You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day.

I'm your host, Elise Hugh. Imagine a world where all young people, regardless of their gender,

had access to the same opportunities. Troy Vincent Sr., who was an all-star

in the National Football League, is now the executive vice president of football operations

for the NFL, and he had access to the opportunities that led him down the path to football fame.

But as he shares in his talk, the reality is that for many young people, especially young

women, the dream of becoming a professional athlete vanishes all too soon.

He asks us to consider what it will take to get sports to a place where the playing

field isn't just metaphorically level, but literally accessible to all.

Thank you. but literally accessible to all. So what if your child had the heart, the drive, the skill, for something they love, but not the access.

What of a sport your child loved denied her the ability to play because of her gender?

Let's imagine your granddaughter, your sister, your niece.

Let's imagine a world where she had every opportunity that exists for a young boy,

where the playing field wasn't just metaphorically level, it was literally

accessible to it. Let's think about a world where every locker room door open with the

same ease for everyone.

That question has stayed with me for years,

and it's really the reason why I'm standing here today.

I think about my journey in this journey of sport and football. I was raised by a strong woman,

Alma Vincent, this quiet determination, and women surrounded my life throughout my childhood.

That brings me back to a young girl in the city of Trenton, New Jersey, named Tracy Williams.

Now, Tracy not only played every sport, Tracy competed. Tracy was smart. Tracy was fast. Tracy not only competed.

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