To the Editor:

“Everyone Watches Women’s Sports,” according to the ubiquitous black t-shirts worn by celebrities, including Jrue Holiday, Megan Rapinoe, and Jason Sudeikis.

It’s true – if you can find the games.

Our Dorchester family, three-generations deep with female athletes and men who support them, loves women’s sports. We cheered for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun at a sold-out TD Garden, trekked to Lowell to watch the PWHL Championship hockey game, set alarms to watch Women’s World Cup and Olympic matches overseas, and got cable to catch March Madness and the Women’s College World Series.

Getting involved takes effort, access, and resources, which means “everyone” isn’t actually able to do it. But what if everyone really could watch (and some even play!) women’s sports?

As a coach of girls’ softball, a former NCAA athlete and BPS parent, and frequent visitor to Franklin Park, I was thrilled to read that the City and Boston Unity Soccer Partners had signed a lease agreement to renovate White Stadium. The girls and women of Boston, especially in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury, deserve a world-class athletic facility within a beautiful park where we can play, coach, and watch sports.

Location creates opportunities. When coaching ADSL softball at Town Field, I am often approached by families and girls who want to play.

When the NWSL comes to Franklin Park, our girls will be sharing space with the likes of the “Triple Espresso:” Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Mallory Swanson. They will get the message that they are strong and worthy of a top-shelf stadium and adoring fans. If they can see it, they can be it.

More importantly, Boston’s kids will finally have a high-quality athletic facility. White Stadium access for BPS will grow from 250 hours/year to 750-plus hours and summer activities will be expanded as well. BPS soccer teams will have a beautiful field, track athletes can finally host MIAA meets, and athletes with disabilities can participate, thanks to an ADA-compliant venue.

Have no doubt: I will be watching carefully to ensure that Boston Unity Soccer and the City each hold up its end of this agreement. Tickets must be available and affordable to all Boston families. Players need to be in the community regularly, meeting athletes of all genders and uplifting the values outlined in Title IX. The stadium must be well-maintained, as outlined in the lease. The potential of this deal is extraordinary and we must push the parties involved to exceed all expectations. Our young people deserve nothing less.

Let’s set aside our worries and engage our imaginations in this moment. Imagine the next Naomi Girma (look her up!) talking with teens at the Blue Hills Boys & Girls Club about her rise to the NWSL. Imagine BPS soccer teams, both girls and boys, playing on a pristine field and using modern locker rooms. Imagine community members walking a beautiful track in the evenings under functional lights and accessing clean and safe restrooms.

When we do this right, we can truly say, “EVERYONE Watches Women’s Sports.”

Ann M. Walsh
Dorchester

Other opinions:

A different take: Wu’s stadium deal will pay dividends for wealthy investors, not Boston kids

Reporter's view: Mayor Wu delivers on White Stadium deal

Soccer club: A 'generational opportunity' to revitalize White Stadium for all to use