Claire Herquet, Editor

In the bustling world of university athletics, the voices and achievements of female athletes have often found themselves in the shadows of their male counterparts. However, within La Salle, a new initiative is on the rise to change this narrative. Madison Jack, a driven female student-athlete has founded a new platform on Instagram titled @lasalleexplorhers. 

In an interview on La Salle TV’s SportsLine, MJ shared her journey, motivations, and aspirations for her growing platform, which has already accumulated over 200 followers in the first three weeks of launching. Drawing from her own observations as a member of the rowing team, MJ spoke regarding the challenges faced by her teammates, both in and out of the water. She expressed her belief in the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the accomplishments of others; she says, “Something our team is really good at is being happy for our teammates – knowing that as long as we know we’re doing a good job, it doesn’t matter what other people think. External appreciation is always great, but we do a great job at building each other up and showing appreciation for our friends.” 

Inspiration hit MJ through seeing the sports innovation competition, the Business of Sports Club activities, and last month’s March Madness basketball games. Witnessing the success stories of prominent female athletes like Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark further fueled her determination in finding a space to recognize the person behind the player on La Salle’s campus.  

With ExplorHERS, Madison aims to amplify the voices of female athletes by dedicating two posts per week, sharing stories of success and resilience to those in their sport. Beyond representation, she envisions a community-driven platform where athletes and supporters alike, called ambassadors, will come together to uplift one another. Her main goal right now is to have 100% participation throughout all women’s sports teams on campus and begin hosting various fundraising events and activities (such as a 3v3 tournament) during the Fall 2024 semester. With this, she plans to encourage unity and engagement within the ExplorHERS community, ensuring that no success goes unnoticed or uncelebrated. 

Two weeks ago, the Business of Sports Club had the privilege of welcoming Angelo Cataldi (former radio host of the 94 WIP morning show) to La Salle for an insightful discussion about his remarkable career journey. During his talk, Cataldi provided Jack with a notable piece of advice for her budding platform – do not shy away from controversy. She appreciated his advice to not only focus on positive successes, but also to dig into controversial topics that might be difficult or uncomfortable to talk about. For Jack, ExplorHERS is not just about showing off wins; it is also about creating a space where female athletes can open up for honest and personal conversations.  

Looking ahead, MJ sees lots of potential for ExplorHERS to grow and evolve. From expanding participation to incorporating male athletes into this initiative soon, she remains committed to having members of all teams showing support for one another. 

ExplorHERS shines brightly as a place where La Salle’s beloved athletes get the spotlight they work hard for.