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We’ve come a long way on gender equity in sports — and it’s been incredible to witness. And still, I want more.
The Olympics have always been part of my life. My first Games were the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics, thanks to my hockey-playing Canadian dad who had all six of us on the ice almost daily growing up (we all loved it). Years later, my family stood on Olympic ice in a different way — my sisters competing in figure skating at the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics and the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics.
Now I’m a figure skating and hashtag#hockey mom, watching my goalie daughter and her teammates grow up in a world with more opportunity and visibility than ever before. There was no hashtag#womenshockey event until 1998. As four-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero Ruggiero has shared, she came home to no post-Olympic tour, no pro league, and little pay — even paying taxes on a modest medal bonus.
The progress in women’s hockey is real. The speed, skill, physicality — it’s elite sport, period. Packed arenas for the new PWHL. Momentum driven by so many leaders and advocates, including the Women’s Sports Foundation. And most importantly, young girls who no longer question whether they belong.
But parity isn’t just about participation. It’s also about framing.
A few things that still matter:
–It’s women’s hockey and men’s hockey, not “hockey” and “women’s hockey.” Language shapes perception.
–It’s wonderful to see partners and kids supporting women athletes at the Games. But dads caring for their children aren’t “troopers” or doing something completely out of the ordinary. They’re parents.
–Women’s hockey is compelling on its own. It doesn’t need repeated in-game interviews with male players to validate it.
–And when possible (a tough one), let’s not schedule the women’s gold medal hockey game opposite the women’s figure skating long program. We can celebrate more than one women’s event at a time.
None of this diminishes how far we’ve come. In fact, it reflects how high the standard now is. Let’s go USA.
