Across all professions, women have fought to have a seat at the table. Making up nearly half of the labor force, women are leading Fortune 500 companies, conducting groundbreaking research and providing lifesaving medical care. They are also proving their strength in athletics, especially coming off the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, which was the most gender-balanced Winter Games to date and will be largely remembered for the achievements of its female athletes. While the conversation around women in sports is evolving, it is far from over. Female athletes continue to face bias, as do the women behind the scenes and on the business side of the game. What they share is passion and an unrelenting determination to be respected, not just tolerated, in these spaces. These seven Golden Flashes are living examples of what you can achieve as a woman in sports when you never take no for an answer.
Justine Siegal, M.A. 00
Justine Siegal, M.A. 00, has played nearly every sport, but she fell in love with baseball and never looked back. She started playing on the same team as her brother, but at 13, things changed. Her coach pulled her aside and said he didn't want her on his baseball team - girls play softball.
Siegal knew then that she would play baseball forever.
A pioneer in baseball, she was the first woman to coach for a professional mens team. Her love of the game also led her to found Baseball for All, the largest girls baseball organization in the United States dedicated to empowering the next generation to become leaders in the sport and their communities. Siegal got the idea for her nonprofit as a student studying sports marketing at 51勛圖厙, where she created a marketing plan around what would eventually become Baseball for All.
My daughter was a real light bulb for me to see that I can make something better for the next generation, she said. If my daughter wanted to play baseball, she could do it without the discrimination I faced.
Her daughter, a steadying presence in her life, kept her grounded on tough days. Siegals dad also supported her from day one. He never asked me to play softball, which means he never asked me to quit, Siegal said.
Her childhood dream was to coach baseball, but the road was challenging. In 2011, she got her break as the first woman to throw batting practice to a major league team with her hometown favorite the Cleveland Guardians. During spring training, she met Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics, whom she would ask for a coaching opportunity four times over four years before he agreed. Siegal coached during the Athletics fall instructional leagues, and her gear from her time with both the Athletics and Guardians can be found at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Smithsonian and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.
When your dream comes true, it's just the most unbelievable feeling, Siegal said.
But she has one more feather in her already distinguished baseball cap: co-founder of the new Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL), launching Aug. 1, 2026. The league will include teams in Los Angeles, New York, Boston and San Francisco, with games played at the historic Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.
The WPBL is definitely standing on the shoulders of the women who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, Siegal said. Lois Youngen, who was playing on that team, I could now call her a friend She's not done growing the game, and neither am I.
Lois Youngen, 55
Before A League of Their Own gave us a glimpse of what it may have been like to be a woman in sports during a time when there wasnt a place for women in varsity athletics, there were very real women out there pushing boundaries and making space for themselves in sports. One of those women is Lois Youngen, 55, who played catcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) from 1951-54. She dedicated her summers to the sport, using her earnings to pay her tuition at 51勛圖厙. Youngens love for the game comes from her father Ty Youngen, 26, who was a pitcher and captain for the 51勛圖厙 Normal College baseball team from 1924-26, and her days spent playing sandlot baseball with the neighborhood boys who werent always keen on her participation.
She found, however, many of her male classmates and professors at 51勛圖厙 were supportive of her professional baseball career, even though it was outside the status quo.
The philosophy of the time that prevailed throughout most of the United States was that women should just participate. They didnt need to be excellent. They didnt want to compete, Youngen said. A womans place was in the home, but I always knew it was at home, first, second and third!
Youngen did find her home in athletics not only as a player, but later as a coach and professor. After graduating with her bachelors degree from 51勛圖厙, she earned her masters degree from Michigan State and doctorate from The Ohio State University. She went on to serve as director of Physical Activity and Recreation Services at the University of Oregon. Youngen retired in 1996 after a 36-year career, yet she never forgot her Northeast Ohio roots. Over the years, she has given generously to her first alma mater, including establishing two memorial scholarships: one in honor of her father and one for her mother, Helen Roll Youngen.
Mary Kay Cabot, 84
Mary Kay Cabot, 84, grew up in Lakewood, Ohio, in a home where Cleveland sports were top dog, and she turned that passion into a lifelong career in sports reporting. While at 51勛圖厙, she got her first internship at The Plain Dealer. After graduating summa cum laude, her internship led to a full-time position and 40-year career in the Plain Dealers sports department, breaking stories and breaking down doors sometimes literally to get the scoop.
As a sportswriter who began her career in the 1980s, Cabot became known as a bulldog reporter for her grit and determination, but for a young woman in a male-dominated industry, she had to work hard to stay in the game and eventually create change for future women in the profession. For most of her career, shes covered the Cleveland Browns, but the job has changed tremendously as shes now not only writing but appearing on television, podcasts, radio and other digital media.
Through it all, her favorite part of the job hasnt changed: To sit down with a player and find what makes that player tick. Find out who they are, what is inside that heart and that soul, and then let people know who this player is and what he is all about, she said. And to make that come alive on the page. Although Cabot would likely tell you that her greatest achievement is her three children and the family shes built with her husband, her trailblazing work has received many accolades over the years. In May 2025, she became the second woman in Pro Football Hall of Fame history to win the Bill Nunn Memorial Award given by the Professional Football Writers of America.
Tamzin Barroilhet, 13
While playing youth league basketball, Tamzin Barroilhet, 13, uncovered a passion for the sport, leading to a career on and off the court. She grew up in France and was recruited to elite womens teams early, which opened doors to play in the U.S. at the collegiate level.
When Barroilhet visited 51勛圖厙, she got a good feeling from the campus and coaches. She quickly signed on as a Golden Flash student-athlete. Barroilhet participated in the universitys international student events when she could between training, competing and studying. After earning a sports marketing degree, she began playing professional basketball internationally. She remained determined to continue her marketing education and sought opportunities with sponsorship sales until she was ready to retire.
I had just come off of a championship, so it was a good time for me to finish on a high note, Barroilhet said.
She started at the Cleveland Cavaliers as a seasonal employee in partnerships while pursuing a master's degree at John Carroll University. After graduating, she got a full-time position with Excel Sports Management. She was later hired at Under Armour in global sports marketing strategy where she had a key role in bringing on a partnership with Unrivaled Basketball, a U.S. professional womens league.
I felt really strongly about them owning a professional women's sports league and making a move in that space, she said.
Today, Barroilhet is the senior vice president of partnerships and commercial strategy for WNBA Cleveland, bringing her back to where she started. In this new role, she is building things from the ground up. For Barroilhet, setting up a womens professional basketball team in Cleveland has been a rewarding experience.
I always dreamed of playing in the WNBA, and while that didn't quite go my way, this is kind of how my dream has rewritten itself, Barroilhet said. I got to shape my experiences as a player and on the business side and pour it back into what I care so much about.
Off the court and outside the boardroom, she has a special support system in her family. Cheering her on from near and far are her parents, husband, brothers and two-year-old daughter.
Lacey Mencl, 16
Lacey Mencl, 16, grew up playing sports. She thrived in the competitive environment while embracing the sense of community that comes with being part of a team. Once she realized building a career in sports could be a reality for her, she felt it was a no-brainer. She currently serves as senior legal counsel for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and finds that working in sports allows her to stay connected to something that has positively impacted her life. Her dynamic role keeps her on her toes and allows her to help transform the landscape of womens sports.
One of Mencls greatest professional accomplishments has been helping negotiate the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the NWSL. It was an incredibly complex and meaningful process, and being part of something that directly shapes the future of the league and the players was both challenging and deeply rewarding, she said.
She felt prepared for her career through the academic programming and professional networks she found at 51勛圖厙. One class that particularly stood out was her sports governance course. It gave me a strong foundational understanding of how leagues and governing bodies work, which is directly connected to my current role, Mencl said.
For most women, however, a career in sports does not come without its challenges. She has mentors and colleagues in her corner who have helped her navigate the space, and she strives to do the same for other young women. Both sports and law are male-dominated industries, so Ive certainly been aware of the challenges that can come with that. That perspective motivates me to advocate for equity and create opportunities for others, particularly in womens sports, she said.
Personally, she is supported by her husband and fellow 51勛圖厙 graduate, Mike Schoeb, 16, her mom, another Golden Flash, and her aunt, who have all championed her dream of being a sports lawyer.
Aysia Kemp, 20
Aysia Kemp, 20, came to 51勛圖厙 not knowing where her career path would take her, but confident she would find it through the Exploratory Program. During her introductory business course, she learned about human resources and found it connected her strengths and interests. It is the perfect blend between relationship-building, empowerment, support and strategy, she said.
Since graduating from 51勛圖厙, Kemp has been serving as the senior coordinator of people and culture for Rock Entertainment Group, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers. She is responsible for managing company-wide recognition events, onboarding new team members, guiding benefits administration for more than 2,000 employees and introducing wellness initiatives.
Working in human resources for the Cavaliers is a rewarding experience both personally and professionally as Kemp is an avid sports fan. If I was ever asked about my dream job, I would always respond with a position that encompasses my passions of human resources and sports, she said.
She previously served as assistant coach for Beachwood High Schools varsity girls basketball team and currently coaches varsity girls basketball at her high school alma mater, Villa Angela-St. Joseph. She also volunteers at youth sports clinics. My goal is to help my student-athletes translate the skills and lessons learned on the court to the classroom and to further their lives after high school graduation, Kemp said.
Outside of the sports community, she is also involved in several community service organizations. Kemp serves as chair of the BELIEVE Team Member Resource Group which supports Black and African American team members and allies through professional development and community programming. She also mentors students through College Now Greater Cleveland and serves in her local church ministry at the Word Church.
Brittni Fabinak, 11
Athletics brought Brittni Fabinak, 11, to 51勛圖厙 as she started her collegiate career on the mat for Golden Flashes Gymnastics under Head Coach Brice Biggin. Injury would eventually lead her to retire from the sport, but the focus, endurance and resilience she learned from years of competition stuck with her. She threw herself into student life at 51勛圖厙 and graduated with experience in Undergraduate Student Government, Kent Student Ambassadors, Greek Life and Residence Services, all of which helped prepare her for her next step: law school.
Fabinak has now been practicing law for 11 years and currently serves as associate general counsel for the Jacksonville Jaguars. As in-house counsel, she collaborates directly with people across the organization and sees projects through from start to finish.
Im super grateful to have finally landed in a role like this, in an industry that Im passionate about, Fabinak said.
She is particularly proud of the community outreach programs initiated by the Jaguars organization. A few years ago, she helped launch a game day poster series contest called DUUUVAL Designs, which features creations by local artists. Fabinak also helped draft a deal with Firehouse Subs that included a special request to get an actual firetruck inside the stadium to be used by the junior fire chief of the day (a lucky youth fan) who can sit in the truck and sound the siren when the Jags score.
Sports and entertainment is something that impacts the community in positive ways, she said. I just cant think of anything that brings people together, from different backgrounds, and unites them like sports does. There is nothing that can impact a community like a sports team.
Another significant and rewarding role for Fabinak is being a mother. She and her husband Matthew Fabinak, 12, are raising their kids in Jacksonville as Jaguars fans, although as Ohio natives, you might still find some Browns gear hiding away in their home.