On this planet {of professional} sports activities, gender equality continues to be an uphill battle. Nonetheless, the NFL has been making strides to shut the hole, they usually proceed to take action with Marissa Figueroa.

This week, the Buffalo Payments introduced the hiring of Figueroa as a full-time assistant athletic coach. Figueroa, who was a part of the Payments’ athletic coaching employees and medical personnel answerable for the life-saving emergency response and continued care of security Damar Hamlin, joins the over 100 licensed athletic trainers employed by the league’s 32 groups. Of that quantity, solely 21 are girls.

Figueroa’s hiring makes her the primary lady to tackle this function within the Payments’ franchise historical past.

The California native began her profession with the workforce as an assistant in 2021, after interning with the San Diego Chargers in 2018. Marissa Figueroa studied kinesiology at Humboldt State and earned her grasp’s diploma in athletic coaching at California Baptist College. She’s going to be part of head athletic coach Nate Breske, assistant athletic trainers Denny Kellington and Tabani Richards, and rehabilitation coordinator/bodily therapist Joe Micca, as reported by The Buffalo Information.

The NFL was additionally within the information originally of final season after the hiring of the third feminine official within the league’s historical past. Robin DeLorenzo joined Sarah Thomas and Maia Chaka all through the 2022-2023 season. Chaka turned the league’s first Black lady to be employed as a full-time official in 2021. “I’m honored to be chosen as an NFL official,” Chaka stated in a press release launched by the league on the time. “However this second is greater than a private accomplishment. It’s an accomplishment for all girls, my group, and my tradition.”

Girls have additionally made their method onto the sidelines for the NFL, with 15 feminine coaches within the 2022 season, together with the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Autumn Lockwood, who turned the primary Black lady to educate in a Tremendous Bowl.

At present, there aren’t any girls who maintain the extremely coveted head teaching place of any of the league’s franchises.