The PWHL: Inspiring the present and creating new futures

2023 was the year that saw women across the globe excel across all fields. Taylor Swift embarked on her Eras Tour, expected to be the highest-grossing tour in history, and became just the seventh woman named Time Person of the Year since its renaming. The Barbie movie was the biggest debut for a film directed by a woman (Greta Gerwig), as it generated $162 million in ticket sales in the United States. The movie also helped to bring together women of all ages with its underlying message.

In the sports world, women were just as successful in 2023. Kim Ng, who made history in 2020 by becoming the first female general manager in the MLB, made history again as she took the Miami Marlins to the postseason, the first female general manager to do so. Candance Parker of the Las Vegas Aces became the first woman to call the NBA All-Star game. Olivia Pichardo made headlines when she walked onto the Division 1 baseball team at Brown University and played in a game for them for the first time in NCAA Division 1 history.

Following a historic 2023, 2024 followed in those same footsteps with the inaugural PWHL game on January 1st between New York and Toronto in front of a sold-out crowd. For all the women on the ice, this became a moment in which they felt their hard work finally paid off.

While the PWHL has only been around for about a month, it already has had an immense impact on girls all over, especially girls in the sports field. For many years, sports has been a male-dominated field, but in the past decade, strides have been made to show that women belong just as much as men do. Athletes like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are quickly gaining popularity across all platforms. Social media influencers like Aliyah Funschelle post content about their journeys working in sports providing insight and inspiration to future generations. Communities created for girls in sports by girls in sports, such as the Sports Girls Club created by Delaney Galbraith, have connected girls in sports through social media and conferences for girls in sports. Other professional leagues like the WNBA and NWSL have also contributed to the change.

Many have felt that the PWHL has created a sense of community amongst all girls. I wanted to see how much the PWHL has created a new sense of belonging in sports for women, so I took to X with a survey to obtain quotes from those all over. See a few quotes below!

"I have never been a sports girl, but I fell in love with hockey, and seeing a women's league makes me so happy… As a woman, I've faced adversity in STEM, and it makes me so happy to see women succeeding EVERYWHERE!!"

"I currently work in sports and the PWHL is so inspiring. I know we've had female hockey leagues before but there's something different about the PWHL. I've always been a sports fan and wasn't always able to watch women play my favorite sports. Watching PWHL games makes me feel as if I'm 10 years old again, watching women in sports, dreaming of one day doing it too. And now that I am doing it fresh out of college, it's amazing. I just wish I had a team closer to me so I could go to games in person."

"As a hockey fan for a majority of my life, I have always loved watching women's hockey whether it be at the Olympics or other tournaments. But the creation of the PWHL is a dream come true because now women finally have a way to play professional hockey like they always deserved! It warms my heart, as a woman in sports myself, to see these women accomplish their dreams and inspire so many little girls along the way. I know that anything is possible because the PWHL exists and that solidifies that women deserve to be and belong in sports. Being able to turn on the TV or go to a game and see women playing hockey makes me unbelievably happy."

"It has helped me dream of working in the sports industry, which is extremely male-dominated. It is also amazing to see both men and women supporting women's sports to create more of an inclusive sports environment and culture."

"I played hockey when I was younger on a coed team. I remember some of the boys talking about growing up and playing in the NHL, and my best friend on the team said she always wished she could be a professional hockey player but she never could and it kinda broke my heart. I'm loving seeing everyone embracing the PWHL for all the little girls who were exactly in her place who can now have something to dream of."

As a woman in sports myself, I never saw much female representation growing up, but I always knew in my heart sports was where I wanted to be. Seeing the change over the past few years has been exciting and inspiring for me to watch. As I enter this field, I thank all those who paved the path before me to make my dreams of working in sports an attainable reality, and when I make my mark in the sports world, I hope to inspire the next generation of girls.