The passage of Title IX in 1972 created immense opportunity for girls and women in athletics. Many of these opportunities were provided on college campuses. Prior to Title IX and in the years after, women’s intercollegiate competition was governed by the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). As participation and involvement in intercollegiate athletics grew, a small group of women advocated for the inclusion of women’s collegiate sports within the NCAA.
This group of women, led by Judie Holland of UCLA and Barbara Hedges of the University of Southern California, formed the Council of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (CCWAA) in 1979. The organization’s continued advocacy in the early 1980s helped navigate the transition of women’s intercollegiate competition from the AIAW to the NCAA. In the 40 years since this transition, opportunities for women have continued to expand in all levels and sectors of sport and recreation.
With the expansion of opportunities, what began as the CCWAA has continually grown and evolved several times, most recently in September 2023 when the organization transitioned from Women Leaders in College Sports to Women Leaders in Sports. Coinciding with the new name and expanded reach, UISRM announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that will see the program sponsor current-student memberships to the organization. These memberships are made possible through the UISRM community’s financial support of the program and its students through contributions to the UI Center for Advancement.
Current UISRM faculty member and Women Leaders in Sport member, Kate Wakenight (BA Health and Sports Studies 2008 and MA UISRM 2012), has this to say of the partnership:
Women Leaders in Sports champions every woman who rises in the field. It is a motivational and inspirational organization full of likeminded women who are all pushing the glass ceiling in the industry. The organization offers leadership development, career training, and assistance in building a network of highly successful people who can help women along their journey in the industry. We are so lucky that generous donations from alumni and others to UISRM allows us to fund scholarships for some of our students to join Women Leaders in Sport and see what is possible. From attending some of their conferences in the past, I can attest that you leave the sessions feeling like you can help change the world and are ready to bring new ideas back to your home organization.
In the first year of the partnership, UISRM is ecstatic to offer 27 current students their initial membership to Women Leaders in Sport, at no cost to the students. These recipients are:
Caitlin Crome | Bailey Ortega | Lily Fournier | Anna Lewis | Emma Cooper |
Olivia Gehrke | Ashley Stinocher | Mia Clark | Giana Spilotro | Jane Teuber |
Marayah Pate | Grace Clouser | Molly Rygh | Kaylyn King | Jaecee Hall |
Cara Burns | Erin Morgenthaler | Heidi Draisey | Paola Pastrana | Sam Longo |
Elizabeth Krebs | Hannah Frazier | Maya Shindel | Paige Buikema | Laney Fitzpatrick |
| Megan Phelan |
| Morgan Gerst |
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Two recipients of membership have this to say about what Women Leaders in Sport has provided them in just a few short months of membership:
Molly Rygh (ex. MA 2024): I have found great value in the Circle Calls from Women Leaders in Sports, where experienced professionals share their experiences and focus on various topics. The call I listened to gave me some great takeaways in working with my superiors through productive communication expectations and collaborative suggestions. The Career Connect platform was also helpful as I searched for my first job!
Emma Cooper (BS 2022, ex. MA 2024): Women Leaders in Sports has allowed me to connect with so many supportive women in the male-dominated world of football that I am in. I have gained an immense amount of insight through various Circle Calls that have helped me navigate my career journey. I am looking forward to the upcoming WLS Mentorship program where I will continue to build deeper connections with high-level professionals!
Anna Jensen, UISRM Director, Office of Field Experience, first attended an event with the organization as a graduate student in 2013. Named the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administers at the time, Anna had this to say:
I did not know it at the time, but I was building out a tool chest from which I continue to draw as I assist future leaders lay their own foundation for a career in sports. I hear from current students on campus how refreshing it is to be among peers who are experiencing or have overcome systemic challenges unique to women in sports. I look forward to developing an even stronger group of exemplary leaders among our students, capable and motivated of leading everyone in their organization.
The gifted memberships for those 27 students have allowed us to build on-campus awareness to engage even more women beyond that group through the Hawkeye Sport Business Association and a designated special interest group for Women in Sports. We have seven events planned for the last half of the spring 2024 semester and welcome anyone interested to join us! Follow the @Hawkeye_SBA on Instagram to learn more about meeting updates, ways to get involved, and see the accomplishments of these members. Alumni interested in engaging with this group can email anna-jensen@uiowa.edu.
Thank you to the UISRM community for your generosity and unlocking the benefits of Women Leaders in Sports to the inaugural beneficiaries of the partnership. The program looks forward to following the achievements of all recipients in the months to come. Furthermore, UISRM aims to maintain the partnership for the benefit of future recipients for years to come.
It is easy to give to UISRM through the One Day for Iowa initiative. Any amount is greatly appreciated and will go directly to supporting the unique, experience-based education that UISRM provides its students. Please reference the newsletter landing page for ways to maximize your generosity on One Day for Iowa.