Huge Barbie Announcement Blows One NFL Coach Away

While women have had anything but an easy fight into countless occupations over the last hundred years, the world of sports can be particularly slow to embrace change. Still, those of us who have grown up watching TV over the last few decades have undoubtedly begun to see some changes in who we see reporting the sports news.

However, it’s certainly much rarer to see women coaching teams or serving as the general manager, especially outside of leagues specifically for women like the WNBA. For instance, the NFL only has female coaches in a few select positions across the entire league, and the numbers are similarly low in the NBA.

The same goes for referees, who are especially underrepresented on the female side. While there are pioneers in some of these fields, like Katie Sowers, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, and ex-San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, both leagues could stand to improve their inclusivity in the coming years. This is something that Mattel can hopefully help change with its latest doll release, as the Barbie brand has a long history of showing women that they belong everywhere in the world, even if their inevitable arrival isn’t always welcomed by the old boys’ club.