To celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Texas State Athletics hosted a panel discussion on Wednesday featuring six women in different aspects of sports, including coaching, athletic administration and sports development.

The panel was held in the Castro Club at the University Events Center prior to Texas State’s women’s basketball game against Georgia Southern.

Panelists shared their experiences from the different stages of their careers, the challenges they faced in the sports world as women and how they persevered to get to where they are in the sports world today.

When asked what advice she would give to young girls who want to pursue a career in sports, Danielle DeCotis Holmes, sponsorship and development manager for San Antonio Sports, emphasized that having confidence and putting yourself out there is key to being seen and having success.

“No situation is too big to put your name in the hat,” DeCotis said. “It matters to not think of yourself as being too small for any situation.”

DeCotis feels it’s important for women to pursue every opportunity they can, no matter how big or impossible it may seem, emphasizing that putting yourself out there is the best way to grow as a person and open doors down the road.

Speakers also highlighted that progress in women’s sports takes more than just strong female leaders. Kelsey Solis, associate athletics director at Texas State, feels that male leaders in the field need to be doing their part in sharing the space and bringing in female leaders.

“It is also important for the men in our department to be cognizant of sharing that space,” Solis said. “There are a lot of folks in here that, whether they recognize it or not, are intentional about pulling women and minorities into the room.”

Her comments highlight how intentional leadership here at Texas State has and will continue to create pathways for women in sports here on campus. Other panelists also spoke about how their mentors in the sports world pushed them to pursue their goals and helped open doors for them in the future.

While there is still work to be done in women’s representation in sports, the panelists are optimistic about the progress that’s been made. Suzanne Fox, a former women’s basketball head coach and current broadcast analyst at Texas State, reflected on the importance of recognizing the pioneers in women’s sports who helped build the foundation of what we know today.

“It’s important for this generation to understand what the folks before them did to lay the groundwork for the opportunities they have today,” Fox said. The opportunities women have now are off the charts.”

The panel concluded with an emphasis on women speaking out and continuing to work hard towards their goals while inspiring the next generation of girls to follow in their footsteps.