You play ball like a girl! You throw like a girl! “Women’s sports are boring.”

For years, phrases like these echoed through playgrounds, gym classes, and stadiums, reinforcing the idea that women athletes could never compete at the same level as men. Countless little girls grew up hearing these comments used as insults — as if being compared to a female athlete was something to be ashamed of. But somewhere along the way, “playing like a girl” stopped sounding like an insult.