Kylie Kelce advocates for all bodies in sports: your body can do amazing things


Kylie Kelce has always been a huge advocate for women in sports. For the last eight years, she’s been a varsity field hockey coach for her alma mater, Lower Merion High School. She’s also featured Olympic athletes like Ilona Maher (rugby), Alex Morgan (soccer), and Gabby Thomas (track and field) on her podcast, Not Gonna Lie. Other guests have included female sports broadcasters like Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson.

Kylie has a campaign with Dove to help build up girls’ body confidence. The goal is to get the word out that rather than being self-conscious or ashamed of their bodies, young women should understand that it doesn’t matter what they look like. It’s about learning that they are powerful because their bodies can do amazing things.

Kylie Kelce wants to keep girls in the game. The field hockey coach, podcaster and girl mom of four is continuing her partnership with Dove in pursuit of an important mission — helping girls build body confidence. With 1 in 2 girls dropping out of sports during adolescence, largely due to body image issues, the mom and athlete shares that she hopes to drive home the message that all bodies belong in sports.

“I think it’s a matter of making sure these girls know that they can appreciate their body for what it can do instead of what it looks like,” Kylie tells PEOPLE.

“You’re not going to be a cookie-cutter. If we were cookie-cutter, that would be really lame. It would be a sad, boring world if we all looked the same or were built the exact same. So I think it’s the most obvious, in sport, that your body can do amazing things and that it doesn’t necessarily have to look a certain way to do that.”

This year, Kylie has led by example, pushing herself out of her comfort zone as the host of the Not Gonna Lie podcast. While she admits it can be “terrifying” to open up her life to others this way, the 33-year-old says she beats the uncertainty by knowing she’s taking control.

“My main focus is the theme that it’s always been, which is if you’re going to have to talk about me, you should talk about things that matter. So it’s so exciting to have the podcast. I’m so excited to make the connection with women, with women in sports, with moms,” she explains. “I feel so fortunate to be in the position that I’m in, but I’m super happy that I get to do things like partnering with Dove and still doing work with the Eagles Autism Foundation and doing things that really truly speak to my soul and my heart.”

“I want people to know that it’s all fun and games to talk about the Kelces, and it might be the hot, clickable item, but if I’m involved, I would prefer it have to do with things like the Body Confident Sport Initiative,” she adds. “Those are the things that matter and those are the things that should be taking up space and those are the things that should be in front of everyone, so that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”

Of her vulnerability, she adds, “I’m letting people in a little bit by talking about our lives and other stuff on the podcast and our experience day-to-day, [but] at the end of the day, these are the things that truly matter and these are the things I’m so grateful to get to be a part of.”

Kylie will introduce a short film, “Fans of Confidence,” at the Saturday, Aug. 9 Gotham FC game. The film flips the script: instead of fans cheering pros, Gotham FC stars show up to cheer on girls in their youth programs—making them feel seen, celebrated and encouraged to stay in the game.

When it comes to building confidence, Kylie believes, “it comes from a couple of different places.”

“The ability of your body can give you confidence because when you work really hard and invest the time, you can excel at your sport and when you’re winning or you’re excelling. I think that that automatically builds a sense of confidence,” she shares.

Kylie continues, “I think oftentimes in sport you’re on a team with like-minded people and so your peers are there to lift you up. You’re there working towards a common goal. You’re working together and you’re also uplifting each other throughout the game, on and off the field. So it’s multiple facets of sports that are able to help girls understand why they should be confident.”

[From People]

“I think it’s a matter of making sure these girls know that they can appreciate their body for what it can do instead of what it looks like.” I love this so freaking much. I’m 41, and I don’t think that anyone told me this until I was 30 and preparing to give birth for the first time. Our bodies are held to stupidly impossibly standards and I spent so many pre-motherhood days wishing that my body was different. I wish that someone had been there to remind me that I was amazing just the way I was. I really appreciate that Kylie is spreading the message to younger generations that the female body can do amazing things.

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7 Responses to “Kylie Kelce advocates for all bodies in sports: your body can do amazing things”

  1. DaveW says:

    She was on Ilona Maher’s podcast and vice versa and they were such fun, good conversations.

    Ilona just had Malala on hers and while I’ve only caught snippets so far, Malala spoke about how she’s recently started being more active, biking, hiking, going to women’s sporting events, and how empowering it’s been for her.

    I consider myself so fortunate that while I’ve always been a “big” girl/woman and certainly have my own body image issues, I was also encouraged to be active, play sports, etc. and, as an adult, lived in communities with thriving women’s training groups and events. I did my first sprint triathlon at 275 pounds…. I see so many women who won’t run or swim or go to yoga, whatever, because they don’t look instagram ready and I feel for them.

    • North of Boston says:

      And unfortunately, the women who let body concerns limit what they’ll do aren’t just influenced by media, SM – there are plenty of real life gatekeepers out there policing women’s bodies – parents and other relatives, teachers, coaches etc. who send the message of who is worthy, allowed to take up space and who is not. (Not to mention, in the US, cuts in fitness programs, town and regional recreational programs and rise of youth club and league teams that mean whole swaths of girls don’t have an opportunity to play organized sports and get sidelined in school athletic programs while coaches focus on the handful who were able to play, take private lessons, etc. because they are focused on winning, not on teaching all the children in their care)

      As a not rail thin little girl, who was very active and agile in solo pursuits, more than once I was counseled or pushed out of dance or track and field or other fun activities because my body type didn’t fit the adult’s notion of “good at sports”. And then just as I got old enough to start thinking F-that, I’ll teach myself and do it anyway, pervs who creep on pre-teens/teens and my peers (themselves pressured by others) stepped in to police, try to control my body in different destructive ways.

      It wasn’t until my 30’s that I started to really take back my sense of physical self, what my body was capable of and experience the joy and satisfaction of training, pushing my limits, doing things I’d never imagined.

      • DaveW says:

        Dang….the older I get and/or hear these sorts of experiences more I realize what an anomaly my experiences were in sports, at gyms, etc.

  2. Ariel says:

    Sorry to Taylor it up, but Kylie is another woman who gives me hope, like Taylor, by speaking plainly about body issues (among other things)
    Kylie has also been talking about the greatness of pbs kids shows, and always when parenting styles/opinions come into play – she always takes the position of I do it this way, other moms do it another way – and whichever way they do it- it’s fine, it’s none of your business and keep your unsolicited opinions to yourself.

    Plus/ she caps her podcasts at 45 minutes b/c women have things to do.

  3. Alarmjaguar says:

    I love this! As someone who was lucky enough to go to a small school where they needed anyone they could get to fill the teams, I was involved in many sports. The camaraderie and teamwork were wonderful. Feeling my strong body and knowing I could do hard things was powerful! I wish that for all girls.

    Anyone remember that awesome Nike ad from the 90s about all the important statistics around women in sports? I’ll
    Have to see if I can find it

  4. Aimee says:

    My favorite Kelce right there. Great message.

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