Female Firsts in Major League Sports

by Emily Siansky ‘22

Alyssa Nakken and Katie Sowers have made history: set a “first” in their respective sport. Nakken has been hired as the first full-time female coach in MLB history with the San Francisco Giants. Sowers will be the first female and openly gay coach in Super Bowl history. Ironically, Sowers coaches for the 49ers, another San Francisco-based professional team. 

Nakken was a standout softball player at Sacramento State from 2009 to 2012. Her four year career included accolades such as a three-time all-conference, and a four-time Academic All-American. Nakken joined the Giants club in 2014 as an intern, but four years later on January 16, Nakken was confirmed to be an assistant under new manager, Gabe Kapler.  

Sowers faced hardships to get to the Super Bowl. Not only did she struggle with gender norms but also with her sexual identity to become a coach. After attending college at Goshen College in Indiana, where she played soccer, basketball, and track and field, Sowers attempted to get a coaching job on the women’s basketball team. Due to her sexual orientation and Goshen being affiliated with the Mennonite Church, she was denied to job. 

However, this did not stop her. After playing 8 years in the Womens’ Football Alliance, and eventually becoming the general manager of the Kansas City Titans, she met Scott Pioli, former general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. Through her connections and experience in the NFL, she became an offensive assistant coach for the 49ers in 2017.

Both Nakken and Sowers now coach in a male-dominated field. Both seek to inspire young girls around them to achieve their goals. As Sowers once Tweeted, “If your daughter has a dream of being a football coach in the NFL… or a ballerina… or a professional soccer player.. or a teacher.. or a nurse.. or a doctor.. or an astronaut.. or even PRESIDENT.. just let her know this… She. Can. Do. It. And she will change the world.”