Sports Shaped These 6 Women Into Industry Powerhouses. Here Are Their Biggest Lessons.

When girls play sports, they do more than compete. They learn how to lead.

Research shows that 94 percent of women who hold C-suite positions in the U.S. played sports at some point in their lives, while 71 percent of women in formal leadership roles (such as manager, director, or president) also have early ties to sports. This is no coincidence: Decades of studies prove that sports teach lessons that translate far beyond the field of play.

Today, we know that young women who participate in sports report higher levels of confidence at all ages, a stronger sense of meaning and purpose, and a greater likelihood of pursuing their dream careers than those who never had the chance to compete.

The sports industry in 2026 looks very different than it did when Title IX was passed nearly 54 years ago, and that’s because women take up more space across the sports ecosystem than ever before. The future of sports will be shaped by women in boardrooms, owners’ boxes, and front offices—women who unapologetically stand up for what they believe in and have fun doing it. Women are not only sitting at the most influential tables; they are at the heads of those tables, influencing every aspect of the industry and redefining how sports are built, financed, marketed, and experienced.

Ahead, you’ll meet six individuals who are among those game changers. Each has taken a unique path in sports and built a career in a different corner of the business. Yet their stories have a common thread: Their relationships with sports began when they were kids. They are proof of the power of sports to change the game for everyone.

Meet the Game Changers

Sam Rapoport

NFL Senior Advisor

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Maria Taylor

NBC Broadcaster

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Kim Ng

Commissioner, Athletes Unlimited Softball League

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Justine Siegal

Cofounder, Women’s Professional Baseball League

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Constance Schwartz-Morini

Cofounder, SMAC Entertainment

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Swin Cash

President, Women’s Sports Foundation

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