As I spoke at the NFHS (National Federation State High School Associations) Girls and Women in Sports Luncheon in Indianapolis last week, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the different perspectives in the crowd. There were hundreds of female high school athletes there, the direct beneficiaries of 35 years of Title IX legislation. Sitting next to them were their mothers, who like my own, belonged to a generation where they were denied participation in athletics because of their gender. Lastly, there were the coaches, both men and women, who have devoted their lives to the current and future generations of female athletes.

Yes, women and sport have come a long way… from no involvement at all, to fighting for the right to participate, to inequality, to the improved and often amazing opportunities that exist today. What I love about National Girls and Women in Sports Day is that it is not an attack on the way things used to be, but rather a celebration of where we are today and the road that brought us here!

First and foremost, this day is to honor those who have paved the way, the forerunners like Billie Jean King, who fought defiantly for equality. It also serves to celebrate the opportunities and wonderful achievements of today’s female athletes.

Women in Sports Day can also be educational, teaching the current athletes to appreciate the opportunities that they have… while constantly working to improve the situation for females in the future.

Lastly, this day should inspire us to keep striving, keep moving forward, dreaming bigger, and working toward making those dreams a reality.