She Showed Me That Advocacy Creates Opportunity

I first met Peg Pennepacker at the National Athletic Directors Conference in 2019. Like so many others in our profession, I already knew of Peg's reputation. She had spent decades advocating for Title IX and creating opportunities for girls and women in sports. What I didn't know then was how much she would influence my own journey.

Over the years, Peg has become so much more than a respected colleague. She's become someone I trust. Someone I can call when I'm exhausted, when I'm questioning myself, or when I simply need someone to remind me who I am.

There have been moments, especially while building the Global Community of Women in High School Sports, when I questioned whether I was doing the right thing. There were days when the work felt overwhelming and I wondered if it was worth it.

Peg never let me stay in that place for long.

She has an incredible ability to help me see things more clearly. When fatigue clouds my judgment or self-doubt begins to creep in, she helps me find my perspective again. She doesn't simply tell me what I want to hear. She asks thoughtful questions, reminds me why the work matters, and gives me the confidence to keep moving forward.

Sometimes the greatest gift another person can give you is believing in you until you're able to believe in yourself again.

Peg has given me that gift more than once.

What inspires me most about Peg isn't only her remarkable career or her decades of advocacy for Title IX. It's that she has never stopped. Even in retirement, she continues to champion girls and women in sports. She continues to educate, encourage, mentor, and advocate because she genuinely believes the work is bigger than any one person.

She has modeled what lifelong advocacy looks like.

Just as importantly, she has modeled what it means to create space for other women.

There is enough room for all of us.

Peg has never viewed another woman's success as competition. She celebrates it. She encourages women to pursue leadership opportunities, to be courageous, and to take their seat at the table with confidence. She reminds us that when one woman succeeds, we all move forward.

That philosophy has shaped the way I lead.

When I founded the Global Community of Women in High School Sports, I wanted to create the kind of community Peg had modeled for me. A place where women encourage one another, share ideas freely, celebrate each other's successes, and remind one another that none of us has to navigate this profession alone.

There was never any question what one of our highest honors would be called.

The Peg Pennepacker Paving the Way Award recognizes women who do exactly what Peg has done throughout her career. Women who open doors, encourage others, and make this profession better simply because they are part of it.

For me, Peg is the person every leader hopes to have in her corner.

She has my back.

She tells me the truth.

She reminds me to be courageous.

She reminds me not to be afraid to take my seat at the table.

When I'm tired, she's the voice that helps me remember why the work matters. When I'm uncertain, she's the sounding board who helps me regain perspective. Knowing she's only a phone call away has been one of the greatest gifts of my professional life.

Most importantly, she has shown me that advocacy isn't just about changing policies. It's about changing people. It's about believing in someone enough that they begin to believe in themselves.

What She Taught Me

Advocacy isn't only about opening a door.

It's about standing there long enough to make sure someone else has the courage to walk through it.

Peg has done that for me.

And because she did, I will spend the rest of my career trying to do the same for someone else.