When her dad took her to her first professional soccer game to watch the England nation under-19 team, Elon University freshman Bethany Harford knew she wanted to be just like the players she saw on the pitch. After expressing interest in playing, her dad signed her up for a boys’ soccer team.
“If I joined the girls’ team, that level wouldn’t have been the same as if I was in a boys’ team,” Harford said. “He just started me straight in the deep end with the guys.”
Harford said her experience as the only girl on the boys’ team prepared her for dealing with others with diverse backgrounds coming into women’s athletics at Elon. Despite women’s sports not being popular where she grew up in Essex, England, she said she feels supported at Elon.
“Everything here is very equal in the fact that we support women’s and men’s just as much,” Harford said. “We get a lot of attendance — not necessarily soccer — but women’s basketball and that sort of stuff get a lot of attendance, which is really important.”
Though Harford said she feels as though female athletes get equal treatment, there are things she said could be drastically improved — especially regarding travel. According to Harford, the men’s soccer team receives “sleeper busses” with seats that fully recline.
For the women’s team’s drive to Baltimore, however, she said they got a normal and more cramped coach bus.
“We need support in making sure that we can get to a game efficiently,” Harford said. “It does play a massive part on how we play.”
Increasing social media presence would also help with attendance, according to Harford. She said she remembers seeing a men’s basketball game and being stunned by the pre-game videos and media.
For Harford, promoting attendance is one of the most important things the Elon community can do when it comes to fan turnout.
“We work so hard. We get in here, we get absolutely buzzing, we’re ready and we walk onto the pitch and we stand up in front of our fans, and it’s an empty stand,” Harford said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Like Harford, junior Natalie Cummins, who plays on the volleyball team, said she does see a discrepancy in attendance but still feels Elon strives to support women’s athletics equally.
“Our school is really focused on creating that equality,” Cummins said. “They definitely understand that there’s a discrepancy worldwide, and I think that they’re taking that understanding and applying it and trying to give us that equality.”
Encouraging community members and students to come to the games is vital, according to Cummins. Seeing people in the audience helps to drive up team morale.
“It makes a difference when people show up,” Cummins said. “It really does create a sense of community, and it’s nice for the athletes to see that support.”
Cummins said the community of female athletes at Elon is like a family to her; their similar schedules and experiences help bring them together.
“We’re all like sisters, where we spend so much time together and we go through all the same hardships,” Cummins said. “Ultimately, we all share that bond of getting through the hard times and celebrating each other.”
Cummins said she also remembers playing sports from a young age.
“I would just play for the fun of it,” Cummins said. “I never really thought about, ‘Oh, I’m a girl; I’m not supposed to be doing that.’”
As a female athlete, Cummins said she has always looked up to U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. Even though she does not participate in gymnastics, she sees Biles as one of the best athletes in the world.
On the other side of the plate is Kathy Bocock, Elon’s softball coach. Bocock started playing sports with her three brothers and two sisters. Elementary school was the first time she was introduced to a women’s sports team.
“That was the first time we had somebody in our community decide to have a girls’ basketball team,” Bocock said.
At Elon, Bocock said the athletics department adequately provides equal resources to both the men and women’s teams.
“They’re always trying to make sure that whatever teams need — male or female — they’re trying to make it happen,” Bocock said.
As a coach, Bocock said she emphasizes community and teamwork to her players. She said supporting each other is a very important value for women’s athletics.
“As a female, I always show them to be strong and support one another,” Bocock said. “For females and female athletes, I think that’s one of the things that we need to do a little bit better.”
Bocock shares a similar view to Harford and Cummins about how to improve female sports; Bocock said she also wants to see more people showing up to the games. According to her, one of the best ways to support female athletes is to draw people to games and matches.
“To come and see it and actually witness it, I think it would really make people have a little bit more appreciation for it,” Bocock said. “People are missing things when they don’t go watch the female athletes compete because it’s pretty amazing.”
According to Bocock, Elon athletes show each other a lot of respect, but those uninvolved in athletics may not see the hard work put in by these women.
“They’re not just young ladies or females just out there playing a sport,” Bocock said. “They are true athletes. Remove the female.”
When her dad took her to her first professional soccer game to watch the England nation under-19 team, Elon University freshman Bethany Harford knew she wanted to be just like the players she saw on the pitch. After expressing interest in playing, her dad signed her up for a boys’ soccer team.
“If I joined the girls’ team, that level wouldn’t have been the same as if I was in a boys’ team,” Harford said. “He just started me straight in the deep end with the guys.”
Harford said her experience as the only girl on the boys’ team prepared her for dealing with others with diverse backgrounds coming into women’s athletics at Elon. Despite women’s sports not being popular where she grew up in Essex, England, she said she feels supported at Elon.
“Everything here is very equal in the fact that we support women’s and men’s just as much,” Harford said. “We get a lot of attendance — not necessarily soccer — but women’s basketball and that sort of stuff get a lot of attendance, which is really important.”
Though Harford said she feels as though female athletes get equal treatment, there are things she said could be drastically improved — especially regarding travel. According to Harford, the men’s soccer team receives “sleeper busses” with seats that fully recline.
For the women’s team’s drive to Baltimore, however, she said they got a normal and more cramped coach bus.
“We need support in making sure that we can get to a game efficiently,” Harford said. “It does play a massive part on how we play.”
Increasing social media presence would also help with attendance, according to Harford. She said she remembers seeing a men’s basketball game and being stunned by the pre-game videos and media.
For Harford, promoting attendance is one of the most important things the Elon community can do when it comes to fan turnout.
“We work so hard. We get in here, we get absolutely buzzing, we’re ready and we walk onto the pitch and we stand up in front of our fans, and it’s an empty stand,” Harford said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Like Harford, junior Natalie Cummins, who plays on the volleyball team, said she does see a discrepancy in attendance but still feels Elon strives to support women’s athletics equally.
“Our school is really focused on creating that equality,” Cummins said. “They definitely understand that there’s a discrepancy worldwide, and I think that they’re taking that understanding and applying it and trying to give us that equality.”
Encouraging community members and students to come to the games is vital, according to Cummins. Seeing people in the audience helps to drive up team morale.
“It makes a difference when people show up,” Cummins said. “It really does create a sense of community, and it’s nice for the athletes to see that support.”
Cummins said the community of female athletes at Elon is like a family to her; their similar schedules and experiences help bring them together.
“We’re all like sisters, where we spend so much time together and we go through all the same hardships,” Cummins said. “Ultimately, we all share that bond of getting through the hard times and celebrating each other.”
Cummins said she also remembers playing sports from a young age.
“I would just play for the fun of it,” Cummins said. “I never really thought about, ‘Oh, I’m a girl; I’m not supposed to be doing that.’”
As a female athlete, Cummins said she has always looked up to U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. Even though she does not participate in gymnastics, she sees Biles as one of the best athletes in the world.
On the other side of the plate is Kathy Bocock, Elon’s softball coach. Bocock started playing sports with her three brothers and two sisters. Elementary school was the first time she was introduced to a women’s sports team.
“That was the first time we had somebody in our community decide to have a girls’ basketball team,” Bocock said.
At Elon, Bocock said the athletics department adequately provides equal resources to both the men and women’s teams.
“They’re always trying to make sure that whatever teams need — male or female — they’re trying to make it happen,” Bocock said.
As a coach, Bocock said she emphasizes community and teamwork to her players. She said supporting each other is a very important value for women’s athletics.
“As a female, I always show them to be strong and support one another,” Bocock said. “For females and female athletes, I think that’s one of the things that we need to do a little bit better.”
Bocock shares a similar view to Harford and Cummins about how to improve female sports; Bocock said she also wants to see more people showing up to the games. According to her, one of the best ways to support female athletes is to draw people to games and matches.
“To come and see it and actually witness it, I think it would really make people have a little bit more appreciation for it,” Bocock said. “People are missing things when they don’t go watch the female athletes compete because it’s pretty amazing.”
According to Bocock, Elon athletes show each other a lot of respect, but those uninvolved in athletics may not see the hard work put in by these women.
“They’re not just young ladies or females just out there playing a sport,” Bocock said. “They are true athletes. Remove the female.”