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Are you a devoted basketball fan who dreams of working as a sports reporter? Or maybe you're a baseball devotee who wants to work in your favorite team's front office? If you're a woman who wants to explore a career in sports, there are more opportunities available now than ever before.
Improved Outlook
"Overall, it's certainly better for women trying to get into sports jobs, and it's improving," says Becky Heidesch, CEO of Women's Sports Services, LLC, a career development and diversity recruiting company for the sports industry, and its subsidiary, Women Sports Jobs. "Years ago, you could walk into the front offices of any sports organization and not see any women. But many male-dominated industries are harder for women [to break into], and this is no different."
Heidesch, whose clients include the Executive Women's Golf Association, the Association of Women in Sports Media and NBC Sports, is finding that many more companies are actively seeking female employees. "The interest and volume of calls related to women and minority hiring has probably gone up at least 200 percent in the last year and a half," she says.
More Women Are Breaking into Sports Media
The increased interest in hiring is reflected in some sports-related industries, but not all. In sports media, the record is mixed. The Association for Women in Sports Media reports that in 1991, fewer than 50 women were working as sportscasters out of 630 affiliate stations. According to USA Today, three major networks and nine cable networks employed 127 women in on-air sports positions in 2003.
At newspapers nationwide, the percentage of women in sports departments rose from 6 percent in 1991 to 13 percent in 2001, according to the Associated Press Sports Editors Association. However, just two of 50 newspaper sports departments surveyed had a woman working as sports editors, and the Associated Press Sports Editors Association, itself, has only 24 female members out of 641 members total.
Room for Improvement
Dr. Richard Lapchick's 2003 Racial and Gender Report Card found that sports organizations overall were lagging behind in minority and female hiring. Published by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the report card is considered to be the definitive assessment of hiring practices in professional and amateur sports in the United States. Lapchick's report found that of all the men's professional leagues, the National Basketball Association (NBA) had the best record for hiring women and minorities. The NBA has 13 female league office vice presidents and one female team president, and 29 percent of team senior administrative posts are held by women. College sports made the greatest overall gains, although only 45 percent of college coaching positions are held by women. When it came to gender-based hiring practices, the National Football League, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer received low ratings.
Entry-Level Opportunities
How can more women break into sports careers? Would-be candidates should look for internships and other opportunities that allow them to build stronger resumes with direct sports-industry experience. These opportunities are expanding, according to Bob Fiala, managing director of human resources for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a voluntary association of 1,200 colleges and universities, athletic conferences and sports organizations devoted to the administration of intercollegiate athletics.
At the NCAA's corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, 62 percent of the employees are women. And the NCAA has an active women and minorities internship program that Fiala says "provides women with the opportunity to build skills and gain experience." He advises women who are interested in sports careers to go for internships not only to gain experience but also to expand their networks within the industry to become more desirable candidates.
Learn More About Sports Careers
To get more information about pursuing a sports career, check out these organizations:
