A MESSAGE FROM ANDREA COTTRELL FOR THE WOMEN'S SPORTS FOUNDATION
Be kind. Play hard. Have fun.
I created these simple rules for sports when my girls were little. The rules encompass every aspect being an athlete both requires and develops. Every girl I coached in soccer or volleyball knows them by heart. Every girl who has carpooled with us to and from countless club volleyball practices hears them every time they get out of my car.
No other singular endeavor creates the lifelong impact for a girl that being involved in sports does. Being an athlete builds the perseverance and strength of spirit being a modern woman requires. Playing on a team establishes the girlhood friendships that mature into the lifelong relationships of womanhood. Captaining a team creates a servant heart that turns girls into the leaders this world desperately needs.
Nothing could ever replace the countless hours I spent side by side with my teammates. Every soul-crushing defeat, every trophy lifted overhead, every fitness test, every team dance party, every tough love coach, every pregame ritual, every too loud laugh...forged me into a more loving and more powerful version of myself. Every girl deserves the same support and access that I was privileged enough to benefit from.
My grandmother had zero opportunities to play sports in the 1920s and 30s. My mom could choose between basketball, tennis or cross country in the 50s and 60s. In the 80s and 90s I could participate in soccer, volleyball, softball, basketball, cross country and track. And now, my daughters can play all of those things plus beach volleyball, swimming, diving, lacrosse, rowing, water polo and many others.
We have come a long way in 100 years.
But, even today, girls have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys have. By age 14, many girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys.
On Sunday, November 2, I am participating in the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon to benefit the Women's Sports Foundation, an organization that represents a cause very important to me. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, WSF has been backed by some of the world's greatest barrier-breaking athletes and leaders for 50 years and counting. The monumental moments being seen across women's sports today are not a coincidence. They are a direct result of WSF's 50-year legacy, as it has fought to protect Title IX through research, advocacy, and community programming, while investing more than $100 million to empower girls and women to play, compete and lead - in sports and beyond - without barriers.
I am so excited to be a part of this team as WSF continues to prove that by investing in women's sports, you are investing in society's future. With support from donors, corporations, teams, and leagues, we can continue to fight for the rights of girls and women throughout the sports ecosystem and not only kick the door of opportunity open, but also hold it to let more and more girls and women storm through. Please consider supporting me in my marathon training and help provide girls and women the opportunities to play all sports.
When girls play, they lead, and we all win!
Photos & Videos
