sportstyle

July 2021 • 63 sportstylemag.com • sportstyle And biggest challenge? The biggest challenge for a female is cracking into the highest levels of management. As the pool of available talent increases, I hope to see more and more females break glass ceilings. It is encouraging to see firsts in other related industries, like female NFL referees and coaches in male-dominated sports, because it provides examples and encouragement for upcoming talent to keep raising their hand and knocking on doors for new opportunities. This visibility provides glimmers of hope and much-needed inspiration to those that want to be part of the sporting goods industry. On the flip side, what are the advantages? Call it blind ambition or naivety, I just believe in the power of sports and what it means to kids and communities. And the more diversity that fuels the growth of youth sports, the more our kids benefit from unique perspectives in product development, program structures, and ultimately the service of team sports sales leaders like me. What is BSN doing in the effort to bring more diversity to its staff? We have a Women's Professional Development group called WERC (Women Empowering Real Change) that offers a platform to drive similar mentorship, networking and communication among all employees, not just our female professionals, and I value the dedicated effort to continue growing the confidence and drive of women within our company. What do you think you bring to BSN Sports with a woman's perspective? I best contribute to BSN Sports through my experiences over the past 25 years. Having worked for a few world-class organizations, I try to approach business by leveraging all those experiences to sharpen my mindset. Given my unique experience, I've inherently always looked at how we can approach business from a new angle and where occasionally stagnant processes can take positive steps forward. It's very easy to get lost in the day-to-day transactional aspect of our business; however, I have been challenging myself and my team to focus on the long-term, trickledown effects of investing in certain programs and schools. Do you think having a woman in a posi- tion such as yours helps in the business BSN Sports does in girls' sports? Yes! I can't count the number of times I have walked into a female coach's office and had them say, "Thank goodness, we are so glad we have a female contact." Just like our male counterparts, the female coaches and athletes want to be – and deserve to be – recognized. Does that experience impact the way you do business? I aim to treat all my coaches equally well, but the insights and understanding I can provide to address the specific needs of our female athletes helps fill a gap in our industry. While collectively we have gotten better about selling into the women's sports, there is still room to grow. What do you think the industry needs to do to increase female representation in the business of team sports — executives, store owners, road salespeople? The industry would benefit greatly by open- ing their minds to different career backgrounds. I am a prime example of this. Although I played sports through high school, I was no star. I was working towards a degree in German Language and bartending part-time when I was given my opportunity to start in the team sales world — by a female peer I may add. That is not a real common story in the world of team sports. Too many times, this industry limits itself by thinking only those who have been involved in sports are viable candidates. The attributes of success from many realms are transferra- ble to this industry. If we nurture talent, by giving sufficient time and training, I believe we can have a more diverse industry standard. Finally, what advice would you give to any young (or old) women considering following a similar career path in the team sports business? Don't be shy about jumping in. If possible, find a mentor who can help you navigate the waters — I am happy to add my name to that list. But without question, look for opportuni- ties with your head held high and know your voice is needed at the table. n BONUS QUESTION How would you describe the advances in products made specifically for female athletes? We are thankfully long past the days of the shrink-it-and-pink-it mentality around creating women's sports products. Most manufacturers have gotten serious about creating meaningful assortments for female athletes; however, there are still gaps and plenty of room for continued growth. Today's female athlete is bigger, faster and stronger and yet too often height and size thresholds are still forcing our girls to look to men's product. My hope this that there will be continued efforts to expand offerings for these athletes. News, analysis and opinion. From the most experienced editorial staff in the team sports industry. Published first and third Thursday of each month. Sign up for your complimentary subscription today.

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