It Was Never Just About The Game
It Was Never Just About The Game. The sound of a basketball hitting pavement is the soundtrack of my childhood. Thump. Thump. Thump. A steady rhythm. A heartbeat. My heartbeat.
I didn’t grow up with a lot. We moved constantly. Money was tight. Life felt unpredictable. But when I had a ball in my hands, I felt strong. I felt at home. I felt at peace.
After school, I played pickup games until it got dark, holding my own against men twice my age and three times my size. It didn’t matter where I lived or what was happening at home—if I could find a game, I could find myself.
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Basketball gave me everything. It earned me a scholarship to a Division I program. It introduced me to lifelong friends—teammates who stood by my side on the court and later as my bridesmaids. It led me to a career in sports television, where I spent decades working inside stadiums, press boxes, and locker rooms. My life’s work has been in sports.
And it still is.
For the past ten years, I’ve dedicated my career to helping parents navigate youth sports—guiding them through the same journey that shaped me. Because sports do shape us. They teach discipline, teamwork, and resilience. They give kids a place to belong, an outlet, a way to believe in themselves.
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And for girls and women, we’ve come so far. More girls are playing sports than ever before. Women’s sports are breaking records, shattering expectations, and proving—over and over again—that the demand is there. The 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship had nearly 10 million viewers, a 103% increase from the previous year. Media Coverage For Women’s Sports Has Nearly Tripled In Five Years. The WNBA is seeing its highest viewership in two decades. And we’re just getting started.
But this isn’t just about where we are—it’s about where we’re going.
More opportunities. More investment. More women in leadership. More girls stepping onto fields and courts, knowing they belong there.
Because sports aren’t just about competition. They’re about empowerment. They’re about possibility. They’re about doors opening.
For a long time, girls and women in sports had to fight to prove they belonged—whether it was getting equal opportunities, media coverage, or just the confidence to take up space in male-dominated sports. They had to believe they belonged, even when the world around them didn’t always make it easy.
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But now? We’re rewriting that story. My three daughters—and girls everywhere are growing up seeing what’s possible.
Girls today shouldn’t have to question whether they belong in sports. They should know they do—because they see women leading, winning, breaking records, and proving that sports aren’t just for boys. Because they grow up with role models, opportunities, and support that generations before them didn’t always have.
It’s about making sure that no girl has to wonder, Do I belong here?—because the answer is already clear.
Today, and every day, we celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day and the generations of girls and women who have played, competed, and loved the game.
About The Author
Asia Mape is a 3-time Emmy Award-winning sports journalist, the mother of three daughters, a former Division 1 basketball player, and the founder of Ilovetowatchyouplay.com, a digital platform that has served millions of parents and coaches as a guide and resource for raising healthy, happy, and successful athletes. Ilovetowatchyouplay.com has been featured in The Washington Post, USA Today, The Today Show, Bleacher Report, Inc., NFL.com, and Sports Illustrated.
