Recently I saw a Nike advertisement in a magazine that read “Thank the people who helped you. You got here somehow. And somebody spent time with you. While you can, thank that person. And then you ought to do the same for somebody else. Spend time with a kid. Coach her. Care about her. Help her get where she’s going.”

Think about that. Who made you love sports? Who coached you to be the athlete that you are today? Chances are, it was a coach or teacher, or maybe even a parent. These people all made a difference in your life, and you can do the same for other young girls.

Some professional women athletes we should take the time to watch are Venus and Serena Williams, the hot tennis sisters, who have been a hot topic in the tennis world lately. Other noteworthy females in the tennis world are Anna Kournikova and Martina Higgins. All four are vying for the title of the number one female tennis player in the world.

For all of you who are sitting around watching the Bulls/Jazz series, switch to a game with some actual excitement. You know that Chicago is going to win the championship again. The Chicago Bulls are still unstoppable. Instead, flip on the WNBA, which begins on June 11 and is now nationally televised. The WNBA also gained two new teams in the off-season, Detroit and Washington, D.C. The WNBA had its share of fans last year and this season is expected to draw even more viewers.

May 29 marked the opening of the WPF (Women’s Professional Fast-pitch) so you can catch one of those games as well, and August will kick off the U.S. Open as well.

The point is that there are now plenty of opportunities to support women in professional sports. Whether it be watching on TV or actually going to see a game, you have the opportunity; use it.

All of us who are female athletes began small and were coached and mentored throughout the years. I know that I am thankful to my many coaches, including my swim team coach, my basketball coach, my soccer coach, my softball coach and most importantly my cross country and track coach. All of them taught me lessons that I have taken through my life thus far and will continue to carry on. These people gave their time to make a difference in women’s lives. We should show our gratitude by giving back to the generations that will follow us.

Women have fought long and hard to be recognized as professional athletes. Now that the progress is there, we need to make sure we support it.

Everyone begins at the same level. Everyone is a novice the first time they dribble a basketball or pick up a bat. What makes a difference is the people who help you and the attitude you approach the sport with. We can all make a difference in some young girl’s life if we take the time. She just might grow up to be a member of the WNBA or the WPF.

So support the women who have worked to make women’s professional sports a priority in this nation. Tune into to the WNBA, WPF or the U.S. Open and give the women a chance to show their stuff.

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Dawn Kanoski is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Chicago Heights, Illinois