Trailblazer: First Full-time Female NFL Referee Sarah Thomas, Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday
Football Stadium

It's Super Bowl Sunday!! Will you be watching?

What a spectacular night to wind up the professional football season. This isn't a game just for guys anymore. Girls are finding their way onto the football field as players and referees.

Sarah Thomas became the first female National Football League referee in 2015.
Here's what she said about the NFL referees--"All these guys have years and years of experience and knowledge and know what the next level is looking for so if I can learn, why not learn from them.”

Sarah has worked her way up from officiating at high school games, to college games and has been in the NFL's Officiating Development program. She achieved this opportunity by putting in hard work and dedication.

She won't be a referee at the Super Bowl tonight, but I bet you'll be seeing this trailblazer and more female NFL referees in the future because of Sarah's groundbreaking work in refereeing professional football games.

Congratulations, Sarah!

Football 

Do you like to play or watch football? Leave a comment below or congratulations message to Sarah.
Click the links below to read about more articles about women in football on the Girls Succeed Blog.
 Katie Hnida First woman to score in NCAA Game
Kathryn Smith Named NFL Football Coach

 

Follow the Girls Succeed blog by email
Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos. by Stuart Miles

Be sure to receive updates on the Girls Succeed! blog by entering your email address in the Follow by Email box in the right side bar. I promise, NO Spam!

Trailblazer: Kathryn Smith Named NFL Football Coach

Celebrating with Kathryn Smith

Congratulations to Kathryn Smith! 

We're doin' a happy dance with Kathryn as we celebrate her appointment as the first female coach in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills team just hired her as a full-time coach for quality control-special teams. Alright, I have to admit, I don't really know what special team that is. Do you? I like to watch football, but I don't know that much about it! .

I do know we are all very proud of this woman who has worked her way up. According to an NPR report, by Marie Andrusewics, "Smith spent last season as administrative assistant to the Bills' head coach, Rex Ryan, and prior to that spent 12 years working for the New York Jets, also with Ryan, who was that team's coach until 2015. Smith started as an intern with the Jets in 2003.

Dream Big!

Ryan said the decision to promote Smith was inspired in part by the San Antonio Spurs's move to appoint the first full-time female assistant coach in the NBA. Becky Hammon, a former WNBA player, was hired by the Spurs in 2014."
Check out the J.Q. Rose blog article on Becky Hammon here.

Do you like football? Do you play the game or watch it? Would you like to coach a team? Leave a comment below and let us know. Thanks.

To receive an update for new articles on the Girls Succeed blog, leave your email address in the box in the sidebar. I promise, NO SPAM. Thank you!