Thursday was National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

It was also National Frozen Yogurt Day, but that’s not what this column is about.

It’s about female athletes doing great things.

It’s about calling them just athletes and trying to make sure they don’t need a “day” — like frozen yogurt really doesn’t need a day — in the future.

Unfortunately, however, there remains a stigma around girls’ and women’s sports.

There shouldn’t be.

I’ve been watching events from gymnasium bleachers and from cramped stadium press boxes for a long time and gender has nothing to do with competing.

Boy or girl, man or woman, athletes are athletes and all want to do well and win.

Name me a male athlete and I can counter with a female one that deserves the same amount of accolades and recognition.

Athletes like Jence Rhoads at Slippery Rock, who I remember seeing for the first time when she was in seventh grade playing on an eighth-grade basketball team.

She grew up to score 2,172 points for the Rockets, was never held to single digits in a game, and went on to star at Vanderbilt and in Europe.

Her gifts as an athlete were no more evident, though, than when she played soccer — certainly not her main sport — and was one of the best in the state.

She’s now on the United States women’s handball team and has designs on making it to the Summer Olympics.

Athletes like Alyssa Deal at Moniteau, who was a true multi-sport star in track and field and basketball.

Athletes like Lacey Cochran at Freeport, who was a thrill to watch zooming around the track in the 400 meters.

Athletes like Brittni Grenninger, who was tenacious and tough on the soccer pitch at Karns City and who is now one of the best soccer coaches in the state.

Athletes like Lily Grenci and Monica Glomb at Mars, true legends in the sports they played for the Planets.

Athletes like Bethany Koch and Andrea Mortimer at Union, who were as intimidating a pair of basketball players on any court anywhere in the state during their glory years with the Damsels.

Athletes like Cate Seman and Sarah Armahizer and Zoe Pawlak and Celina Sanks, who no one wanted to see on the other side of a volleyball net.

Those are just a tiny few of the great players that spring to my mind.

Then there is Abby Schmidt, Erica Youngman, Val Fair, Marissa Siebka and far too many other female athletes who have suffered torn ACLs, an epidemic among girls who play sports.

They came back. They rehabilitated, they did everything they could to get back onto the field or onto the court.

True grit. True determination.

For some, like Schmidt and Siebka, who suffered as many as three torn ACLs, grit and determination wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t been enough for any athlete, male or female.

And then there is Dawn Meling and Lily Burtch, who played despite having a torn ACL and played well while doing it.

They don’t need a day to be recognized. There’s 366 of them in a leap year to appreciate their talents, heart and competitiveness.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.