March is dedicated to Women’s History Month and recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of women to events in history. Over the years, many female athletes and executives have overcome adversity and discrimination to prosper in their fields. In honor of this important month, we are highlighting the success of three impactful women who have joined San Antonio Sports’ “Power of Sport” campaign – retired Major General Angela Salinas, Cyndi Krier and retired Lieutenant Colonel Olga Custodio.
Major General Angela Salinas, Ret:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v42C3bkSk8g[/embedyt]
At 19 years of age, “Angie” was approached by a U.S. Marine recruiter and just one month later she was sworn into the Marines. As she moved up in ranks, Angie Salinas became the first Latina General Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. Growing up before joining the Marines, she was always drawn to sports but rarely saw women involved. When she was in the eighth grade, Angie met a female high school coach from a competitive school with an established sports program, and was motivated to participate. Once accepted into their program, she learned many life lessons through sports that have guided her throughout her career. Angie now works to give that same opportunity to young girls. “Our ability to get every girl in a [sports] program should be our goal because it is such a foundation.” Today, Angie is the CEO of Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas and is dedicated to being a leader and role model for all young girls. Through the “Power of Sport”, she is raising awareness to ensure all children have the opportunity to participate in athletic programs such as i play! afterschool.
Cyndi Krier:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EidkhcgrUE4[/embedyt]
Cyndi Krier, a former Texas politician, credits sports for helping her build the traits which led to her decision to serve in the Texas State Senate and later become the administrative judge of Bexar County. “I don’t think I would have been as competitive, in the sense of running for public office – that might have never entered into my mind.”
In our interview with Cyndi, she reminisced on her experience as a UT Longhorn basketball player prior to Title IX: she and her teammates had to share their jerseys with the volleyball team because the university didn’t provide enough jerseys for all female athletes. Even with the unequal opportunities for female athletes at the time, Cyndi still learned powerful life lessons that she used throughout her career, such as discipline and how to “play by the rules.” The “Power of Sport” is very important to Cyndi today, as she takes part in a San Antonio senior basketball league and encourages others to stay active on and off the court.
Lieutenant Colonel Olga Custodio, Ret:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKBLiX8dIzs[/embedyt]
The first Latina U.S. military pilot, Olga Custodio, joins the “Power of Sport” campaign to spread awareness about the impact youth sports had on her life. “[Sports taught me] Self-confidence. That was the most important thing because I had to believe in myself first in order to go out and get what I wanted to get. And being an athlete, I think that inner strength, that focus, and that discipline gave me the confidence to go out there and say, ‘I think I can do this.’” In correlation with building self-confidence, Olga’s mantra is “Querer es Poder”, meaning “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Olga’s experience with sports motivated her to chase her dreams and become an inspiration for many young girls. Recently, she was featured in a Modelo commercial that highlights her amazing career and accomplishments with the U.S. Military!
These three highly influential and successful women experienced firsthand the impact sports have and now encourage others to get involved. The access to sports has dramatically changed for women and young girls over the years. There are even more opportunities and resources for girls to participate in and learn from the power of sport, such as i play! afterschool. The mission of this program is to allow all children the opportunity to participate in sports, regardless of gender, income or location.
To be a part of this movement, contact us to see how you can get involved and support i play! afterschool. Stay tuned for more inspirational stories from San Antonio’s business and sports leaders.