Soon everybody will want to “throw like a girl”

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Photo courtesy of TheWire.com

Maggie Roache, Editor

A few weeks ago, I was out for lunch, and the Little League World Series was on the TV at the restaurant. A young girl was up to bat and had just gotten to first base when a little boy walked by, and upon seeing the TV, said, “Girls can’t be in the World Series!”

Well, the girls really showed him. One of the biggest stars to emerge from the Little League World Series, if not the star, was Mo’Ne Davis, a 13-year old girl. Mo’Ne made history when she became the first girl to pitch a shutout in Little League World Series postseason history. With a stinging pitch that moves 70 miles per hour, Mo’Ne Davis became a household name within 24 hours of her debut. She became an inspiration for girls all over the country, and showed them that the world of sports doesn’t belong to just the guys.

In fact, these past couple of months have been a groundbreaking time for women in sports. In the beginning of August, the Spurs announced a new addition to their coaching staff, Becky Hammon. She will be the first woman to be paid as an assistant coach in the NBA.

These past couple of months have hinted towards a future in sports that I can’t wait to see. I think that it won’t be long now until you see girls suiting up among the guys in their rightful place in the sports world. The recent stories of Mo’Ne Davis and Becky Hammon show how girls are breaking through barriers in many different areas. For many, Davis redefined what it meant to “throw like a girl.” I hope that this is just the beginning, soon girls will be seen as equals in the sports world and “playing like a girl” will never have a negative connotation again. To me, it seems safe to say that Hammon and Davis have started that movement. All I can say is: it’s about time.