This day was first celebrated in 1987 as a way to honor the memory of Flo Hyman, an Olympic volleyball player who was considered to be the best female player of her time.
In 1972, legislation known as Title IV was enacted in the United States that required equitable participation in sports for federally funded programs. At the time, only one in 27 girls had access to sports programs. While not perfect, that statistic has improved significantly over the past half century.
Sports novels are very popular with readers, and this is equally true in sapphic fiction. Lesbian athletes such as Megan Rapinoe, Martina Navratilova, and Brittney Griner have become household names in recent years. Today, we honor girls and women in sports by highlighting three sapphic sports novels.
