Women’s Sport Foundation Helps Grow Connections Through Sports
Dec 09 | General
Trio of Scarlet Knights gain valuable experience networking with accomplished women from various sports
The 8th Annual Conference Athlete Leadership Connection hosted by the Women's Sports Foundation featured a who's who collection of talented, accomplished and pioneering women in the sports industry. Competitors at all levels, they came together to address the specific issues that female athletes face while competing in their sport and during their transition from competition to their next professional opportunity.
For a trio of Scarlet Knights, it was the chance of a lifetime to connect with industry leaders, experts and champion athletes this past Fall. Sophomore swimmers Ella Hall and Brooke Thompson, and junior rower Lily Wood were joined by Theresa Ekhelar, a representative from Scarlet Knights For Life, the group that made this and other networking opportunities for Rutgers student-athletes possible.
"I got to meet a lot of great people," said Hall. "Julie Fauci, who played soccer, and Lisa Bluder (former Iowa women's basketball head coach), who was amazing. We got to talk with her. She was like, "it's amazing being in the Big Ten". She said "you get so many opportunities from being in the Big Ten. It was one of the coolest things."
The sheer breadth of accomplished women who participated in the event was moving for Thompson.
"It was an event with a bunch of empowering women that come from many different sports and backgrounds and levels of competitiveness," said Brooke Thompson. "We had Olympians, coaches, student-athletes from other Big Ten schools, student-athletes from other colleges and universities, and that was such an amazing community to be part of. It was awesome."
Thompson found the group of Paralympians especially inspiring as someone who is determined and has worked incredibly hard to overcome the challenges she's faced, not only as a female athlete but also as someone who's hearing impaired.
"What does it mean to be a woman student-athlete, to keep working my hardest and to go against all odds and prove everyone wrong," said Thompson. "Especially being a deaf woman athlete. It was nice seeing there were Paralympians there too. It was a really diverse environment for me, and it made me feel more included and much more powerful than I am."
Hall, Thompson and Wood were able to take part in a panel discussion, network with former coaches and their peers in college athletics as well as be in the audience for several lectures geared at equipping young women with the necessary tools to be successful in life after competition.
"It's a privilege to be a woman in sports and a college athlete," said Hall. "Everyone said the same thing, that being a woman in a college sport is an opportunity that not a lot of people get. You should cherish every moment and everything you do should have a purpose."
Thompson is a business leadership and management major with the aspirations of becoming an athletic director. A career goal that she acknowledges only a small number of women have accomplished.
"I plan on working in the athletic administration, hopefully working my way up to becoming an athletic director one day," said Thompson. "I'm really excited to do that, because the statistics for a female athletic director are very low. I hope to add to that and bring more diversity."
Events like the one hosted by the Women's Sport Foundation and her connection with Scarlet Knights For Life, have Thompson, Hall and Wood well on their way to accomplishing their goals.
"I would go and see your liaison," said Thompson. "The opportunities and experiences they can offer you are so important. It's so helpful for your life and your future careers. I learned so much and gained so much from Scarlet Knights For Life. I would definitely take advantage of that."
Hall is a communication major with a minor in sport management. Her post Rutgers plans are to stay involved in athletics, this time as a sports agent and she shares the same sentiment about taking advantage of the resources provided to student-athletes by Scarlet Knight Knights For Life.
"Take every opportunity they offer you," said Hall. "Whether it's Knight of Networking or a networking event off campus. Any event could lead to a future job, a future career. So, taking every opportunity given and running with it is the most important thing, no matter how big or small."
For a trio of Scarlet Knights, it was the chance of a lifetime to connect with industry leaders, experts and champion athletes this past Fall. Sophomore swimmers Ella Hall and Brooke Thompson, and junior rower Lily Wood were joined by Theresa Ekhelar, a representative from Scarlet Knights For Life, the group that made this and other networking opportunities for Rutgers student-athletes possible.
"I got to meet a lot of great people," said Hall. "Julie Fauci, who played soccer, and Lisa Bluder (former Iowa women's basketball head coach), who was amazing. We got to talk with her. She was like, "it's amazing being in the Big Ten". She said "you get so many opportunities from being in the Big Ten. It was one of the coolest things."
The sheer breadth of accomplished women who participated in the event was moving for Thompson.
"It was an event with a bunch of empowering women that come from many different sports and backgrounds and levels of competitiveness," said Brooke Thompson. "We had Olympians, coaches, student-athletes from other Big Ten schools, student-athletes from other colleges and universities, and that was such an amazing community to be part of. It was awesome."Thompson found the group of Paralympians especially inspiring as someone who is determined and has worked incredibly hard to overcome the challenges she's faced, not only as a female athlete but also as someone who's hearing impaired.
"What does it mean to be a woman student-athlete, to keep working my hardest and to go against all odds and prove everyone wrong," said Thompson. "Especially being a deaf woman athlete. It was nice seeing there were Paralympians there too. It was a really diverse environment for me, and it made me feel more included and much more powerful than I am."
Hall, Thompson and Wood were able to take part in a panel discussion, network with former coaches and their peers in college athletics as well as be in the audience for several lectures geared at equipping young women with the necessary tools to be successful in life after competition.
"It's a privilege to be a woman in sports and a college athlete," said Hall. "Everyone said the same thing, that being a woman in a college sport is an opportunity that not a lot of people get. You should cherish every moment and everything you do should have a purpose."
Thompson is a business leadership and management major with the aspirations of becoming an athletic director. A career goal that she acknowledges only a small number of women have accomplished.
"I plan on working in the athletic administration, hopefully working my way up to becoming an athletic director one day," said Thompson. "I'm really excited to do that, because the statistics for a female athletic director are very low. I hope to add to that and bring more diversity."
Events like the one hosted by the Women's Sport Foundation and her connection with Scarlet Knights For Life, have Thompson, Hall and Wood well on their way to accomplishing their goals.
"I would go and see your liaison," said Thompson. "The opportunities and experiences they can offer you are so important. It's so helpful for your life and your future careers. I learned so much and gained so much from Scarlet Knights For Life. I would definitely take advantage of that."
Hall is a communication major with a minor in sport management. Her post Rutgers plans are to stay involved in athletics, this time as a sports agent and she shares the same sentiment about taking advantage of the resources provided to student-athletes by Scarlet Knight Knights For Life.
"Take every opportunity they offer you," said Hall. "Whether it's Knight of Networking or a networking event off campus. Any event could lead to a future job, a future career. So, taking every opportunity given and running with it is the most important thing, no matter how big or small."
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