Breaking Barriers: Katie Sowers The First Openly LGBT Super Bowl Coach

The San Francisco 49ers did not hold back in their conference matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Their aggressive play coupled with the monster performance from running back Raheem Mostert secured their ticket to the Super Bowl with a 37-20 victory last Monday. Mostert led the team with 29 carries for 220 yards and four touchdowns.

With this win, the 49ers are gunning for their sixth NFL championship as they face the Kansas City Chiefs. While this is as big as it gets in terms of football, there are also other victories to be celebrated in their highly coveted title shot. Offensive assistant coach Katie Sowers will be the first ever female and openly gay coach to grace the sidelines of the Super Bowl. Following the footsteps of Kathryn Smith, Sowers is the second female to hold a full-time coaching position in the NFL.

Sowers admits that she had to go through barriers when she was climbing up in her career. She was discriminated against for her sexual orientation and lifestyle when she was denied a volunteer coaching position at her old college. Fortunately for Sowers, she was able to find the opportunity in the NFL. She started out as a training camp assistant and was eventually hired by the 49ers as an intern in 2017 – a product of the Bill Walsh NFL diversity coaching fellowship. This initiative was intended to provide diversity in the NFL to give coaching experience to the minority group.

With her expanded platform as an NFL Super Bowl coach, Sowers shared that she wants to influence others just like her to fight through the adversity. “I see young girls out there almost every game, and someone’s mom or dad is yelling to me, saying, ‘my daughter wants to play football,’ or, ‘my daughter is going to be a coach.’ And those are the moments where it’s worth it,” Sowers said in a recent interview with People.

But beyond her advocacies, she maintains her main goal as a professional to deliver another championship to the city of San Francisco. "I'm not just here to be the token female, I'm here to help us win," the coach exclaimed as their team gears up for February 3, Super Bowl LIV.