At the BreakThrough Summit, hosted by Hudl and WeCOACH in December 2019, we heard from game-changing women in sports. From pro athletes and head coaches, to directors and communication specialists, they all had important messages to convey.
There were presentations on the power of communication (which lead to Betsy Butterick being covered in PB&J), and panels around leading greatness. And it was next to impossible to leave the one-on-ones with Jill Ellis and Holly Warlick without feeling inspired and empowered.
These remarkable leaders expressed what it means to show up as a woman in a male-dominated industry. And they gave us the rundown on how to foster a culture that paves the way for younger women to build on.
You don't want to miss it. Registration is now open for the free digital BreakThrough Summit 2020 December 14-15. (Did we mention it’s free?)
If I can see her, I can be her.
Young girls and boys need to see women being successful coaches and leaders. Only 41% of women’s collegiate teams are coached by women, and only 28% of youth sports coaches are women.
So, what does it take to support, develop and empower women in sports? We have to ensure we’re keeping women in the game. As former Tennessee basketball coach Holly Warlick explained, we have to trust women, take care of each other and continue to give young women the opportunity that someone once gave to us.
Pave the way.
Not only is mindset important for a leader, but so is the environment that a leader creates. As we continue to see a rise in women's leadership, we must foster environments that they can evolve and develop in.
Take it from one of the greatest leaders in sports: Jill Ellis refined her mindset around leadership into three pillars that ultimately put her on a path to success:
The power of connection. Understand they're not just athletes, but they are real people who also experience the ups and downs of life.
The intention of direction. You have to know where you’re going, and have courage to make decisions to help get you to that point.
The ability to reflect. It takes learning from every experience—the good and bad—to evolve as a leader. “If I’m the same leader today as I was two years ago, I’m failing.” (Jill Ellis)
Persist for something bigger.
There’s no hiding the unique pressures women in sports face, especially when you’re one of the trailblazers. We heard from Charmelle Green, Penn State Sr. Associate AD and WeCOACH Board President, on what it’s like to be the first. “Being the first is exhausting. When I made the decision to go to the University of Utah I didn’t realize I was going to be the only Black woman who was a student-athlete on that campus. [...] That’s exhausting because you bear the burden of being the success story.” But with more and more women advocating for each other, it doesn’t have to be a burden carried alone.
“The opportunity and the responsibility with being first is to ensure you’re not the last, and so you have to make decisions to be a vocal advocate” said Dr. Jen Welter. This resiliency and persistence is key to the success of women in sports.
"The opportunity and the responsibility with being first is to ensure you're not the last, and so you have to make decisions to be a vocal advocate."
Join the conversation.
We’re committed to changing the landscape for women in sports, from pay inequality and gender stereotyping, to objectification and lack of representation.Register now for BreakThrough Summit 2020 to learn how every coach, administrator, leader and decision-maker can be a change maker for current and future women in sport. Let’s set the pace together.
