In sports like basketball, the gap between men’s and women’s leagues is in constant conversation. Each league has differing levels of resources, audiences and recognition, with WNBA [Women’s National Basketball Association] games selling less tickets and their players getting lower pay compared to their NBA [National Basketball Association] counterparts. However, inside the gyms and courts at White Station, two female athletes say their respective sports have been able to get both the men and the women’s teams the attention they deserve.

“[When] most people think of tennis in America, they think of Serena Williams,” Alexandra Byrd (12), a tennis player said. “They’re not thinking of men’s tennis. Naomi Osaka is another big name, like she was even in our [2024 Advanced Placement English Language and Composition exam].

Locally, Byrd points to a teammate, Emma Wei (11), who won the state tournament last year and garnered the school community’s attention as evidence that the women’s tennis team can garner as much attention and respect as the men’s tennis team. Beyond just visibility, Byrd argues that tennis is structured in a way that keeps men and women’s play on equal grounds.

“Women can show off their tennis talents just as well as the men,” Byrd says. “I don’t think the difference in how hard they hit the ball makes the game less exciting. Their physical capabilities don’t limit them entertainment-wise.”

On the wrestling mat, Kayleigh Angona (12) has similar observations. Although the women’s wrestling team has significantly less wrestlers than the men’s, its membership has been increasing year by year, a pattern Angona says she observes not just within White Station, but at many other women’s wrestling programs across the district and state.

“They [the coaches] don’t treat us differently from the guys,” Angona said. “Girls’ wrestling now, I think it’s going to get way more popular. We’re kind of better than the guys.”

The question, concerning the recognition women’s sports gets as a whole, is whether the mindset of Angona and Byrd could be applied to sports like basketball and soccer, where there is a wide gap in recognition of male and female athletes. The culture that has made women’s tennis and wrestling thrive at White Station may be worth exporting.