All X’s & O’s for Women’s Sports: Celebrating the Playmakers
If you’ve ever watched a coach draw up a play for a team, you know the power of X’s and O’s. They represent preparation, discipline, and belief in what a team can accomplish together.
But X’s and O’s also mean something else. They express love, especially in February.
It’s also the month we celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day. (ICYMI: It’s on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026.) We’re putting all our X’s and O’s and love into honoring the next generation of women in sports with a new initiative: Playmakers.
Playmakers celebrates girls and young women in middle school, high school, and college in the communities around our locations. A Playmaker is someone who plays with heart, leads with courage, and lifts her team on and off the field, court, mat, pitch, track, pool, or wherever she plays. Wins are great, but her impact and influence last even longer.
And that’s what women’s sports have always been about: community, connection, and showing up for one another, especially for young athletes who are still learning to activate their full potential, trust their strength, and claim their space.
Do you know a girl or young woman who exemplifies a Playmaker?
We’re now accepting nominations for Playmakers in Portland, Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and St. Louis through Saturday, Jan. 31. We invite coaches, family members, teammates, and fans to nominate girls, young women, and nonbinary and gender-expansive youth* in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college.
Click to nominate a Playmaker:
We will announce the honorees for each city on social media on National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Wednesday, Feb. 4.
Playmakers Celebration in Portland
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, we’ll honor our Playmakers and celebrate everyone who loves women’s sports as much as we do. Stay tuned to social media for details on the event. And because love should be shared, if you’re a young athlete, stop by The Sports Bra Portland from Feb. 4 to 15 for a small token of appreciation. It’s our way of saying thanks for playing.
Playmakers is our love letter to the future of women’s sports. It is a reminder that every great athlete starts with a coach or caregiver who believes in her, a community that cheers for her, and a team she inspires through her leadership, strategy, and heart.
This February, let’s celebrate the X’s and O’s. And let’s keep putting all our love into women’s sports.
XOXO,
The Sports Bra
For the love of women’s sports
For more details, check out our press release.
* Our Commitment to Inclusion: We celebrate all athletes, including trans girls (they are girls), nonbinary kids, and gender-expansive youth. If your nominee plays with passion and leads by example, we want to hear their story.