Changing the Game: Some of Our Favorite Women Working in Sports
- Caitlyn Wagner
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
Whether you’re a diehard or casual fan of any sport, you probably know an inspirational woman working in the industry who is making it that much better. Some work in the NHL, NFL, and some in leagues you’ve probably never heard of – but the point is, they’re there, and they’re a beacon of representation and inspiration for all of us. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite women changing the game!
Jessica Campbell
The Seattle Kraken are one of the NHL’s newest teams, and they’ve exemplified that they’re ahead of the game by their support of Seattle’s PWHL team, the Torrent. Along with supporting the women’s team, they also have what no other NHL team does: a woman behind the bench.
In 2024, the Kraken made history by promoting Jessica Campbell from their AHL affiliate team to the NHL. In their season opener in the 2024-2025 season, Campbell subsequently made history, becoming the first woman behind an NHL bench. Along with bringing a fresh look to the Kraken’s power play unit, Campbell also serves as a role model to many other young female hockey players and fans: she did, so they can, too.
As the season went on, many fans brought customized jerseys for Campbell to sign and traded bracelets with her. On one particular jersey, customized with Campbell’s nickname ‘Soupy’ and number 08 on the back, Campbell wrote down ‘you can and you will’. This became her personal mantra, and along with releasing a collection with LineChangeCo with the saying, Campbell has been sending that message for her entire career. You can and you will is as much of a mantra as it is a promise: Campbell may be the first woman to work behind an NHL bench, but she certainly won’t be the last.
Jen Pawrol
Recently, women's baseball has been making waves in the sport. The Women's Pro Baseball League kicks off this August, and plenty of women have been making themselves heard on the topic of women’s baseball. In August of 2025, the MLB followed this trend: Jen Pawrol became the first woman to umpire an MLB game when she was appointed as a first base umpire in the first game of a doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins.
Pawrol didn’t stop there, though. The very next day, she was the home plate umpire, subsequently becoming the first woman to be a home plate umpire – one of the most challenging positions in baseball. She climbed the ranks quickly: in 2023, she umpired a Triple A game, becoming the first woman to do that in nearly 34 years! She had previously umpired a few Spring Training games, but the call-up in August was special to her, and all of us as well. There are currently 8 other women in the minor leagues who are umpiring games, and Pawrol drew inspiration from each and every one of them.
“It's been a long, hard journey to the top here,” Pawrol said after her first game behind the plate, “[but] I'm so grateful to all those along the way who have helped me become a better umpire every day.”
Umpiring is often overlooked in the MLB, but it is not an easy job, and Pawrol is proving inspiration to many young women that anything in the sports industry is possible if you put your mind to it. She continues to umpire games in the 2026 MLB season and continues to be a trailblazer for other aspiring women umpires.
Ariko Iso
Let’s go back to Jessica Campbell: she was the first woman behind an NHL bench, and while you may immediately think of coaches or equipment managers, there is another very important person on every professional sports team’s bench that is rarely talked about – athletic trainers.
Female athletic trainers are a minority in sports like the NHL and MLB, but not in the NFL. In fact, there are over 25 full-time female trainers in the NFL. But why are there so many more women on the medical staff of football teams?
There are many reasons, but Ariko Iso is the main one.
Currently an associate trainer at the University of Colorado Boulder, Iso made history all the way back in 2002 when she became the first full-time female athletic trainer with the NFL. Working with the Pittsburgh Steelers, she entered the sports industry not even having a favorite NFL team, and when she left the Steelers in 2011, she cemented her name in the NFL forever. Iso’s hiring prompted many other NFL teams to hire female athletic trainers, physiotherapists, and doctors – she proved that women can lead in healthcare in sports, no matter the level or who they’re working with.
Iso’s trailblazing in 2002 proved to be monumental, and now, the NFL is one of the only professional men’s sports leagues to have more than a select few female trainers. In fact, Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs had a record of three female athletic trainers on staff. This number is still small compared to the overall number of trainers, but Iso’s hiring helped make it possible, and we can only go up from here!
Emily Kaplan
Circling back to the NHL, Emily Kaplan is an active voice for women trying to break through barriers to traditional gender roles in sports — specifically in sports broadcasting. Kaplan is a prominent American sports journalist currently serving as a studio insider and reporter for ESPN. She is widely recognized as one of the leading national voices in hockey media. But she wasn't always this well-known; it took many years for Kaplan to have her breakthrough, and boy, did she break through.
Kaplan's journey was a long and hard one to get to where she is today; there is no doubt. Let's rewind to her early years. In 2013, she graduated from Penn State (We Are!), where she worked at the Daily Collegian, even during football games, to put in the work. Before joining ESPN, she spent 4 years at Sports Illustrated (specifically for The MMQB), primarily covering the NFL. It was Kaplan's idea to shift into the NHL in 2017 when ESPN acquired the league's broadcast rights, driven by a lifelong passion for the sport shared with her father, a former sports editor. She has been there ever since and has not made any comments about stepping away from her position anytime soon.
As we can see from Kaplan's unexpected journey to where she is today -- kicking butt at ESPN -- it takes hard work, determination, and grit to never give up on your dreams -- even if everyone is telling you (especially as a woman) it will never happen.
Kaplan has been a prominent source of influence for women of all ages around the world to keep putting themselves in rooms others don't necessarily believe women should be in, and that we are sorely underestimated. It has been a pleasure to see how far she has come since 2017, and we cannot wait to see what is in store for her next!
Katie Feeney
Dipping our toes back into the NFL, here is a story a little different from the rest:
Katie Feeney is a 23-year-old internet sensation whose career started from simply making TikToks in her dorm room freshman year of college at Penn State. She gained significant traction starting in 2020 from her lifestyle and unboxing videos. Then, in February 2021, she gained national attention by earning over $1 million on Snapchat's "Spotlight" in six weeks, a first-of-its-kind achievement.
Feeney quickly transitioned her content to sports while attending Penn State, creating popular behind-the-scenes videos on campus, specifically during CFB season. Her viewer engagement began to grow rapidly, and in 2022, she became the first-ever social media correspondent for an NFL franchise, the Washington Commanders. Feeney also served as a social media correspondent for AKSM Media at the White House, covering events like the 2022 Christmas decorations and the Philadelphia Eagles' visit.
After graduating from Penn State in 2025 with a degree in Digital Journalism and Media, her career has only gone up from there. She was quickly hired by ESPN Press Room to host "SportsCenter on Snapchat" and contribute to major events like Monday Night Football and College GameDay.
Feeney has transformed this new era of sports and intertwined it with social media so that everyone can be a part of the game, even if you aren't on the sidelines. We can't wait to see what she does next!
What Now?
There are so many women in sports who deserve our attention, and these are just a few. If you’re an aspiring woman in sports, then you know how challenging the road is, but thanks to these ladies and countless others, we have people to look up to.
Our future is not bleak – it's bright. Go and get your goals, because as Jessica Campbell said, you can, and you will!
Edited by Olivia Feldgus
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