Football is a male-dominated sport, both in players and coaches, but during Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2, one female coach took some of the spotlight from the men. 

Katie Sowers, offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers, is the first female coach to take part in the Super Bowl. 

Sowers built a football background through experience with the United States National Women’s Football Team and playing and coaching in the Women’s Football Alliance, but in order to make it big, she had to find a way to get her name out in the world of professional football.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to play on a college team,” Sowers told The Washington Post. “I didn’t have the opportunity to network like a lot of people did.”

While most coaching positions typically end up in the hands of former players, Sowers was able to get her foot in the door with the help of former Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli. 

Pioli’s daughter was coached by Sowers, so he was able to witness her coaching skills firsthand. From there, Pioli was able to secure Sowers a spot in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, and she worked her way up from there. 

Sowers built up her relationship with Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and when he moved to the 49ers in 2017, he hired Sowers to join his team of coaches. 

Since then, Sowers has built up her name and reputation in the N.F.L., and her gender has now taken a backseat to her undeniable coaching talent. While she isn’t the first female N.F.L. coach, she is the first to have made it to the Super Bowl, and she’s setting a strong example for other young girls to follow. 

It’s extremely difficult for females to find a place to fit into male-dominated professions, but one trailblazer can lead the way for many more. It’s so inspiring to see a female follow her passion and work her way to the top.

Sowers is one of many female athletes working towards workplace equality in professional sports. Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and many other members of the United States Women’s National Team have been working tirelessly towards earning equal pay to their male counterparts. 

As a young female, seeing women working towards equality is extremely encouraging. These athletes are refusing to settle for less than what they know they deserve, and it serves as motivation for other women to work towards their goals. 

The number of females entering into the world of professional sports and male-dominated professions is gradually increasing, and, thanks to role models like Sowers and many others, that number will continue to rise.