Senior varsity female athletes at South gathered the morning of Feb. 3 for South’s first Women in Sports Breakfast. This event was created to honor National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Feb. 4, and celebrate the accomplishments of female athletes from all sports, Courtney Middleton, Assistant Athletic Director, said.
The Athletic Department began planning for the event, which was hosted in partnership with Girls’ Letter Club, months ago, Middleton said. The breakfast brought together senior varsity female athletes from fall, winter, and spring sports for a morning of recognition, empowerment, and connection, Middleton said. Funding was provided through a Glenbrook Foundation grant, support from the booster club, the Athletic Department, and donations from local businesses, Middleton said. The event reflects the Athletic Department’s core values of teamwork, integrity, toughness, commitment, and success, Middleton said.
“We’ve never done something like this,” Middleton said. “There is an opportunity for us to find more ways to celebrate female athletics and also look for an opportunity for our female athletes to come in and hopefully learn something. Sometimes we see male athletic programs get more support, and that creates a disconnect in the importance of female athletics.”
The program included breakfast, a slideshow recognizing female athletic programs, a small giveaway, and a keynote address from Raelyn Roberson, a South alum and former track and field athlete who graduated from Southern Methodist University. Roberson discussed how athletics shaped who she is today, as well as shared her experiences as a collegiate athlete, including overcoming adversity and injury, Middleton said.
Following the keynote, athletes participated in small group discussions with rotating panelists, including coaches, staff members, and community figures with athletic backgrounds. This format was designed to encourage personal conversations and mentorship opportunities, Middleton said.
“The breakfast is looking at the ways we can celebrate our athletes by sharing stories, bringing together advocates of female sports, and hoping that our athletes can take something away from them,” Middleton said.
The breakfast is designed to leave female student athletes feeling recognized for both their past achievements and their future role in women’s sports, Amanda Suppes, School Psychologist and Co-Sponsor of Girls Letter Club, said. The event highlights not only the dedication of current athletes, but also the generations of women athletes who paved the way for the opportunities available today, Suppes said.
“We want athletes to feel seen, valued, and empowered,” Suppes said. “Their hard work, resilience, and dedication matters, and a lot of opportunities we have today are built upon the progress of those who’ve come before us. We want everyone who attends to know that they are shaping what comes next.”
For senior Kendall Marquardt, Board Member of Girls’ Letter Club, the event highlighted female athletes and brought greater recognition to women’s sports at South in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Feb. 4, Marquardt said.
“Being a part of organizing this event was a great opportunity to celebrate all of the amazing things our female athletes have accomplished,” Marquardt said. “National Girls and Women in Sports Day is really unappreciated and I’m glad that I get a chance to help it become more important to our community.”
Middleton hopes the breakfast will become an annual tradition so that students will leave knowing the school appreciates the contributions from all of South’s student athletes, Middleton said.
“No matter their level of involvement in athletics at South, you’re valued and connected to something bigger than just your team, but to the program and our entire athletic community.” Middleton said.
