“The Heart of Sports” is a weekly column that curates the stories, pictures and moments that provide a window into the beating heart of sports:
- The father-son bonds forged in sport.
- The tender moments among teammates.
- The heart-stopping speeches from coaches.
- The thrilling moments from your childhood that you never forget.
It’s why we watch. It’s why we play. It’s the stuff that rises up out of sports and settles down into us.
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This week’s column comes from long-time Notre Dame Women’s Basketball Head Coach, Muffet McGraw. During her press conference before her team’s appearance in the Women’s Basketball NCAA Finals, McGraw seized the chance to hold court on an issue she has been a proponent of for a long time: gender equality.
McGraw used sports as a platform to address this larger social issue in an incisive speech:
“When you look at men’s basketball, 99% of the jobs go to men, why shouldn’t 100 or 99% of the jobs in women’s basketball go to women?” she said. “Maybe it’s because we only have 10% women athletic directors in Division I. People hire people who look like them. That’s the problem.”
The whole two-minute speech is well worth a listen:
Muffet McGraw: A voice for women.
A voice for women in sports. #WFinalFour | @ndwbb pic.twitter.com/sxsQE3Mt4i
— NCAA WBB (@ncaawbb) April 4, 2019
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If you have a moment that you think should be featured in the Heart of Sports, please contact me at [email protected] or @michaelkasdan.