For decades, women who have competed in college and professional sports have always found themselves behind the eight ball on many fronts compared to male athletes. The same can be said for females in sport business careers off the field. There are multiple factors at play behind these inequities, but thanks to social media and other modern forms of awareness, there is starting to be some momentum to help lift women in sports onto a more even playing field.

In this episode of the Saint Leo 360 podcast, we feature a recording from a virtual event held on March 30, 2021. This engaging panel discussion focused on women in sports. Panelists included Caitlin Hansen, head coach of the Saint Leo University women's lacrosse team; Emma Crafton, a student-athlete and lacrosse player; and Dr. Dene Williamson, an associate professor of sport business in Saint Leo's Tapia College of Business. Barbara Wilson, the assistant athletic director for sports medicine, served as the moderator. They talked about:

  • The 1999 U.S. women's national soccer team who won the World Cup and how the U.S. women's team winning the championship was a critical moment in helping to bring more awareness to women's sports
  • Inequities in women's sports media coverage, salaries for females in both individual and team sports, and other areas of the sports world compared to their male counterparts
  • The lack of women in front offices of sports franchises and ways to increase these opportunities
  • How female athletes partnering with male athletes has brought more awareness to women in sports
  • How social media has positively impacted women's sports by giving female athletes a platform to be heard

This event was organized by university librarian Doris Van Kampen-Breit and was part of the "Recharge with Reading" initiative, sponsored by Academic Affairs and the Daniel A. Cannon Memorial Library in recognition of National Women's History Month.

Listen Now

Listen to Episode 35 of the Saint Leo 360 podcast on women in sports on the Episode 35 podcast page.

You can also listen and subscribe to the Saint Leo 360 podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and Stitcher. Plus, you can find all of the Saint Leo 360 podcast episodes on the Saint Leo 360 podcast page.

Interested in a career in sport business? Are you a female who would like to be a trendsetter in this industry? Learn more about the BA in sport business degree program offered at Saint Leo University on the sport business program page.