Women have not long been included within the world of sports. However, in recent years, their prominence has risen in a way that would have been thought impossible in the previous centuries. From Serena Williams to Kate Ledecky to the US Women's National Soccer Team, many women have risen to fame from their athletic talents.
However, this doesn't mean that all women's issues are discussed equally. Feminism doesn't seem to be something that has been easily translated into the world of sports, with a few exceptions.
The USWNT recently, however, led the way to opening up the discussion about menstruation and how that affects someone's performance by using a tactic that at first glance may seem quite unusual.
Period tracking.
Period tracking has two sides. Men that barely know someone before deciding to track their period (This is what you have likely seen in comedies.) and the extremely helpful tracking technology made to give people a sense of authority over their own body.
The coaches of the USWNT used the latter to allow their athletes to perform at their best, regardless of what stage in their cycle they're in.
Dawn Scott, who has been tracking the women's periods for a while, commented, "For a few players, I always noticed that just before they started their cycle, their recovery fatigue was increased and their sleep was less. I was noticing it for three or four players and I thought, 'We're six months out from the World Cup, how can we help that?'"
The coaches then formed special training methods to maximize performance for their players during particularly physically taxing parts of their cycles.
The individualistic approach taken was revolutionary, despite its simplicity.
Overall, as sports evolve to better include women, coaches and ideals evolve with them, resulting in fantastical results.
Winning the World Cup, for example.