Female athletes at the school have recently begun holding informal meetings to discuss disparities they believe exist within the athletic program. The gatherings, organized by the student athletes themselves, are meant to create a space where athletes can share experiences, identify patterns, and consider ways to advocate for change.
Juno Yu and Emmy Mitchell, two seniors involved in organizing the meetings, say the idea began after noticing what seemed like recurring differences in how men’s and women’s sports were treated. What started as a personal observation soon became a broader conversation among the athletes. “The main goal of these meetings has been to collect information,” Yu said. “It really started when I noticed some things seemed off—like disparities and inequities between teams. We wanted to see if this was a more widespread issue.”
So far, the group has held a few lunchtime meetings where athletes from different teams gather to talk openly about their experiences. The discussions are largely student-led, with participants raising topics or concerns that have recently come up or that have been ongoing issues. “In a typical meeting, athletes bring up things that have happened recently or issues that have been happening for a while,” Mitchell explained. “We talk about them together and then discuss how we might move forward.”
One of the most common concerns raised during the meetings has been the treatment and visibility of women’s sports compared to men’s sports. Mitchell says she has noticed differences in how teams are promoted, scheduled, and supported. “We’ve definitely noticed a disparity in the way coaches interact with female athletes compared to male athletes,” Mitchell said. “There’s also the culture around sports here—male sports get the most attendance and the most promotion.”
Mitchell pointed to a recent example involving the basketball teams. “The women’s basketball senior night was scheduled for a weekday afternoon, which limited attendance, while the men’s basketball senior night game later that week was held on a Friday evening and included multiple promotional activities, such as the dance team performing and smoothie booths set up.”
Students involved in the meetings say that examples like this motivated them to start gathering and documenting their experiences. For now, the group’s focus is on listening and collecting information rather than immediately pushing for specific changes. Yu said, “We want to understand the bigger picture first.”
Another concern that has been raised in discussions is representation within the athletic department’s leadership. Participants of the meetings believe that having more diverse voices involved in decision-making could help address certain issues. “One of the challenges is that the people in charge of the athletics department are all white men,” Emmy stated. “There’s no representation for women or people of color in the room where decisions are being made.”
While the meetings began as a way to talk about concerns, participants say that they also serve as a support system. For many athletes, the gatherings have created a space where they feel comfortable sharing their experiences and hearing from others who may have faced similar situations. Yu stated, “One of our goals is just creating a safe space for female athletes. From there, we hope we can work toward creating a better environment.”
Students involved in the meetings say they believe some administrators are aware that the discussions are happening, though they have not yet formally presented their concerns to the athletic department. For now, the meetings remain open to athletes who want to participate. Organizers say the goal is to continue building awareness and understanding before deciding on next steps. “We’re still in the early stages. Right now it’s about bringing people together, sharing what we know, and figuring out how we can move forward,” Yu said.