Katie Sowers to make twin Super Bowl history as first openly gay and female coach

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Once rejected from a volunteer coaching position because of her "lifestyle," Katie Sowers will make NFL history as the first openly gay and female assistant coach headed to the Super Bowl. Sowers is an offensive assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, whose win against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday secured the team's spot in the championship game Feb. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The 49ers will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs. She is the second woman to coach in the National Football League and began her athletic career playing in the Women’s Football Alliance for the West Michigan Mayhem and the Kansas City Titans. After retiring in 2016 because of a hip injury, Sowers joined the NFL as an intern for the Atlanta Falcons, and took the assistant coach position with the 49ers the next year. Sowers became the first out gay coach in the NFL when she came out before the 2017 season. Katie Sowers ✔ @KatieSowers Unreal night. Takin our talents to South Beach ... Niners vs Chiefs  ... I couldn’t ask for a better game #MiamiBound #kcishome #DreamBig Embedded video 10.1K 9:31 AM - Jan 20, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 1,048 people are talking about this “No matter what you do in life, one of the most important things is to be true to who you are,” she said in an interview with Outsports after coming out. “There are so many people who identify as LGBT in the NFL, as in any business, that do not feel comfortable being public about their sexual orientation.” “By standing out and proud as the first-ever openly gay NFL coach in a Super Bowl, Katie Sowers not only shows LGBTQ athletes and fans what’s possible for them, but also shows the sport world as a whole that LGBTQ people are a valuable part of this community,” Joanna Hoffman, director of communications at the national LGBTQ athletic advocacy group Athlete Ally, wrote in an emailed statement. “The more barriers we can break down in football and in all sports, the more LGBTQ athletes, coaches and fans will be able to be who they are and be a part of the sport they love.” Recommended U.S. NEWS Father chokes coyote to death after series of attacks in New Hampshire U.S. NEWS Video shows North Carolina dad tackling son's wrestling match opponent Despite achieving a historic position of leadership in the highest level of national football, Sowers said she experienced LGBTQ discrimination in sports while in college, when was rejected from a volunteer coaching job because of her “lifestyle.” “I was so passionate about coaching and to feel like my opportunities were limited because of who I loved was hard to deal with,” Sowers told Outsports. “However, without that experience, I would not be where I am today.” The incident encouraged the coach to use her platform to promote inclusivity. Sowers was in part responsible for the genesis of a Pride fan club for the 49ers last May, the first NFL team-sponsored group that officially recognized its LGBTQ fans. She also frequently posts pictures of her with her girlfriend on Instagram and talks about her experiences being a women's coach.