"Women In Sports Forum" Aims To Connect Young Women With Sports Leaders
DETROIT (WWJ) - The role of women in sports will be the subject of a special event that will take place in downtown Detroit next month.
The 2016 "Women In Sports Forum" will be held at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel on Friday, April 15, 2016. It's a forum that focuses on the increasing and ever-changing role of women in the sports world.
WWJ's Tony Ortiz spoke with event organizer Ashley Baker, who says that while women have made major gains in sports in recent years, there are still a lot of barriers that have to be broken down and overcome.
"There's still some challenges that we're not always welcome in other spaces, and we're limited to those leadership opportunities, so we really have a lot of work to do," Baker said. "We celebrate how far we've come, but know that there's still some barriers that have to be broken down to really give us a place at the table."
Baker says the event will feature a day of inspiring keynotes, thought provoking panel discussions, and interactive work sessions. Featured speakers include Detroit native Jemele Hill, co-host of ESPN2's "His & Hers," Detroit City Councilwoman Janee' Ayers, Mary Ellen Gillespie, director of athletics at Division I powerhouse UW-Green Bay, and Shirelle Jackson, director of student-athlete development at the University of Miami.
The presentations will cover topics such as: life balance, mentorship, diversity, being agents for change, and sports entrepreneurship. A lunchtime keynote address will be followed by an afternoon panel of Sports Management professors discussing how their experiences as former athletes have influenced their research on women in sports. The day will conclude with a networking social that will allow attendees and presenters to connect with one another.
The event is free for high school students, $110 for undergraduate and graduate students and $175 for professionals and community members. It is sponsored by New York City-based sports blog All Sports Everything, the Washington Township, Mich.-based Farmers Insurance agency of Alisha Baker, family-owned sports business, The Pro Shop, located in Detroit's Northwest Activities Center, and Ash B Consulting.
For more information and to register, click here.