Half of Girls Who Want to Play Sports Never Get the Chance

That opportunity ultimately took me to Harvard, where I competed and studied neurobiology and global health, and eventually to the Olympic podium. Along the way, sports helped shape not only the athlete I became, but the person I became and the possibilities I saw for my life beyond the track.

Every girl deserves the opportunity to find out where hers might lead.

No athlete makes that journey alone. Behind every woman competing inside the world’s biggest arenas are years of access, coaching, resources, and people who reinforced that she belonged.

And that path matters at every level. Industry leaders surveyed for the WSF Sport Report overwhelmingly see progress at the professional level. But the picture changes at college, the only part of the pipeline where more say progress has declined than improved.

That contrast should get our attention.

College sports are a critical bridge to professional and Olympic competition. As college athletics undergo historic changes to athlete compensation, revenue sharing, and name, image, and likeness opportunities, decisions being made now will help determine who benefits from this new era.