A Record Number of Women Held on-Field Positions in Super Bowl 2021

By Gigi Picard ‘22

Sports Editor

Women have yet again made history in sports, as three women broke a record in the NFL’s 2021 Super Bowl on Feb. 7, 2021. Down Judge (a referee position) Sarah Thomas, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Assistant Defensive Line Coach Lori Locust and Tampa Bay’s Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Maral Javadifar had on-field positions during the 2021 Super Bowl, making this another milestone year for women in the NFL.

Thomas has a history of being a monumental record-breaker in the NFL. In 2015, she earned the position of first full-time female referee. Her barrier-breaking journey began at the college football level, where she was the first woman to officiate a major college football game. Thomas was also the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game, which took place in 2019 when the Los Angeles Chargers played against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

Just four days prior to this year’s Super Bowl, the sports world celebrated the 35th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, the day was signed as a proclamation on Feb. 3, 1987 by former President Ronald Reagan as a way of remembering Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her accomplishments as an athlete and an advocate for equality in women’s sports. Hyman passed away in 1986 as a result of Marfan syndrome. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WSF emphasized “the importance of staying mentally and physically healthy during challenging times.” Its website read, ​”Whether virtual[ly] or other, ​we invite you to safely celebrate NGWSD in your community and to join the Women’s Sports Foundation as we Lead Her Forward in 2021.”

Before the 2021 Super Bowl, the Women’s Sports Foundation tweeted its excitement to watch the three women make sports history.  

On Instagram, the NFL posted the following three quotes by Thomas, Javadifar and Locust to celebrate NGWSD:

“It’s just so meaningful. I never set out to be the first in any of this, but knowing the impact that I’m having on not just my daughter but young girls everywhere, women everywhere, when I get on that field, and I take it all in, I know that I’m probably gonna get a little teary eyed,” Thomas said on what it means to be part of the Super Bowl officiating crew.

“I’m grateful for my mom and dad coming here to give their kids an opportunity to flourish and live the American Dream,” Javadifar stated on being a first-generation Iranian American.

The NFL is taking more steps to involve women. Progress began in 1997 when Amy Trask was the first female CEO of an NFL team, the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders. Jen Welter became the first female coach for the NFL in 2015, representing the Arizona Cardinals. Last year, San Francisco 49ers Assistant Offensive Coach Katie Sowers was the first woman to coach during a Super Bowl. The three women who coached and officiated in this year’s Super Bowl set a higher precedent for representation in the NFL to be met and surpassed in the coming years.

Team of the Week: Mount Holyoke Squash

Pictured above: a member of the Mount Holyoke Squash team. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics.

By Gigi Picard ’22

Sports Editor

The team of the week for the final edition of the semester is Mount Holyoke Squash. In their 2019-2020 season, the team finished with a record of 4-17 under Head Coach Erin Robson. Their wins were against St. Lawrence University, Bard College, Wellesley College and Vassar College. 

Robson entered her eighth season as head coach for Mount Holyoke in the 2020-2021 season. This year’s seniors are Emma Robson, Jennifer Mbah, Kuzivakwashe Madungwe, Nicole Lara Granados, Genesis Lara Granados and Anna Braman. 

Squash held virtual practices this semester and likely hopes for in-person practices in the spring. Traditionally, the team’s regular season goes from November to February, with championship tournaments in March. 

The Mount Holyoke News Sports section will continue to present a team of the week in the spring. 

Kim Ng becomes first woman to be general manager in MLB

Pictured above: Kim Ng. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

By Gigi Picard ’22

Sports Editor

It has almost been a month since Kim Ng was officially announced to be the next general manager for the Miami Marlins. This was groundbreaking news, as Ng is the first woman to be an MLB general manager, the first woman hired as a general manager by any professional men’s teams in North America, the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations and the fifth general manager for the Marlins. 

Joe Frisaro from MLB.com reported that Ng will be “the second person of Asian descent to lead an MLB team, following Farhan Zaidi, the former Los Angeles Dodgers GM and current president of baseball operations for the Giants.” Former first lady Michelle Obama congratulated Ng on her new position.

Miami Marlins Chief Executive Officer Derek Jeter said in a public statement, “On behalf of Principal Owner Bruce Sherman and our entire ownership group, we look forward to Kim bringing a wealth of knowledge and championship-level experience to the Miami Marlins.“ He added, “Her leadership of our baseball operations team will play a major role on our path toward sustained success. Additionally, her extensive work in expanding youth baseball and softball initiatives will enhance our efforts to grow the game among our local youth as we continue to make a positive impact on the South Florida community.”

Ng studied public policy at the University of Chicago, where she played softball for her entire college career. She even wrote her senior thesis on Title IX, a law that prohibits discrimination against women in sports programs that receive federal financial assistance. 

Ng has 30 years of experience in baseball beginning in 1990 as a research assistant for the Chicago White Sox. The team hired Ng for a full-time job in 1991. She later became the Sox’s assistant director of baseball operations in 1995. Ng also became the first and youngest woman to present a salary arbitration case in 1995 against Scott Boras, a super-sports agent, in an attempt to save the White Sox thousands of dollars on then-pitcher Alex Fernandez.

She left the White Sox in 1996, where she worked for the American League as director of waivers and records. Two years later, Ng became the Yankees’ assistant general manager until 2001. From 2002-2011, she was the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. She interviewed to be the Dodgers’ general manager in 2005, but was turned down. Nevertheless, Ng kept seeking opportunities to become a general manager and interviewed with the New York Mets in 2018. 

Ng’s position as the Marlins’ general manager will allow her to oversee the professional, amateur and international departments and work alongside Jeter and Vice President of Scouting and Player Development Gary Denbo.

“This challenge is one I don’t take lightly,” Ng said about her new role. “When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals. My goal is now to bring championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve.”

Kelley O’Hara’s ‘Just Women’s Sports’ Podcast Tells Stories of Untold Success

Pictured above: Kelley O'Hara on the soccer field. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

By Gigi Picard ‘22

Sports Editor

Off the field, Kelley O’Hara, a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion, Olympic Gold medalist and defender for the Utah Royals FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, is the host of the “Just Women’s Sports” podcast. The podcast was founded by Haley Rosen and premiered last July. It aims to raise awareness of women’s untold success stories in the sports world. At its debut, the podcast hit No. 1 in sports podcasts, and it currently has over 300,000 subscribers.

The first episode featured O’Hara’s U.S. women’s national soccer teammate Alex Morgan, who had just given birth. The other guests on the first season included U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim and WNBA star Breanna Stewart. 

The second season of the podcast premiered on Oct. 27, 2020. In the first episode, O’Hara interviewed U.S. women’s track and field star Allyson Felix. Carli Lloyd and Mallory Pugh, O’Hara’s national teammates, have also been featured. 

The podcast is newly sponsored by Heineken, a Dutch brewing company. Senior Director of Media and Creative Studio at Heineken USA Frank Amorese said in a press release, “As a brand committed to uniting fans over the love of the game — on and off the field — and with only 4 percent of sports coverage dedicated to women’s sports, Heineken is proud to be a sponsor of JWS and supports soccer star Kelley O’Hara’s vision to create more visibility for women’s sports.” My Valley News reported that Heineken’s sponsorship will “redefine visibility for women’s sports and empower female athletes to tell their own stories.” 

One of the podcast’s goals is to tell the stories of women in sports with “no more pink and glitter.” “Just Women’s Sports” continues to tell the success stories of women every Tuesday with a new sponsor, hoping to redefine women’s sports on their platform.