Wednesday marked the 36th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Powered by the Women’s Sports Foundation, it is observed during the first week of February to acknowledge the accomplishments and impact of women in sports and recognize the continued fight for equality.
This year is also the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which was signed into law on June 23, 1972, and stated “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.”
Across the country, collegiate programs, professional teams, athletes and sports media are celebrating the day that honors the progress that has been made and what still needs to be done for equality in sports. Some created videos in honor of their women’s teams, others pulled quotes and almost all shared photos that would inspire the next generation.
The Panthers took it a step further, though, as Nicole Tepper and other employees penned letters to future women in sports, some focusing on specific roles within the franchise such as entertainment coordinators, sports marketers and interns.
“Dear future women in sports,” Tepper wrote. “Be brave, be confident, challenge yourself, take constructive criticism to your advantage, be strong, be a team player, be loyal. Love what you do every day but most of all be happy.”
In the words of Beyoncé and echoed by the University of South Carolina's women's basketball team, who runs the world?
