The Rachel Bryant Lecture Award was established in 1989 in honor of Rachel Bryant, a pioneer and architect in the field of sport for girls and women. Bryant served NAGWS as Executive Director from 1950-1971, providing strong leadership and encouraging futuristic thinking and planning. The recipient of this award is an individual who continues to carry on the spirit of this remarkable woman who gave so much to NAGWS and to the world of girls and women in sport (2010 Rachel Bryant Lecture and Awards Program, p. 2).

The lecture is published in the format in which it was delivered at the NAGWS Rachel Bryant Lecture and Awards Program at the 2010 AAHPERD National Convention in Indianapolis, IN. Written from a very personal perspective, this lecture includes a brief overview of Rachel Bryant’s legacy, the subjectively ‘lived’ sport experiences of the author, concerns regarding the future of girls and women in sport, and the direction NAGWS is taking as an organization.