Beyond the Scoreboard: the Resilience of Female Athletes
Graphic by Evelyn Crothal
Women’s History Month, observed in March, is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of all women in the various aspects of their lives. In the sports field, three student-athletes from Santa Clara University shared their experiences breaking barriers and pushing the envelope in their different sports. In addition to being accomplished athletes, these women are seen as role models that encourage young girls to pursue similar careers and hobbies in the future.
The sense of sisterhood and community that softball has provided Taryn Clements ’27, a catcher, has given her strength.
“Softball has given me the chance to create a lot of strong female friendships and bonds, allowing me to learn the meaning of sisterhood,” Clements said.
“It has been particularly inspiring to be able to play under a coaching staff that is exclusively female. They understand the mental challenges that come with being a female athlete," she continued.
Clements has also seen her sport's expansion, pointing out that softball's recent return to the Olympics and professional leagues are helping it gain more international attention. Clements’ mother, a former multi-sport athlete, continues to be her greatest source of inspiration. She claims that she has always been her greatest supporter and role model.
One of the challenges Masha Antonova ’27, a former tennis player, says she has encountered is the patriarchal notions that female athletes are less capable than their male counterparts.
“For female athletes, there’s always a stigma that we won’t ever be as good as guys," Antonova said. “Traveling with the men's teams, where our competitions were frequently disregarded, made this impression particularly clear.”
Antonova has learned to resist these prejudices in spite of this. "As a female athlete, you really learn to stand your own," she explains. She makes a direct appeal for respect and equality in the sports world, saying, “Female athletes shouldn't be regarded in the same sense as men’s sports, that’s not the way to equalize it because they aren’t the same. It’s important to understand how to separate them and develop the same type of respect for both.”
Olivia Schlieman ’27, a track and cross-country runner, pointed out that it can be difficult for many women to work with male coaches: "Having male coaches can be challenging because they don't really have firsthand experience with being a girl, and sometimes it’s just more difficult to connect them with.”
Nevertheless, Schlieman takes inspiration from her teammates' and other female athletes' accomplishments. She remarks, “I love seeing other successful college girls. It's motivating. I can see how much my teammates' hard work truly pays off.”
The stories of Clements, Antonova, and Schlieman demonstrate the tenacity and resolve of Santa Clara's female athletes. In addition to overcoming obstacles, these athletes are influencing women's sports in the future and motivating others to push limits and question the current status quo.