Kim Taylor, CHEP '92M, says it was a long time before the athletic apparel industry realized there's a big difference between male and female athletes.

"I'm proud to be a female athlete and, over the years, I found it personally frustrating to have to wear athletic gear designed for male athletes," says Taylor, a self-described "jock-of-all-trades athlete" who still plays softball and flag football regularly in women's leagues. Her frustration ultimately was channeled into the creation of She Plays Sports, Inc., a Willow Grove, Pa.-based supplier of sports apparel for female athletes, young and old.

Taylor says she's glad to be part of the effort to change how the public perceives female athletes--and how they perceive themselves. "It used to be that you'd be stuck going to a sporting goods store that would have a small section devoted to women's apparel, always in pink or teal," she says. "The apparel we offer to the public is in primary athletic colors because female athletes want and need to be taken seriously. And, I'm happy to help make that happen.

"I know what it was like to not be appreciated as an athlete," Taylor says, "but fortunately, things have changed. It's all about validation." She Plays Sports, in fact, exists to help female athletes feel validated, Taylor says.

"Women really love our stuff," she says, "and I can understand why. Women and girls who play sports love feeling good about that fact, even if they're not world-class athletes."

Described by her mother as "born with the softball glove on her hand," Taylor says sports have been a major part of her life.

A native of Wilmington, Del., she graduated magna cum laude from West Chester University in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in speech communications. While at West Chester, Taylor worked as a peer educator at the college's Drug and Alcohol Resource Center. Her boss, Jackie Hodes, AS '81, CHEP '83M, became a major influence in Taylor's career choice.

"Jackie was a mentor to me and inspired me to go to Delaware to earn my master's degree in college counseling and student personnel administration," Taylor says, adding that she can't say enough about her experience at Delaware.

"It was an excellent program, and I felt it really prepared me for my first real job," she says. Taylor began work as the assistant director of residence life at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa.

"I was responsible for student housing and issues relating to student behavior on campus, which is also where I lived," she says. "It was a great job but, after four years, I was ready to move on to a new challenge."

Taylor was working in sales when the idea for She Plays Sports--founded with three other people--took root.

"It really got started in my living room," she says. "We talked it out and decided to give it a go. Everything was pretty much managed by the seat of our pants, although we gave the project a lot of thought. It was scary and exciting at the same time."

She Plays Sports not only has a retail division--its products are sold at its web site [http://www.sheplayssports.com] and at stores across the country--but it also is a supplier of uniforms for female sports teams.

Under the She Plays Sports umbrella, two smaller companies, Taylor Made Promotions and Oyster Bay Casuals, have sprung up. Taylor Made Promotions specializes in sports uniforms for boys and fund-raising programs for schools and organizations. The fund-raising items available range from crew socks with logos to ready-to-bake cookie dough. Oyster Bay [www.oysterbaycasuals.com], launched earlier this year, is a supplier of corporate apparel ranging from golf shirts to umbrellas.

Among the three subsidiaries, there are four part-time and two full-time employees, in addition to Taylor, who is president, and her partners. "We've grown in a slow and steady fashion," Taylor says. "We're in this for the long haul." Combined sales for all three companies jumped from $130,000 in 1998--their first year of business--to more than $480,000 in 2000.

"We're shooting for the million-dollar mark in 2001," Taylor says, adding that while She Plays Sports isn't the only apparel company out there trying to woo the female market, it has a strong and unique identity.

"We have a wide variety of 'soft goods' [meaning apparel] for the female athlete, including a line of clothing with inspirational sayings," Taylor says. She and her partners have come up with dozens of sayings that can be found on everything from soccer shirts to softball tops.

"Ain't Nothin' Soft About The Way I Play!" is available on a softball shirt. "Don't Just Set Goals, Score Them!" is emblazoned on a girl's soccer shirt. Other expressions include "Maybe You Should Just Bunt!" and "Only The Strong Survive!" The company web site offers a wide array of sports apparel, including sports-themed hair scrunchies. In addition, amateur teams from around the world have come to Taylor's company for custom-made uniforms.

"We just recently designed basketball uniforms for a girls' team in Malaysia," Taylor says. "Having a web site truly makes us an international company."

As president of She Plays Sports, Taylor "wears a lot of hats," as she puts it. "My job is all about building relationships. I handle marketing; I meet with coaches; I work with buyers; and I work with uniform designers," she says. "It's a very hands-on operation, and every day is different."

-Nicole Pensiero