Sometimes, I find myself in a professional situation as the only woman in the group, severely outnumbered by men. This is a strange experience that often leads me to wonder, why? Why am I the only woman present and why do people congratulate me when I tell them about these opportunities?
It can feel a little bleak to have my successes overshadowed by others congratulating me for achieving things as a female. Let’s start celebrating our successes for what they are rather than praising victories based on gender comparisons.
I am pursuing a career in sports journalism, a line of work in which the majority of sportswriters are men. While this is an exciting career path, it is so largely dominated by men that sometimes I lose sight of my passion because of intimidatingly real gender stereotypes.
As a young, inexperienced journalist, my sports writing in college thus far has been largely experimental. I have loved writing about my favorite sports and following certain beats. Still, I have challenged myself to try new things, new sports and new topics that I haven’t mastered.
I won’t lie, I am very much a perfectionist and struggle to receive critical feedback. However, it has been a goal of mine this year to learn and try new things in order to become more well-rounded and versatile in my writing. Because of this, I’ve picked up stories and beats that I previously knew nothing about, always in male-dominated areas of sports writing.
You can probably guess that all of the high-performing sports teams are undertaken and dominated by men in the sports writing industry. However, I’ve learned that the only way to find success is to jump out of my comfort zone and advocate for myself. Sticking up for yourself to people you may be unfamiliar with is hard. There’s no question about it. It’s an intimidating feeling to defend your talent to someone who may seem indifferent, but it is the only way to prove yourself and gain opportunities.
There are so many professions in which women have to work twice as hard to remain relevant in the workplace and sports journalism is just one of them. But, women are meant to be in those important rooms. You are important and belong just as much as any man.
Sometimes, it feels corny to remind myself of these ideals. It’s so easy to get discouraged and fall into a comfortable, but stagnant rut. Break out of it. It’s important to remember that oftentimes, you are the only person looking out for yourself. Because of this, you have to be your own biggest supporter, shake up your routine and make some magic that you are more than capable of.
We are capable of anything, no matter what anyone else says. If you’re the only girl in the room, own it. If you’re in a room full of women, lift each other up. You belong in every room you enter into and you’re there for a reason. Don’t forget that.