People are paying attention.Not just to what is being said now, but to what has been said—and what has not—over time.And one truth keeps
People are paying attention.
Not just to what is being said now,
but to what has been said—and what has not—over time.
Photo by Mieke Campbell
And one truth keeps rising to the surface:
If we are serious about protecting sport, we must be serious about showing up for girls.
Girls Have Been Carrying More Than the Game
Before any policy, before any headline, girls have been navigating:
Safety risks
- Harassment in locker rooms, travel, and training spaces
- Coaches and authority figures misusing AND abusing power
- Pressure to stay silent to keep opportunities
Public perception
- Strength questioned as “too much”
- Success reframed as suspicious
- Bodies discussed instead of performance
Funding gaps
- Fewer resources, fewer sponsorships
- Lower pay and prize money
- Programs cut first when budgets shrink
Community support gaps
- Less media coverage
- Fewer development pipelines
- Encouragement that fades as competition increases
These are not new issues.
Girls have been navigating them quietly, steadily, for years.
When “Protection” Shows Up Late, People Notice
In sports, we’ve seen a pattern in how institutions and media respond to problems. We have seen athletes go through testing requirements. We have seen that result in some athletes being suspended, disqualified, or serve jail time. Mainstream media has always seemed to be in favor of this.
Until now.
We have not seen mainstream media be so unsupportive of making sports more fair.
After doping scandals involving:
- Ben Johnson
- Marion Jones ( I read her book and saw her on Oprah. She did not go along the narrative, the lie, just for her career. In the book she begins to interrogate conditioning and expectations. What she accepted from herself. Much less than she deserved.)
- Tyson Gay
The message became:
- “This proves testing is working”
- “The system caught the cheater”
- “Sport is cleaning itself up”
After Lance Armstrong, there were headlines and media narratives declaring:
- “New era of clean cycling”
- “The sport has turned a corner”
- “More aggressive testing than ever”
After cases involving:
- Alex Rodriguez
- Manny Ramirez
The messaging became:
- “Stronger testing policies”
- “Zero tolerance”
- “The game is cleaner now”
Even when systems were exposed as compromised, the story quickly became about restoration.
In cases involving:
- Jon Jones
- Anderson Silva
The message:
- “Gold standard testing”
- “No one is above the rules”
But when the International Olympic Committee announced that eligibility for women’s events is now tied to biological sex classification, verified through genetic screening (SRY gene testing) ……there has been a resurgence around the narrative that Black girls need protecting from a….. cheek swab. Now everyone is concerned about Black girls. Sure.
Not bullying. Not erasure. Not being completely ignored. Not lack of support.
Not stealing opportunities right out from under them.
But fear that Black girls could be harmed by a cheek swab.
At some point powerful media shifted their loyalty and now they are against testing to keep sports fair. After the books, documentaries, reality show mentions, and other exposes…well, it’s a bad thing now. That’s odd.
More people see the light now.
You are trying to tell women and girls, “We’re taking your sports opportunities for your own good. Now shut up and let us do it.”
A Note on Learning
Photo by Stewardesign
Many people, including Marion Jones, have spoken openly about growth, accountability, and what they learned after difficult chapters.
In that same spirit, we can all learn here.
Not defensively. Honestly.
What We Can Learn Right Now
- Girls are not a side conversation. They are central. They deserve to centered.
- Girls’ openness and adaptability are strengths—not invitations to be overlooked or taken advantage of.
- Protection –physical and emotional– must be visible before crisis, not only after controversy.
- Consistency builds trust. Sudden urgency raises questions.
- Fairness cannot exist without dignity.
- Listening to girls early prevents harm later.
- Silence from institutions teaches girls they are on their own.
- Real support includes resources, safety, and respect—not just rules. Investment.
- Communities shape outcomes. When communities show up, girls thrive.
The Core Truth
Girls have always been showing up.
Training. Competing. Enduring.
Finding ways forward even when the path was uneven.
The question now is not whether girls are ready.
The question is whether the systems around them are ready to show up. Fully. Genuinely. And authentically.
Not just when the spotlight turns.
But when it is quiet.
When it is local.
When it is hard.
For RosasChildren
This is a call to safe adults, educators, advocates, and communities:
- Show up for girls early
- Show up for girls consistently
- Show up for girls where they actually live and compete
Because when girls are supported, protected, and resourced:
they don’t just participate in sports—they transform them.
An Unsung GOAT of Women’s Sports: Patsy Mink – WESurviveAbuse