By Heather Van Mullem, Brittney Lemke, and Maxime Garcia
(July 8, 2026)
Excitement about women in sport is palpable and growth is substantial. Since Title IX was passed in 1972, the growth of girls and women in sports has been on an upward trajectory (Kaplowitz, 2022). Increasing numbers of people are interested in watching and attending women’s sports events (“Interest in Women’s Sports Soars Among Gen Z – and Men”, 2025). However, media coverage of female sports competitors has historically been deficient in quantity and quality. Notable differences exist in the type and amount of coverage dedicated to male and female athletes (Springer, 2019). Female athletes are often sexualized and objectified, diminishing perceptions of their skill and competence (Scheadler & Wagstaff, 2018). Comparatively, male athletes are often presented as competent athletes, portrayed in active engagement in sport with a focus on their athletic abilities (Springer, 2019). Discrepancies are grounded in hegemonic gender norms (Mean & Kassing, 2008), which dictate idealized standards for male and female bodies and expectations for how people define and “do” gender (Coakley, 2004). These norms are deeply embedded in our collective understanding.
For sport to live up to its full potential as a space where participants can learn socially valued skills, like teamwork, communication, and resilience, sport must be a space that encourages the healthy development of its participants and ensures they can participate in a safe and supportive environment. Central to these efforts is creating an environment of respect. Heywood and Dworkin (2003, p. 46) argue “While sports are indisputably a positive source of strength and self-development for girls, they can accomplish this only if the environment in which female athletes throw their javelins, kick their soccer balls, and swim their fast and furious laps in an environment that respects girls and takes them seriously as athletes.” This article identifies strategies coaches can use to create a respectful competitive environment where female athletes are recognized and celebrated for their athletic aptitude.
The Influence of Media on Perceptions of Athlete Competence
A key aspect to supporting the continued growth of girls and women’s sport is realizing more media coverage of women’s sports events and improving the representation of female athletes, shifting focus to their competence as athletes rather than their perceived physical attractiveness. Kane and Buysee (2005) argue that perceptions of athletic competence can be established by how athletes are presented in photos. Athletes who are shown on the field or court of play, in uniform, and in active poses are more likely to be considered competent in their sport (Kane & Buysee, 2005).
One sport surging in popularity across high school and intercollegiate sports is girls and women’s flag football (Signing Day Sports, 2023). While the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) first offered the sport for girls about 20 years ago, its major national growth has occurred within the past decade (Niehoff, 2025). Currently, nine states officially sanction girls’ flag football as a high school sport, and nineteen more are pursuing this status. At the collegiate level, fifteen NAIA schools sponsor teams, and in 2025, the NCAA designated women’s flag football as an emerging sport (Niehoff, 2025). Given the growth in opportunity in girls flag football, strategies to market the sport continue to evolve.
As an emerging sport, the portrayal of athletes as competent, and thus valued and respected, seems especially important. An emerging sport is often a new athletic offering with little to no history on a campus and/or the surrounding community. A newly offered sport needs to build and sustain a fan base and create an excitement and interest in young athletes that encourages them to consider their own potential involvement. To gain a better understanding of how some teams choose to showcase their high school girls flag football athletes, the top 20 ranked girls flag football teams in the state of California were identified on the MaxPreps website ranking list. Fifteen of the top seventeen teams’ Instagram accounts were identified. Up to the last 100 images posted to each account were coded for indicators of athletic competence (e.g., on/off field of play, in/out of uniform, active/passive pose) (Kane & Buysee, 2005). Of the photos analyzed (N=1,388), 89.84% (N=1,202) were of female athletes. In the photos of female athletes, 70.13% (N=843) of athletes were portrayed on the field of play, 89.77% (N=1,079) were in uniform, and 43.59% (N=524) were in an active pose. While less than half of pictures showed female athlete in uniform, most showed athletes competing on the field of play and in uniform, which positively influences perspectives of athlete competence (Kane & Buysee, 2005). Perceptions of competence may impact interest and engagement of potential athletes and fans. The interest and investment of both groups are critically important to the long-term success of an emerging sport like flag football.
The Role of Coaches in Establishing Supportive Competitive Spaces
Coaches, along with athletic administrators, are responsible for how athletes are presented in school-sponsored media (e.g., social media posts, etc.) and should consider imagery choice and its potential impact on student-athletes. To establish supportive competitive spaces for athletes regarding sponsored media, coaches can implement the following strategies:
- Examine the pictures chosen to recognize athletes and teams on social media accounts connected to their school and in other school-sponsored sources of media, like school newspapers, yearbooks, and/or media guides.
- Identify if athletes are represented as competent (e.g., in uniform, on the field of play, and in an active pose (Kane & Buysee, 2005))?
- Explore if athletes, across sports, are represented differently.
- Advocate for athletes. If athletes are not represented as competent, talk with other coaches and administrators in the athletic department about the importance of how athletes are represented and the power of the imagery chosen.
- Be change makers. Promote equitable media representation within the athletic department and throughout the school.
These are simple, yet meaningful, strategies coaches can take to directly contribute to growing sport in a healthy, safe, and respectful way and celebrating student-athletes for their skill and performance in their sport.
Conclusion
Coaches are tasked with creating healthy, safe, and supportive spaces for all athletes to play, compete, and excel (Sieck, 2015). Healthy, safe, and supportive sport participation spaces create and maintain experiences that are grounded in and centered around athlete health and wellness (“Creating a Positive Sport Environment,” 2026). One aspect of this is how athletes are represented in media (Ng, Sanders, Merrill & Faustin, 2023) created and shared by athletic departments and schools. Coaches can directly contribute to improving the participatory experience for their student-athletes by monitoring and regulating image choice focused on athletic performance in spaces and places over which they have control. Sport has great potential to positively impact participants, but this potential can only be fully realized if the environment in which athletes train and compete is designed to support positive experiences and the health and wellness of student-athletes.
Editor’s Note: All articles in Sport Coach America are authentic and original work by the author(s).
References
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