SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ On a 750-acre cattle ranch near the tiny town of Likely, Kayte Christensen grew up as a "very active child" _ running, jumping, shooting basketballs, you name it.
"I played every sport you can think of," said the former WNBA player and current Kings broadcaster. "I played sports because there was nothing else to do. I was really competitive and sports gave me an identity."
As a gangly girl, the 6-foot-2 basketball player was a self-proclaimed "tomboy," although no one would call her that now.
"The word 'tomboy' had a different connotation then," Christensen said. "It didn't have the same stigma on it that it does now. It was empowering in a way."
Now, "tomboy" is primarily a put-down, a term meant to discourage girls from playing sports and "acting like boys."
Christensen is featured in "Tomboy," a new hour-long documentary produced by Comcast SportsNet California. Through first-person interviews, "Tomboy" explores the obstacles young girls encounter in sports, including stereotypes, language issues and cultural disparities. Its title strikes through the word "tomboy" to emphasize an end to its use.
"I feel for young girls now," Christensen said. "It's really saddening to me to see what young girls face these days. There's so much pressure from social media, telling girls what they should look like, that they should be into selfies and makeup instead of something physical."
Christensen was among the first of 30 female athletes, present and former, as well as advocates for women's sports, to be interviewed by producer Sean Maddison, who was inspired by his daughter's experience. As part of Women's History Month, the documentary is being rolled out across the nation on NBC Sports regional networks, premiering locally Friday on CSN Bay Area.
"Almost everyone we talked to wanted to be involved," said executive producer David Koppett. "We hope to generate discussion and get people to think about things they never thought about before. Parents can watch this with their children who play sports and talk about it with them.
"Tomboy has become a pejorative term," he added. "There's a difference in the way boys and girls are treated. The goal is to think about it."
Ranging from tennis immortal Billie Jean King to pioneering Little League pitcher Mo'ne Davis, the documentary explores sports' impact on their lives as well as the meaning of "tomboy."
"Semantics are powerful; you've got to remember that," King said during the documentary. "I didn't like being called a tomboy. I hated it. What do you call a boy who's athletic? I just happened to be a girl."
Title IX, the 1972 landmark federal act, ushered in many more opportunities for girls to play school sports. But 45 years later, only one in four girls is getting enough physical activity to be healthy, according to the Women's Sports Foundation.
"There are girls who are dropping out (of sports) because they're too worried about what people are saying about them," Christensen said during the documentary.
Christensen, 36, appreciates the power of both sports and words in her career. The former pro athlete works two broadcasting jobs: Kings sideline reporter for CSN California and radio co-host of "The Drive" morning show on KHTK 1140.
"I get up at 4 a.m., get to the radio station by 4:45, on the air at 6," she said. "I'm off air at 9 a.m., but then I have all my Kings stuff."
Which means most game nights, she's not back home until midnight.
"I knew this season would be difficult, but exhausting," she added. "I would like to know what it's like to get more than three hours sleep."
Her family still lives in the northeastern corner of California in Modoc County on its ranch at the base of the Warner Mountains.
"We're 14 miles from the nearest town; that's Likely (population 63)," she said. "The way we were raised, I am so grateful to this day. I wouldn't be the person I am today without that experience."
Modoc High School, her alma mater, was 35 miles away in Alturas. Her freshman math teacher put together a traveling AAU team that allowed Christensen to play basketball _ and open doors.
"He had played college football and he understood what it took to get there," she recalled. "Our team traveled and played. The whole community got behind us, raised money to support our team. It was the only means I could go and get a college scholarship."
At UC Santa Barbara, Christensen became 2002 Big West Conference Player of the Year and a two-time Kodak Academic All-American while earning a degree in classical civilizations. Professionally, she played for the Phoenix Mercury, Houston Comets and Chicago Sky during six WNBA seasons in addition to international teams in Turkey, South Korea, Russia and Greece.
As a broadcaster, she's now hitting her stride on NBA sidelines and, she noted, as a role model for other sports-loving young girls.
"You learn so much from sports," Christensen said. "You learn so many skills for off the court, like leadership, working with a team, being self-sufficient. In sports, you never reach your full potential. Sports give you a sense of purpose and a chance for improvement; you get better every day.
"Sports are so important for people," she added. "Now that I cover them for a living, it drives that fact home even more."
