In 2008, when she was named captain of the Denis Sullivan, there were only a handful of women commanding the 100 or so tall ships operating in the United States, Captain Tiffany Krihwan said. Today, she says, women command at least 10% of them.

Kathryn Smith, a special teams quality control coach with the Bills in 2016, was the league's first full-time female assistant coach. "(Schecter's appointment) is just a great example of the league, the club, coaching, people working together to get the right person in the right situation and given the right opportunity," she said.