As “Barbie” joins the ranks of the highest-grossing films of all time, there are two companies that must be breathing a sigh of relief. Given Warner Bros. Discovery and Mattel’s recent financial difficulties, “Barbie” is a much-needed victory. Mattel, for its part, is making the most of its time in the spotlight by showcasing a career path that it thinks will welcome into the fold in the coming years.
According to Forbes, Mattel has selected Women in Sports as the 2023 Barbie Career of the Year. Though this may appear to be like well-worn territory for the company, with numerous sports-related Barbies appearing throughout the years, the focus here is key. The 4 dolls that are being highlighted work jobs that fall on the periphery of sports, including general manager, coach, referee, and sports reporter.
“I was blown away,” stated Dr. Jen Welter, the NFL’s first female coach and the first female running back in men’s professional football, having worked with the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 preseason. She added, “As a little girl, I didn’t have this. Now a little girl takes her out of the box and can see herself doing that. I never had that in football throughout my career.”