By: Jordan Beaudoin I Published: March 31, 2025
The women’s movement has become international and has been very vocal about where women are stepping into these roles in the last five years.
This movement reached Kean University this past year and expanded in nearly all aspects—one of the more significant areas that have been picked up on women entering the sports world. More focus has been on how girls can take on these more substantial playing positions.
They have already taken the steps into significant business, engineering, and higher political roles, which many men have usually and almost always fulfilled. This is something more substantial for the university and the girls.
In the world, TV broadcasters have taken the time to put women on the air and show that they know sports and can play and do the same things men can.
Television has also made it a point to push forward the airing of all women’s and girls’ teams in every sport. Kean has especially made that effort this past year to allow everyone to tune in to watch the softball team, girls’ basketball team, or any other sport that girls are open to playing.
This coming year to Kean, girls can play flag football and be part of the wrestling team, both sports becoming NCAA teams. This is huge for the women’s movement. It’s happening not only here at Kean University but at colleges worldwide.
Nowadays, girls and women have shown more interest in playing these sports than ever.
We spoke to several students and professors about their feelings about the changes happening at the college.
Longtime adjunct professor Joseph Czachowski, who teaches history courses and Sports in America at Kean Ocean, had a few things to say about the traction women’s athletics has garnered, especially here at the college.
”It’s international areas and business areas calling Kean the urban university kind of thing. It’s, you know, it’s adding to the future luster,” Czachowski said.
He has enjoyed watching the expansion and the inclusion of women in nearly all sports.
“By adding new better venues for women athletes, female athletes, you know, it’s gotta make it better, more, uh, attractive to new students,” Czachkowski added.
Another sports fanatic commented on how the University has become a part of the movement.
Joshua Langer, a senior at Kean Ocean who loves to watch sports and keeps up with the New Jersey Devils and has started to watch the New York Sirens, a member of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
He also has enjoyed hearing about the expansion of women’s sports here at the university.
“Women’s sports in college, I think, have already expanded greatly. Most schools have teams for each sport that are involved in many leagues and are looking for more around it as well to grow their game even more,” Langer said.
One of the athletic head coaches of one of the teams also commented on this expansion and movement in sports. We heard from head women’s basketball coach, Mandy King.
“I am a New York Liberty season ticket holder. So, seeing this movement has been an enjoyable process. I think women gain stories behind it, the young women are behind it, and I don’t think there has been anything like this,” King said.
She loves how women expand their horizons and gain more experience as they participate in more sports.
”I think that’s the most exciting part. Now, they have reached so many young women and young girls. They can dream about anything, like standing on the shoulders of giants. I can’t wait to see what this generation continues to do during this time,” King added.
It has become a big deal nationwide, especially here at the University.
Women’s basketball NJAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year Madison Vaughn also commented on the changes she’s seeing in men’s and women’s sports.
It’s been an exciting process for her, and she has full faith that all men’s and women’s sports should be treated equally. They have been all along, but now girls’ teams are becoming more prevalent in all sports.
“Women are just as good as men. I would say equal in sports,” Vaughn said.
Vaughn has been watching this change happen for a while, and she has really enjoyed the way things have played out.
“I think it’s pretty awesome,” Vaughn said.
She believes that women and girls will feel a boost in confidence when they are noticed playing a sport that women do not usually get involved in.
“We will have more confident players who will feel more noticed and recognized by the sport they are doing, whether basketball, volleyball, or PWHL hockey. I think women will be more confident in what they’re doing and feel empowered,” Vaughn said.
One of the best parts is watching students get excited when the girls’ teams step in where the men’s teams usually are, and they both take the time to cheer each other on.
This will continue to expand internationally around colleges and Kean and will be genuinely excellent.
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