Florida Atlantic University Athletics
FAU Celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day
2/1/2022 9:08:00 PM | General, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Women's Basketball, Women's Beach Volleyball, Women's Golf, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Women's XC/Track & Field, Women's Volleyball, Spirit
Florida Atlantic University is elated to be celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day. This year's NGWSD, held on Feb. 2, represents the 36th annual celebration of its kind. NGWSD recognizes student-athletes, coaches, administrators, etc., who are devoted to giving girls and women equal access to sports.
FAU offers 13 different women's sports, 11 of which are sponsored by the NCAA. Women student-athletes, coaches, administrators and other parties at FAU have the opportunity to Lead Her Forward by showing how powerful sports can be. Whether it's 20-time Hall of Famer Joan Joyce (head softball coach) being a trailblazer in a myriad of different sports or Kacey Walker (senior on the women's golf team) asking the high school men's golf coach if they could enter women's tournaments for her to compete as well, FAU women in sports continuously support one another.
Scroll down to hear from representatives from each of FAU's sports on what it means to be a woman in sports, how women can support one another and ways in which they can be role models for the next generation of student-athletes.
Women's Basketball
Obviously coaching women’s basketball, I feel like I am able to be in a position to help young women and assist them to take the path that I took. [Women] are capable of doing anything, no matter if it’s sport related, in the business or CEO seats. We are important, we matter and we can do things just as well as any men.Jennifer Sullivan, Women's Basketball
When Coach Sullivan got hired, I felt represented and supported because she is someone in a place of power that looks like me, so it’s encouraging and inspiring.Bre Beck, Women's Basketball
Beach Volleyball
Keep pushing. It’s really hard, especially comparing yourself to guys. It gets you down a little bit because they can be way more successful than girls, but the world is changing and it starts with us.Erica Brok, Beach Volleyball
Women's Golf
It’s been really important to be a good representative. At my junior college, we held something called junior hour. We would take time to teach little kids golf for the hour and talk to them. A lot of them came from underprivileged situations and I got to work with the girls, so I think it was cool for them to have someone that looked like them and did things in a similar way... I feel like for a lot of them, it’s their dads that teach them the sports they play, so they are not accustomed necessarily to seeing a woman do what they look forward to doing.Kacey Walker, Women's Golf
Women's Soccer
Being a woman in sports gives me the opportunity to empower other women through sports. While playing on the field, I try to show the future generation that skills like leadership, confidence and facing any challenge your way are all things you can learn through your sport. Not only is playing a sport a fun and rewarding experience, but it also provides life skills that help girls to become strong, confident and self-resilient role models.Bri Austin, Women's Soccer
Softball
Watch ESPN now and years ago, you would never see the amount of women you see now. We have women calling baseball games now. You can see how all of that helped with what is going on now where we even have a former softball player who is coaching one of the Yankees farm teams. We also have a handful of ladies coaching baseball and in the front offices of major teams.Joan Joyce, Softball
Spirit
[Being a woman in sports means] to diminish the gender gap and to teach younger generations about teamwork, resilience and confidence.Trinity Kuether, Dance
[We can support one another by] definitely uplifting each other more and showing more encouragement to each other. Even though we are all in different sports, I think we should still uplift each other no matter what.Terri Lawson, Cheer
Swimming & Diving
[Being a woman in sports] means everything to me. It’s given me friendships that I know will last a lifetime and it’s also taught me lessons that I will use for the rest of my life.Sarah Martin, Swimming & Diving
Women's Tennis
[Being a woman in sports] is exciting and an honor. I really appreciate the chance to come here to the U.S. and compete with the other girls. I look up to them every day and I’m so proud of them.Katerina Filip, Women's Tennis
Women's Track & Field and Cross Country
I feel like [being a woman in sports] means empowerment. We live in a man’s world in a way, so I feel like being a woman in sports shows that women can do what men can do.Cara Simpson, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
Volleyball
I feel like being a woman in sports is very empowering because we are so compared to men all of the time. I feel like going out and doing the same thing but even better than some guys especially is very empowering. That's being a woman and showcasing yourself as being powerful.Aniya Harvey, Volleyball
The Women's Sports Foundation was established in 1974 to advance the lives of women and girls through sports and physical activity. Learn more HERE.