Influential women in sports play a crucial role in inspiring and empowering the next generation of athletes. By celebrating their successes and sharing their stories, we encourage young athletes to dream big, strive for greatness, and believe in their potential to make a significant impact both on and off the field. We asked a few of the recent Olympians who were apart of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games on how they hope to encourage and inspire younger athletes to stay in sports. Here’s what they had to say:
Leah Crouse: Longstreth Sponsored Grays Athlete
“Girls and women have a valued place in sports! Sports are so crucial in helping young girls realize their potential. I hope to show younger athletes that with hard work and discipline, accomplishing your dreams is more than possible. I used to think that to be a high-performing athlete, you needed to be the perfect player, but that is far from the case. It is impossible to play a perfect game. Mistakes are actually welcome as they help you learn. Fall in love with learning and the process of the game because the growth you achieve as a field hockey player and, more importantly, as a person is more impactful than any accolades you will receive. Enjoy the journey because hockey is fun!”
Jenny Rizzo: Longstreth Sponsored OBO Athlete
“Sports need women as much as women need sports. So often, society tells us as women and girls that we have to look a certain way or act a certain way, and sport allows us to break away from the stereotypes that exist. We can be aggressive, sweaty, get dirty, and choose to compete each time we step onto the field or the court. Our ability to do what society doesn’t expect is what makes sport not only a vital part of our own evolution as females but also a way to break the norm that we have to fit into a certain boxes as women. I hope in my career as a female athlete, I can show younger players that you can learn to love being a competitor. I haven’t always loved my broad shoulders or my relentless drive to compete, but those things are what allow me to be GREAT at my sport. I’ve learned to embrace and embody how strong and powerful I really am because I have been, I am, and I will continue to be a female athlete all my life.”
Phia Gladieux: Longstreth Sponsored TK Athlete
“Where to even start! There has been such growth in the last year with girls and women in sports, and the "Everyone Watches Women's Sports" movement. It has been really exciting to see it unfold before our very own eyes, but there is still so much work to be done. Playing a sport as a female that is already unpopular in the US is tough, not many people care to learn or understand it. I hope that through my social media, I can highlight the good, bad, and even the ugly. I want to be able to give my followers and younger athletes a true look into what it takes and what it is like to be at the highest level, but also give them that confidence that they, too, can achieve their dreams, no matter how big they are. We need to build the confidence of young girls and young women and let them know that they can do anything that they truly put their minds to.”
