Words of Wisdom from Women in Sport (don't worry, the wisdom is just being relayed through me, it's not me coming up with it)

I have been playing tennis for six years and looking back, I was often the only girl on court. I remember a couple camps, or a couple sessions of academy when other girls would come out and join in, but over time they stopped playing and only I remained. Now, when I head on court it is a different picture. There is a group of girls playing tennis consistently! I have even seen lessons that have had more girls than boys! For me, this is an exciting trend.

You’re maybe wondering why I am thinking about this now. This week I had the opportunity to attend a Women in Athletics conference in Augusta, Georgia. This conference consisted of a group of eight panelists and a key note speaker all of who have excelled in sports. Not just in athletic competition - seven of the eight were collegiate athletes - but also in their perspective jobs all in the sports field. As a girl who wants a career in athletics, this was an exciting day for me. 

Myself and other athletes talking to Coach Sue Patberg (on Left)

As an aspiring tennis coach, I was even more excited to discover that there would be a coach speaking at the event. Sue Patberg, who has had 19 years of head coaching experience in soccer. It was even more exciting when she sat down at the table I was sitting at and I had the opportunity to pick her brain before she even spoke for the panel.  (This for me was the Law of Attraction in action and if you haven’t read The Secret I recommend you give it a read). My most burning question, as boring and obvious of a question it may seem, was how she got into coaching. I had this thought that as a woman, it must be harder to earn a coaching position; I do not see that many female coaches. However, her response disproved that thought. She said, “This career literally fell into my lap, I didn’t really do anything.”

I could have seen this as there being a million jobs out there and therefore Sue did not have to work to find a job. Of course this isn't true. Maybe it appeared this career just fell into her lap since athletic directors from some of the top schools in the country (athletic directors from Colorado College and the University of Georgia to name a few) contacted her asking if she would be interested in coaching at their institutions. Athletic Directors from the top schools do not contact you unless they know who you are, and if they know who you are you must have an impressive resume. For Sue, this was true. She had a four year collegiate soccer career at the University of Massachusetts, had been on the United States National B team, and had coaching experience from working at soccer camps. She gained all this experience before she even graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. This shows she was qualified for these positions. Sue argued that she was a product of her time, finishing college when equality for women in collegiate athletics was high. Even though, there were still many women who were looking for these jobs, and Sue had earned them. 

The Panelists!

All the panelists had similar stories. Their jobs all “fell into their laps.” However, it was easy to see they had to work to reach these careers, but following something they loved never seemed like work to them. From hearing their stories, I took away some awesome points from the day. Commonalities that all led these women to success. Some of my favourites I listed below. Don’t worry boys, these apply to you to!

• You never know who is watching you. Carry yourself on the court in a way that shows off who you are. You never know who is watching. It could be your future boss, coach, or colleague. People notice you even when you don’t realise it.

• Networking. By the end of the conference this was all I could think about. The world of collegiate sports is small. Everyone knows everyone. So when you meet someone it is important to get their information and stay in contact. Send them updates, see what may be available to you. You never know, it could lead you to an internship, scholarship, or career. 

• Be willing to work for free. We often think that we need money and we need it now. Unfortunately, those hiring are often looking for experience and if you’re young you probably do not have much. When starting in a field you have to be willing to work for free. That means volunteer coaching on weekends, or volunteering at a gym, or a physical therapy clinic. The experience and the connections you form by doing these types of jobs will be invaluable when looking for future work. All the panelists had worked for free at some point and all of them now have successful jobs that spurred from those experiences. 

• Do what you love. If you’re in a career that you love, you will never realise that you’re working. All of these women love their jobs; many have made sacrifices for their work, but none of them regretted it. In some cases, these women made careers for themselves, creating jobs that didn’t exist before. Find something you want to do and pursue it. If you keep working at it, it will work out.

Me talking to Kristi Dosh after her key note address 

This conference was an inspiring experience for me. It is exciting to know how many women have succeeded in a field that often seems primarily open to men. It showed me that this is a viable career option for me. It is even more exciting to know this for when I come home and see that group of girls who are playing tennis on a regular basis. I know not all of them are interested in careers in sports, but it is great to know that if they want to that option is there for them to pursue.