Temple University Athletics
Serena Williams Paves Way for Athletes like Temple’s Arryana Daniels
2.26.21 | Women's Soccer
When television figure heads enter their hourly GOAT conversation, they talk Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, and Tiger Woods. Rarely is Serena Williams a part of that conversation. Although with the statistics in mind, she should be.
She has won 23 major titles, over 80 wins, four Olympic gold medals and she has done it commandingly for three decades now. Undoubtedly the GOAT of tennis and a contender in the overall GOAT contest.
Williams has never let this deter her from continuing to work for her success and this is the reason that she is looked up to by so many Black female athletes such as Arryana Daniels of Temple women's soccer.
"She gets treated differently compared to other players like men, she handles everything with grace and confidence, she has just stuck to who she is even outside of her sport" said Daniels.
Williams was a major role model for Daniels as she developed into a Division 1 Athlete. "It was really inspirational to see someone who looks like me and someone who looks like me while being as successful as she is" explained Daniels.
It is not just the dominant way she plays that speaks to Daniels, but the way she carries herself off the court. "Her confidence is so amazing, her after match interviews and how she was doing them is inspiring to me" said Daniels, "It normalized seeing someone that looks like me in mass media."
Daniels played tennis with her sister and parents during her childhood, and while she may not have found the success of Serena Williams, she did find a role model to help guide her to the success she has found in soccer. "No matter what, even if she did end up losing, she would say 'I tried my best, I did everything possible in that moment to win' and that is the attitude I try to take into my sport" said Daniels.
A strong role model can guide someone in all aspects of life and that is just what Williams offers during the fight to end systemic racism in the United States. "It gives me confidence and makes it easier for me to speak up because she is risking a major contract with Nike or so much more than I might be putting at risk" Daniels explained, "I do not really have any of that going on, but I know that using my platform is the right thing to do."
Athletes like Daniels know that following in the footsteps of leaders like Serena Williams will give them the confidence to use their voice in a time where the voice of the student-athlete is more powerful than ever. "I think how she puts it is, being black is always going to be a part of who she is and who I am, and the day that stops being something you stand up for is the day that you die" Daniels said.
