olympic female gymnast since 1952.

“I never pictured going to another Olympic Games after Tokyo just because of the circumstances,” said Biles, who dealt with the twisties at the last Olympics. “I never thought I would go back in the gym again, be twisting, feel free.”

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Lee, the Tokyo Olympic all-around champ, was sidelined for a few months in early 2023 and ultimately diagnosed with two kidney diseases.

She has been in remission since late last year and returned to all-around competition at the Xfinity U.S. Championships four weeks ago.

“I’m so, so glad that I never gave up,” she said. “There were so many times where I thought about just quitting and just kind of walking away from the sport because I didn’t think that I would ever get to this point.”

Chiles was a revelation in 2021. She made the Tokyo Olympic team with neither senior world championships experience nor a top-three finish in a U.S. junior all-around.

She backed it up in 2022 with three medals at the world championships. That impressively came after a full freshman season at UCLA. Rarely has a woman so successfully flipped back and forth between college and elite gymnastics.

In 2023, Chiles took a break after her sophomore season at UCLA and had an abbreviated, month-long run-up to summer elite meets. She was fifth at the 2023 U.S. Championships and ninth at a world championships team selection camp. She did not make the world team.

“This moment, it felt so far away, but it felt so close,” Chiles said Sunday night. “I felt like in times and weeks, I could just grasp it and be like, oh my gosh, I’m almost there. And then other times, I’m just like, I feel like this is 150 years away.”

Similarly, Carey matriculated at Oregon State after winning the Tokyo Olympic floor exercise title.

She also won three medals at the 2022 Worlds. She also didn’t make the 2023 World team (after placing 15th at nationals).

Yet at Olympic Trials, Carey had her two best days of all-around in two years to finish fourth.

“This is the most stressful meet I’ve ever been a part of in my life,” she said. “Just those past experiences really helped me, reminded me of why I’m doing this sport and where I want to go.”

Though Rivera is an outlier on this team — at 16, the only woman not in her 20s — she continues a tradition in U.S. women’s gymnastics.

From 1980 through 2016, every Olympic team included at least one woman who turned 16 (or younger) in the Olympic year. That streak was snapped in Tokyo.

Rivera, the 2023 U.S. junior all-around champion, joined the mix for this team by placing sixth at her senior nationals debut four weeks ago.

As things stand, she would be the youngest U.S. Olympian in Paris across all sports.

“2028 was the goal,” Rivera said.

Both Biles and Lee referred to Paris as “a redemption tour” after the U.S. took team silver in 2021 following golds in 2012 and 2016.

“I feel like we all have more to give, and our Tokyo performances weren’t the best,” Biles said. “We weren’t under the best circumstances, either. But I feel like we have a lot of weight on our shoulders to go out there and prove that we’re better athletes. We’re more mature. We’re smarter. We’re more consistent.”

‘I have so much pride’: Retiring Cat on footy journey, women in sport

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By Sarah Black | AFL

From playing local netball to AFLW football, Erin Hoare has seen sport from all angles. After announcing her retirement, she speaks to Sarah Black about footy, family and fearlessness

ERIN Hoare is hanging up her footy boots after a second elite sporting career, spanning a period of historic growth for women in the industry.

The multi-talented Geelong player was a netballer prior to football, plucked from the local courts of St Mary’s in the shadows of GMHBA Stadium to play with the Melbourne Vixens and the NSW Swifts.

As AFLW developed, she joined Geelong’s VFLW program, signing with Melbourne as a rookie in 2018, before returning home to Geelong for the Cats’ first AFLW season the following year.

A career break followed, the academic continuing her post-PhD studies in mental health at Cambridge University in England, and somehow finding time to have children Edie (now four and a half) and Conor (18 months).

She played one final season with the Cats last year, before deciding to retire a few weeks ago.

Erin Hoare poses with husband Chris and children Edie and Connor at GMHBA Stadium on April 5, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

In a league filled with extraordinary women, Hoare’s story is astonishingly multifaceted, weaved into a sporting revolution taking over the world.

“I’m really proud. I played netball for a long time at community level. I didn’t play elite netball till I was an adult, and I just got so much from being connected into community sport,” Hoare told AFL.com.au.

“I had such an extensive family there through sport. I have so much pride in being able to experience that, you know.

“In netball (with the Vixens), I didn’t play a lot. I trained a lot. I was a development player, but I got to see a lot. I was in the team when Sharelle McMahon made her return from having a baby. I got to see what that was like 10 years ago, compared to what it’s like now.

“I got to cross codes over to footy and that just made me happy, you know, to be able to play a sport with people that were similar to me and, you know, perhaps a bit different. I just felt like I belonged, in ways that I didn’t feel in any other sport I ever played.

“And then to get to play at the top level – I thought all my tears were expelled, but they’re coming back.

Hoare is grateful to have been able to play elite sport in a generation where the opportunities have never been greater, finding her feet at the top level at the right time.

“I loved sport when I was a kid. I loved every single sport possible, and wanted to play a sport. I watched Sharelle McMahon shoot the winning goal (1999 world championships) on TV, so I had that in my mind, that I wanted to play sport,” Hoare said.

“I had this opportunity through growing to be the height that I am (194cm) and probably combined with the attitude of wanting to work hard and wanting to be a part of the team.

“Having my research, I was able to understand that sport and physical activity offers so much more than just being active. Truth be told, it would have been my dream to be a professional athlete.

“For the fact I’ve been able to get these opportunities and memories, and witness what’s occurred is an enormous privilege. I’ll never take it for granted.”

Erin Hoare and Gabbi Featherston celebrate a win during round seven, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

When it comes to the timing of her retirement, while planning for the rest of the year with her family, Hoare realised it was the right moment to make the call.

“Obviously it’s a really big decision and a tough decision. I had really wanted to be able to play out this year. Coming back to footy was an opportunity that I didn’t know was going to happen, and was just so thrilled I was able to play last year,” Hoare said.

“But resources and energy and time are finite, and the priority of my kids comes first. It sort of made that decision a bit easier, but definitely very sad. I’ve been involved in football for a long time. I had a break playing, but never, truly left.

“There’s been a natural progression (in training sessions) from 2018 when I was first involved, up until now, which is as expected as the competition goes from semi-professional to professional, but I wouldn’t say it played into my decision.

“I’ve said this before, but the Geelong footy club are incredibly supportive, and would do anything, and want to do anything to support women to play, and women with caring responsibilities and families.

“Anything that we need, they would ask us to talk to them about so they could make sure our needs were accommodated, so I was fully supported as a parent.

“But the reality is, elite sport requires a lot, and should require a lot, and just making that decision – those resources go to my go to my little ones, and that comes first.”

Erin Hoare (left) and Taylor Smith compete for the ball during the preliminary final between Brisbane and Geelong on November 25, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

While a return to the local netball courts is unlikely, Hoare will continue to scratch her competitive itch with the chess club she has with her friends.

“The pride for me is at an individual level, but it’s also community level of women in football,” she said.

“It’s the community level of Geelong, in and of itself, and the way in which we support women’s sport.

“Then it’s also at our national level of where we’re heading. So, there’s a lot of pride to have been involved in that, for sure.”

The ‘special and unique’ part of footy that drives Daisy

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By Gemma Bastiani | AFL

DAISY Pearce might be one of the most decorated names in the women’s game, known for her skill, leadership, and strategic mind. But there is one key driver for Pearce behind it all: a sense of belonging to something larger than herself.

The concept of a team-first game is no truer than when discussing Australian Football, and more specifically, AFLW. With playing lists of 30, and a team of staff working behind the scenes, bringing a big group together all with the same goal is both the most challenging and most enticing part of the game.NEWSAFLW ‘evolves’ to a national draft ahead of 2025 season

“There is something so special and unique about footy, just the size of your list and the program, the club. To have people from so many different walks of life and background, all trying to push towards the same thing,” Pearce told AFL.com.au.

“That is probably my favourite thing about coaching, and it was my favourite thing about playing as well.”

Now taking charge at West Coast as head coach, Pearce has become the driver of the group. Overseeing the whole program is a mammoth task for anyone, but particularly for someone like Pearce who has plenty of eyes on what she’s doing by virtue of her status in the game.

But, really, pressure is coming from the ultra-competitive Pearce herself, as she learns to balance her style of coaching with her responsibility to her family.

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“The coach I want to be means a lot of care and love and nurturing the 30 players that I’ve got. It’s not lost one me, the responsibility I have for their very short careers,” Pearce said.

“I’ve always thought about how lucky I was that I got eight seasons of AFLW with a coach that I loved who, every week, I felt was challenging me to get better. I walk away with this amazing experience that’s shaped my football career but also my life.

“Now I’ve got players that are relying on me to be that for them.”FEATUREHow life outside footy has shaped AFLW’s female coaches

That coach was Mick Stinear, someone who has been a significant influence on how Pearce has shaped her own attitude toward coaching. 

“If I had one dollar for every time I thought, ‘What would Mick do?’ I’d be wealthy,” Pearce laughed.

Daisy Pearce and Mick Stinear lift the premiership cup after Melbourne’s win over Brisbane in the S7 Grand Final on November 27, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

“I just feel so grateful that nothing changed since I took the (West Coast) job. I’m sure that when we play against each other we’ll both want to win. One of the main things we bonded over was our competitiveness and will to win, so I expect nothing less than for him to want to do a real number on us when we play.”

Unfortunately, Pearce and Stinear will have to be patient on that front, with West Coast and Melbourne not fixtured to line up against one another this year.FEATURESelf-doubt, uncertainty: How AFLW’s female coaches deal with ‘impostor syndrome’

Before she formed such a fierce bond with Stinear, it was in her days with the Darebin Falcons that Pearce learned the value of being one of a unit, rather an individual competing alone.

“You always had to concern yourself with more than just trying to get a kick and trying to be a good player. That’s just the nature of community clubs, and particularly at the Falcons where everyone had a ‘get it done’ mentality,” Pearce said.

“I always had this vision of the competition getting to a place where it was a national, fully fledged, elite competition and for a long time thought you were trying to advance it for someone else… I guess I always had that understanding that we as a team, or as a comp, you’re only going to be as good as everyone around you.”

Daisy Pearce in action for Darebin during the VFLW Grand Final against Melbourne University on September 18, 2016. Picture: AFL Photos

The drive of those who progressed from the Falcons program is clear, with Pearce’s teammates from those Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL) days proliferated throughout the AFLW, including three of the five women in head coaching roles this year.

Pearce joins Natalie Wood (Essendon) and Lauren Arnell (Port Adelaide) as former Falcons taking the reins in 2024.

“I remember when Natalie Wood got the job at Essendon. She’s standing there in a big press conference for one of the biggest clubs in the land, and it’s like ‘I played footy with her at Darebin!'” Pearce said.

“Even though all of this is happening in my own life, you still kind of notice that more when you see it play out for other people, same with Lauren Arnell. You’re just so proud of them because of those early experiences you shared when it didn’t seem possible.”

Natalie Wood addresses the team during the AFLW R4 match between Essendon and Fremantle at Windy Hill on September 24, 2023. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

In those days, when the AFLW was simply a dream rather than a reality, Pearce was always trying to find a path into footy.

“I could have never dreamed of this,” Pearce admitted.

“I remember emailing all 18 clubs, or 16 at the time, to want to do work at the clubs and that kind of thing, and it never getting anywhere… and I guess you put it away for a little while because it doesn’t seem possible, but then just go about doing what you can do and taking the opportunities you can. And this is where we’ve ended up, so it’s pretty exciting.”NEWS’You have to be really careful’: Daisy’s biggest coaching challenge

But now, more than a decade on, Pearce was the one in demand as four clubs hunted for new head coaches ahead of the 2024 NAB AFLW season. The world was now opening doors that previously remained deadbolted.

“There’s a job in women’s football that’s big enough and meaningful enough to pick up my family and move to the other side of the country. It’s like, ‘Wow, look how far the game’s come’,” Pearce said.

Daisy Pearce, her partner Ben and their children Sylvie and Roy at Pearce’s retirement media conference on January 18, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

As Pearce, someone who has never watched football “as a fan who was hoping our score was bigger than the other team’s score at the end of the game”, prepares for yet another challenge to help move the women’s game forward, there is no one better placed to attack it head on.

West Coast, which has a historically poor record since joining the AFLW in 2020, is desperate to start on a path to success. Appointing Pearce to lead the program is the first big step on that journey.

iHeartMedia Announces Lineup of Original Podcasts for Women’s Sports Audio Network

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By: BSM Staff

“We’re committed to championing incredible athletes and building further awareness until women’s sports reaches the kind of nationwide and international prominence it has always deserved.”

iHeartMedia and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment have announced the lineup of original podcast shows that will be part of the launch of the Women’s Sports Audio Network.

The audio platform is dedicated exclusively to women’s sports and will feature top athletes and personalities as part of the venture. Capital One, e.l.f. Cosmetics and e.l.f. SKIN have also joined as the founding partners of the free, ad-supported network, which will be available across iHeartMedia broadcast, digital, and podcasting platforms.

In addition to the new shows, the Women’s Sports Audio Network will introduce “Women’s Sports Reports” on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide. The seminal moment will provide more equitable media coverage to women’s sports with demand and interest at an all-time high level. Women’s sports is projected to become a $1 billion industry in 2024, indicative of a 300% increase over three years; however, women’s sports is estimated to receive only 15% of media coverage, according to a report from The Collective.

iHeartMedia will begin this endeavor live at the Cannes Lions Festival in France where Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment will host the Women’s Sports House in partnership with Axios.

“We’re committed to championing incredible athletes and building further awareness until women’s sports reaches the kind of nationwide and international prominence it has always deserved,” Gayle Troberman, chief marketing officer of iHeartMedia, said in a statement. “It’s humbling and inspiring that the first-ever, dedicated women’s sports reports will start airing with the massive reach of iHeart’s broadcast radio platform and the full-on power of collaboration between world class athletes, incredible journalists, podcasters and the fans. This is a pivotal moment for women’s sports to get heard.”

“Women’s sports aren’t just having a moment, it is the moment. And yet women’s sports content continues to be difficult to find and difficult to buy,” Laura Correnti, founder and chief executive officer of Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, said in a statement. “The Women’s Sports Audio Network aims to change that — providing an accessible platform for every fan, from the most casual to biggest of super fans, to be educated and entertained while expanding the aperture of investment opportunities for brands to reach and engage with a dialed-in women’s sports community.”

The Women’s Sports Audio Network will include a new program titled Good Game with Sarah Spain, a weekday show covering stories around women’s sports. Spain will cover breaking news and conduct interviews, and she will also be regularly joined by a roster of guests to discuss the forthcoming games and engage in debate.

“Women’s sports have no shortage of show-stopping moments to unpack, and that’s especially true this summer – from the ongoing NWSL and WNBA seasons to the excitement at the upcoming Paris Olympic games,” Spain said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to breaking it all down on ‘Good Game’ with elite athletes and expert voices across a range of sports. Whether we’re spilling tea or talking ‘Ts’, we’re gonna give fans both loyal and new everything they need to keep up with the wild world of women’s sports.”

Four-time WNBA champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist Sheryl Swoopes will host a show focused on difficult conversations pertaining to a variety of topics, including basketball, motherhood, retirement, and mental health. Additionally, professional golfer and media personality Tisha Alyn will host a podcast where she talks about women’s golf and other areas such as fitness, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and LGBTQ culture.

WNBA insider Khristina Williams will talk about the biggest stories in women’s basketball on a weekly podcast and interview those involved in the sport as well. Other programs announced by the Women’s Sports Audio Network include shows hosted by Madison Packer and Anya Packer, Rennae Stubbs and Caitlin Thompson, and a program dedicated to League One Volleyball. The launch dates for these shows on the Women’s Sports Audio Network and more talent will be announced in the future.

How a 20-year-old Hawks star ended up coaching under-16 boys

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By Sarah Black | AFL

She’s one of Hawthorn’s rising stars but Mackenzie Eardley is also one of the game’s rising coaches.

HAWTHORN defender Mackenzie Eardley is just 20 years of age.

Earlier this year, she was the head coach of Dandenong Stingrays’ under-16 boys team.NEWSLife of Bryde: Cats’ father-daughter pick set to play 55 years after dad

After cutting her teeth helping out with the Stingrays’ under-16 and under-18 girls sides last year, her former coach Nick Cox reached out to see if she’d be keen to coach the boys side outright.

“Being a head coach of an under-16 boys program probably wasn’t on my cards of what I thought I’d be doing,” Eardley told AFL.com.au.

“He put a lot of faith in me, he put a lot of confidence in me, that I could lean on and think it was something I could actually do. If someone who has seen you develop as a footballer on and off field has that much faith in you, it’s something you have to back yourself in and go for it. 

“I’ve always followed around my (two older) brothers at their footy, my dad was a coach as well (at South Mornington juniors), so it was something I’ve always had around me. When that opportunity to coach the boys came up, I thought it was something exciting, when I had the support around me it was something I couldn’t turn down.”

Mack Eardley addresses the Dandenong Stingrays under-16 boys team during a break. Picture: Jazz Bennett

Under Eardley’s tutelage, the Stingrays won both their official games, defeating Geelong Falcons by two points and GWV Rebels by 20.

The program ran from November to April, with a handful of practice matches along the way, with one of the two training sessions a week occurring alongside the under-18 Stingrays.

“I’m not really around a bunch of 15-year-old boys a lot, that was definitely different. But I think it’s so much about trust and respect with them,” Eardley said.NEWSHow Giants’ ambitious play is shaping Eva’s coaching journey

“The more time you spend around them at training, they learn you do have the knowledge and will help them, and they see themselves developing along the way, then they start to warm up to you and you start building banter and get a really good relationship with them. 

“Once you break down those boundaries, it becomes really easy. They were such a good group, I was really lucky with the boys I did get to coach – they all wanted to learn, so that makes coaching so much fun, because you can see the reward, and you can see they’re willing to work hard. 

“I had to learn how each individual boy worked and how they learned, whether they were visual learners, whether they were quite hands on and had to do it themselves. It was just understanding they all bring different things to the table, and rather than seeing that as a negative, seeing it as a positive, that once they put all their strengths together, they can do some really incredible things on the field.”

Mack Eardley is seen coaching the Dandenong Stingrays under-16 boys team. Picture: Jazz Bennett

A former Stingray herself, Eardley took inspiration from her under-18 backline coach Steph Binder, who in an odd coincidence, has recently been appointed Hawthorn’s defensive assistant.

“She was the first female coach I had in the space, so she highlighted to me when I was younger that women can be in that space,” Eardley said.

“Prior to that, I hadn’t thought of it as anything I wanted to go into, because my goal was to make it to the AFLW. But once I got there and was thinking about where I wanted my career to go off-field, it was definitely something that reminiscing about the olden days at the Stingrays, it was ‘Steph was really good at that’, and there was a space and opportunity for me in the girls program (in 2023). 

“She was definitely someone who gave me the idea that I could do that too.”

Mackenzie Eardley celebrates with teammates during the match between Hawthorn and Richmond at Cazaly’s Stadium in round eight, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

Pick No.6 in the 2022 AFLW Draft, Eardley – who is studying exercise science and nutrition – still has at least 10 years of patrolling Hawthorn’s backline ahead of her, but she’s still got one eye on what’s to come in regards to her coaching.

“I’ve tried to not think about the future too much in that aspect, but definitely want to continue developing my coaching and getting my level three coaching and all that,” she said.

“One day I’d hope to be in an AFL program, whether that’s women’s or men’s space. Being a head coach hopefully, but hopefully that’s quite far in the future and my playing career lasts a bit longer so I can definitely have that under my belt.

“I’m just so proud of the boys. I had nine make the final under-16 Vic Country squad, out of 26 selected, and just a shout-out to them, because they put in the hard work, and I’m very proud of the group.”

The Future of Women’s Sports is Bright in Austin

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by Jahmal Kennedy | CBS

Support for women’s sports is expanding across the United States, and today the City of Austin dipped its foot into that pond. At a city council meeting Thursday, the proclamations were given out, and groups were celebrated.

District 8 Councilwoman Paige Ellis announced June 8-15 as Women and Gender Expansive Sports Week. For those in attendance, it was an emotional day at City Hall. “Having the city recognize that and also put that out there to the rest of the city, and hopefully garner some more fans or some more support for each of these teams is really huge,” said Austin Rise FC Co-Founder Katie Reed.

Members in attendance represented various women’s sporting clubs around town including Austin Rise FC (women’s soccer), Austin Outlaws (women’s full tackle football), League One Volleyball (volleyball), Austin Torch (women’s ultimate frisbee), Texas Roller Derby, Austin Valkyries Rugby, and Round Rock Rage Rugby. Promoted Links Empty heading PetSafe Seaside Stainless Steel Cat Water Fountain, 60-oz $38.95 – Chewy.com KEYE ALSO| 14 state attorneys general urge DOJ to investigate Garrett Foster killing Lily Messina represented the Austin Outlaws, who are entering their 24th season in women’s full tackle football. She said she got emotional while listening to Councilwoman Ellis read off the proclamation, as it marked the first time the city fully embraced women’s sports. “It kind of denotes that there’s power in numbers and together we can achieve more than [an] individual,” she said. Reed says the women’s teams came together a few weeks back to form a coalition. To see everyone lined up together Thursday morning meant meant a lot Messina says. “All the teams that have been a part of this have all been so very supportive of each other,” she said. T

hursday provided a chance to push the women’s sports scene forward says Debra Hallum. “It’s just up from here,” Hallum said. Messina calls Hallum the leader of the coalition. Hallum is the co-owner and co-founder of ATX Women’s Sports Pub. While the pub is still searching for a home, its goal is to promote women’s collegiate and professional sports. Hallum says she and her co-founder and owner traveled to Portland and Seattle where they were inspired by how much support women’s sports had in the Pacific Northwest. “We were very inspired by that and looked at each other and said Austin has this incredible community that loves sports and women’s sports, and we can make this work in Austin, Texas,” she said. That support is something Juliann Faucette knows all too well.

Faucette was a three-time All-American and the 2010 Big 12 Player of the Year for the Texas Women’s Volleyball team. After a long career overseas, Faucette will get to play professionally in the United States for the first time as a member of the League One Volleyball-Austin team in their inaugural season. “It’s an exciting time,” she said. “A sense of pride for me and this being my home.” Faucette says it’s been a long time coming for women’s sports in Austin. “Women have been working really, really hard in this industry. And to see everything come to fruition it’s just a proud moment,” she said. A series of events and games will be held during the Women and Gender Expansive Sports Week, Reed hopes that leads to bigger things. “Every single fan counts. Every single dollar counts. Every single bit of support that we can get for these teams is incredible,” she says. “I think honestly, the limits are just endless for women’s sports here.” As for the future of women’s sports in Austin to Messina, it looks like equal coverage with men’s sports. “I hope that it just leads to normalcy,” said Messina.

For soccer, Reed says it looks like establishing a professional women’s soccer club. “I think this city deserves it,” she said. “I think there’s so much love for sports in general, but especially for women’s sports.” In order for the future to remain bright, Hallum says it’s going to take support from everyone. “People think that women are the only ones we need to support women’s sports and that’s just not true. We need everyone to support female athletes,” she said.

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