If you're reading this headline and you know me, you might be a little confused. The last sport that I played was 8th Grade inter-county soccer. I did theater in high school. I'm a total NARP at Villanova.

Sooooooo why am I writing about National Girls & Women in Sports Day?

On February 7th, this country will celebrate its 32nd anniversary of this holiday that is about so much more than sports. The 2018 theme is "Play Fair, Play IX" which references Title IX, ensuring "that students receive educational opportunities free from discrimination based on sex," according to NGWSD.com

I may not be a sports extraordinaire, but inequality for women in any aspect of our country is absolutely unacceptable. This day is dedicated to the celebration of women and girls and their strengths. It emphasizes an empowering movement to keep girls active and recognize women who are the trailblazers of our own generation.

"For more than three decades, NGWSD has empowered women and girls to get moving, embrace physical activity and push past their limits. The courage, confidence, and character gained through sports participation are the very tools girls need to become the strong leaders of tomorrow," NGWSD.com states.

It's important for us to recognize the way in which our society inherently limits girls. The popular feminine products brand Always has produced a series of successful advertisements to destroy the expectations that we have implemented upon girls at a young age. It boils down to things such as "that sport is for boys" or "that isn't ladylike." Most popularly, it is the catchphrase that someone does something "like a girl."

Unfortunately, during their pubescent years, girls are twice as likely to drop out sports than boys are. This is due to multiple factors including but not limited to lack of access, social stigma, and lack of positive role models.

Thankfully, organizations like National Girls & Women in Sports Day are helping girls everywhere destroy the notion that they are not fit for sports.

With the Winter Olympics beginning only two days after NGWSD, their website aptly boasts stories from Olympic medalists such as Katie Ledecky, Lauryn Williams, Meghan Duggan, and more. They discuss why this day and organization are important to them as women in sports, and how we can all become better activists for ourselves as well as the girls and women around us.

Shockingly enough, equal opportunity and equal access are still often difficult to obtain for girls throughout the country. The time for equality for women has long passed.

But this starts with us. Attend women's sports games at your college; support your cousins, nieces, and sisters in their sports endeavors. Stop portraying girls as weaker than boys. And celebrate the female athletes in your life this February. They are strong, and they deserve the best.