Hey there,
It’s no secret that women have always been excluded from a lot of opportunities in the world of sports. But lately, there’s been a push to change that. Recently, the NFL has gone so far as to take steps towards making their locker rooms more inclusive by allowing women like Sarah Thomas to become the first full-time female official in the league.
So I had to wonder, can a woman be an NFL coach too? The answer is yes. In 2015, Jen Welter became the first female coach in NFL history. She was hired as an assistant coach for the Arizona Cardinals. The move shook up the traditional all-male coaching staffs in the NFL and made a bold statement about gender equality.
It certainly wasn’t an easy path for Jen. She had to put in so much hard work and dedication to her craft. She spent two years playing professional football in the Women’s Football Alliance, followed by years of coaching and serving as linebacker/special teams coach for the Texas Revolution in the Indoor Football League. All of this made her more than qualified to take on a coaching role in the NFL, yet it still took years of effort for Jen to finally break through.
I’m sure even she was surprised when she was invited to take on the job in 2015. Ultimately, it’s still a huge deal that a woman can even become an NFL coach. And because of this breakthrough, I think other women across the world now look to football with a bit more hope and possibility.
I think it’s important to note the significance this has not only for female coaches but for female players as well. After all, for a long time, the NFL was the last bastion of machismo in the world of sports. But by allowing a woman into their ranks, the NFL is communicating to young girls everywhere that anything is possible and that gender roles are changing.
In my opinion, this is a huge leap forward for gender equality in professional sports, and I can’t wait to see what other amazing breakthroughs we’ll see in the future. Hopefully, one day, a woman will become a head coach in the NFL.
That would surely be something to celebrate. It would be proof that regardless of gender, dreams can be achieved and anything is possible if you just put your mind to it and don’t give up–no matter what the odds may be.
I’d also love to see more female athletes breaking through the barriers in the NFL. Right now, there’s only a handful of women playing professional football at the college, semi-pro, and international levels. But who knows, maybe one day we’ll see a female Super Bowl MVP. That would definitely be amazing!
Of course, there’s still a long way to go in terms of gender equality in the NFL. But I’m encouraged by the steps the league is taking towards making it more diverse and inclusive. I’m confident that soon enough, with the help of breakthroughs like Jen Welter’s, they’ll be able to make it even better and fairer for everyone.