The women in the sporting world have taken over and have been the highlight of athletics, rightfully so, in 2015. With the U.S. Women National Team winning the 2015 Women FIFA World Cup, women in American sports have overcome so many barriers that have been put in place in the category of gender. Also, in the professional coaching world, women have made the forefront with taking a lead role in the NFL and NBA this year.
The 2015 Women’s FIFA World Cup was an amazing triumph to watch as the USWNT defeated the best to be the best. With beating Japan in the championship game, 5-2, that win created such strides for women in sports. The game broke viewership of any American soccer game, men or women, and was the catalyst for a spark in the sporting world for women everywhere. As the U.S. Men’s National Team unfortunately failed to be victorious in the FIFA World Cup last year, and shockingly fell to Jamaica in the semi-finals of the Gold Cup this year, the ladies seem to be the ones not to mess with. Along with the success of the USWNT, Alex Morgan will co-host the FIFA 16 video game cover with Lionel Messi, being the first time women will be able to be played in the game and the first that a woman will grace the front cover.
Professional coaching is not just for the men anymore. Last year, Greg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs hired Becky Hammon as an assistant coach. This past month, she took the role as the Spur's head coach in the NBA Las Vegas Summer League. She lead the team to the championship game, winning the NBA Summer League title. Hammon was the first female to coach in the Summer League and first female to win the title. Adam Silver recently spoke out on Hammon winning the title, saying that, “You need pioneers, and there's been other pioneers before her, but I think you couldn't ask for more of a complete package in terms of former player, student of the game and someone who's able to work within a strong organization like the Spurs.” Charles Barley also spoke publicly expressing that, “At some point there's going to be a female coach in the NBA, and more power to them.”
In the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals recently hired assistant coaching intern for linebackers, Jen Welter. Welter previously became the first female to play in a men’s pro-league, as she played running back and special teams for the Texas Revolution. She is the first female coach in the NFL and is expected to bring a new dynamic to the team and the league.
In a sport heavily membered by male athletes, Ronda Rousey is the star of UFC today. She attracts more attention to her main fights than any of the male fighters, recently. Her previous match racked in close to 600,000 paper-view viewership. Dana White, president of UFC, said that, “When Ronda wins, she doesn't just want to win, she wants to stop you. In the fight world, that's what makes people fans of certain fighters… People love people who want to finish, and she is one of the top finishers in the sport -- not in the women's division, in the sport.” To back that up, she defended her title for the sixth time on August 1st, knocking her opponent, Bethe Correia, out in thirty-four seconds. Her previous three fights have lasted a total of one minute and four seconds, with Rousey winning all of them.
In the ESPYs this year, women took the stage multiple times, proving that this year was a remarkable and unstoppable year for their accomplishments. With the USWNT being awarded ‘Best Team,’ Mo’ne Davis being named ‘Best Breakthrough Athlete’ and Ronda Rousey winning ‘Best Fighter.’
This year was just a starting point for accomplishments and challenges overcome by women in athletics. The future has much to hold, whether it being with professional players, teams or coaches, the ladies will be sure to dominate on the field, the court or on the sidelines.
