The Women Who Call the Shots

By Penni Leigh Graham

It started as just a picture.
Me and Sarah (2007). Tulsa versus UTEP. Her first college football game, not in the stands but on the field, wearing stripes and holding a whistle.

And just like that, I realized we have officially entered a new era. Women are not just breaking glass ceilings anymore; we are throwing flags on the field where the glass used to hang.

Once upon a time, the only thing women could call at a football game was their husband’s name when he forgot to pick up the kids after tailgate. Now we are calling offsides. And yes, we look great doing it.

Sarah’s stride across that field was more than a walk. It was a march through decades of “you can’t,” “you shouldn’t,” and “are you sure you know the rules?” Her uniform said “official,” but her presence said, “I belong here and I brought my own rulebook.”

Let’s be honest. The world is not always ready for women in charge. When a man asserts authority, he is decisive. When a woman does it, someone checks if she is “emotional.” Honey, please. The only thing emotional here is the guy who just got penalized.

This is what equality looks like in real time. It is not soft or symbolic. It is sweaty, strategic, and maybe a little sassy. It is Sarah out there making calls that count while a whole new generation of girls watches from the bleachers thinking, “I could do that.”

The beauty of it all? We are not asking for permission anymore. We are not waiting for a turn. We are taking the whistle, running the plays, and if someone does not like it, they can take it up with the ref.

Because this is the new era of women in sports. We are not just in the game. We are running it, rewriting it, and still finding time to fix our ponytail before the next play.