Prepatory Assignment #1- The topic that I will be researching is women in sports. With the question of "In what way will the increase of women in sport related jobs impact the future of a league?" This was an interesting topic for me because I am placing myself in a sports community. I overall want to be an impactful member of the sports community and I believe that being a women should have an affect on my job opportunities in the future. I came up with my research question by thinking about something that could closely relate to me. This question is important because in the jobs today, women are still bring paid less than their male co-workers and are lacking as representatives of high ranked jobs. I plan to look up interviews with women as sports reporters, analyst and more. I also plan to find a women that works in the FSU athletic department or for any sports related job and speak with them about their experiences getting to where they are today. Whats missing in my research is facts, I need numbers to support my questioning of women in sports and documented response from the males that are around them.
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Peer Review
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Not too long ago she was in the hallway of her high school, now she’s in the school of her dreams. When she received the acceptance letter she called her mom who was at work and said, “I did it”, letting both of their emotions flow out over the phone. There was no doubt that she would be in Tallahassee in the fall and all other acceptances were quickly out the window. The tradition of Florida State is nothing new to her because her Mother attended FSU also and has instilled a love for the school at early age. At the first game, she described having a rush of emotions go through her September 23, it was her first game.
Lyric’s home away from Tallahassee is in a small town called Rockledge. Rockledge is located on Florida’s east coast. As she says the town name it may not ring a bell, but it is ten minutes away from Cocoa Beach and about 15 minutes away from Kennedy Space Center. The drive to Tallahassee is only four hours away and she can easily go home during holidays and breaks. You can usually find her in the CARE lab with her friends during the week and on the road on the weekend with her Jeep she calls “Elle”. She’s a member of Sports Management Student Association and attends meetings there every Monday in the stadium. The love of sports came at a young age from her parents but mostly her Mom. LeBron James a family favorite and Payton Manning.
Many new friends have been made at the school since she’s been here and they will be for sure lifelong friends too. Even though she lives in a dorm on campus, she said it is “better than most” compared to some stories she has heard about weird roommates and old dorms. The experience has been good so far and she is glad she lived on campus for the first year. The private bathroom she has is seen as a luxury to others in her dorm. Every time she goes back home to her own bedroom she never takes it for granted. Next year she will be in an apartment. Will she miss it? She says no, but she knows that the memories will always be there and she’ll have stories to tell.
Even though she has only been here for summer, spring and currently doing fall she is already classified as a sophomore and plans to graduate early and attend grad school. Her current major is Sports Management and is planning to minor in communications.
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Annotated Bibliography Draft #2
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Adidas Company. “Learning From the Journey With ESPN’s Maria Taylor” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x_58u7UQnI, 2017
This video was uploaded on YouTube on the Adidas brand’s channel. Maria Taylor is the speaker and she is the first African American women to work on College Game Day on ESPN. She talks about finding “her purpose throughout her journey and having an athlete like mentality” in the sports business, especially as a woman. The source is credible because Adidas is a well-known sports brand and uses their platform to represent those in the sports world. The video relates to my research topic because it deals with Taylor’s experiences in the field due to her being a woman and the role she has currently in ESPN and it proves that progress is slowly being made especially when she was hired.
In the video, she talks about her inner struggle with always worrying about how she looked on television instead of focusing on the interviewer. As she interviewed Quinten Flower, a University of South Florida Quarterback, she realized that nothing was about her anymore after she heard his tragic story. “A dream deferred is a failure to follow through”, with this quote she explains that when one faces bumps in the road that those mistakes made can be turned into something good. It be a life lesson and won’t matter in a few months from now.
Compared to the article written by Simmons it has similar opinions on the advancement of women in the sports industry. Taylor talks about how more women will be in the industry and it will continue to grow and Simmons article supports that. The tone of Taylors speech is encouraging compared to Simmons’ article, which is mostly factual. Both sources help get a better understanding of what’s going inside the world of sports.
Simmons, Katie. “Women in Top Management Positions in the Sport Industry: Breaking Down the Barriers and Stereotypes.” St. John Fisher College Fisher Digital Publications, 10 Aug. 2011, fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=sport_undergrad.
This article discusses women working within the sports and the progress that is being made, if any. The source is by Katie Simmons who is a professor at St. John Fisher College. She states for her thesis that “Even with the advancement that women have made throughout history, very few women have risen to the top of sports organizations” and depending on who is writing this view can change. The article is credible because it is written by a professor at a college and likely peer reviewed by others.
In the source, she talks about women trying to break down barriers and stereotypes everyday within our lives. Women work hard not do become housewives but to achieve the job of their dreams and provide for their families with their partners. “The number of women working as managers has been increasing, but they are continued to be outnumbered by men about 1.5 to 1 by men.” This quote explains the kinds of problems that women face when trying to move up the ladder in the workforce, men always have steps ahead.
`Compared to the article by Sanyin, Simmons believes that women are not progressing in the sports business and have major setbacks that she can’t see to go away in the future. Ultimately, she disagrees with the main points of the source
Siang, Sanyin. “Change Is Happening for Women in the Sport Industry.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Sept. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/sanyin-siang/change-is-happening-for-w_b_3949493.html.
It Is true, change is happening in the sports industry. This article is about the advancement of sport in the range of gender equality. In a male dominated field this change can bring diversity to the workplace and help bring in more women into the sports world as fans. The author brought in a lot of information regarding the “changing perceptions of women in sport with the images that we see” and how women are a growing fan base that can’t be stopped. This article is credible because the author is the executive director of Coach K’s leadership center at Duke University. Siang agrees the industry is changing and she believes it can continue to grow and provide more opportunities for women.
The growth in the number of female fans is proven because the New York Yankees sell more women’s merchandise than any other products in its shops. Ads on television are reaching out to more to the men, women are now a strong group companies want to target. Also, sports teams around the world are seeing more women in the front office of franchises than ever before.
To put this in conversation with the article by Simmons, it disagrees with the progress made by women in the past decade. This article says that women are advancing in the sports world and now sooner than later
Campbell, Rich. “The Expanding Role of Women in the Sports Business.” The Balance, www.thebalance.com/career-opportunities-for-women-in-sports-business-3113255.
This source is from a website called the balance. The Balance is a financial and news source that has a low bias. It has been used about other articles. “the recent hiring activity for coaching positions in professional sports has included some noteworthy hires.” One of the main people she talks about is Becky Hammon who is the first female to be hired as a full-time assistant for the NBA. The author is Rich Campbell who has experience in the sports industry for over 20 years.
The source is about sports teams and the women that have hired over the past years and the roles that they have. “Jen Welter, is the first female on field coach hired by the Arizona Cardinals.” However, the position that Jen received is not permanent, it is a limited in time and towards the lower position. It is a step forward but also not enough that needs to be offered.
This article written by Rich agrees with the Sanyin article. They both agree that the progress of women being made is coming around. However, Saying’s article doesn’t mention any obstacle that women are facing currently.
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Campbell, Rich. “Sports Business Watch: Women in Sports Media.” The Balance, www.thebalance.com/sports-business-watch-women-in-sports-media-3113262.
This source is also from the news site called The Balance. The Balance is a credible source because the writers are always experienced and The Balance is a well-known site that provide information among news reporters and they share information among each other to state facts within the article to provide the best source.
Women are being shorted with the job opportunities that they receive by sport agencies. So, when the time comes to hire more women, the positions are limited and the demand is high. Women today should have more credentials than most men to even be looked at for a job. For example, Pam Oliver who is a well-known reporter and was replaced by Erin Andrew for the top NFL reporting’s. Women in this industry shouldn’t be going against each other but helping with their careers.
In conversation, this article agrees with the other article written by Simmons which discussed both the pros and cons of experiences that women face while in this industry. With this article, the author comes across subtle but with good facts to back up their facts and opinions towards the situation of women within the industry.
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Introduction
The sports industry continues to grow every day and the events surrounding sports become bigger. The behind the scene roles are just as important as the sport itself. Men have been the at the forefront of sports business since the start. My research question asks, “what role do women have in the rise of sports business?” With this I can interpret from my research and talking to others the idea behind giving women the hand in the sports business. I foresee myself working in the same industry and this research will help me find my own identity as a woman in sports.
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Final Paper Link-
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Lyric White ` White Page 1
Maddie Kahl
ENC 2135
March 1st, 2018
Everyone in my family played sports except for one person and that was me. Overtime, I learned the importance of sports and knew that not only was it a major event, but it brought together everyone no matter who it is. Since I wasn’t too good at playing it, I decided to use my knowledge in a different way. Sport management called my name once I got to FSU and till this day I am working on classes to get my degree. The sports industry continues to grow every day and the events surrounding the sports generates new fans each year and the projected value for the sports industry in 2019 is expected to reach 73.5 billion dollars (Heitner). The unbelievable numbers are the motivation behind the peak of hires of all positions within this industry. I foresee myself working in the industry and want to know “what role do women have in the rise of sports business?” With this research, I can help others understand their direct effect on the topic of sport business. The increase of women becoming interested in sports and watching games have shot up in the past five years (Siang). Now many companies are changing their agendas to bring in a diverse audience.
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In the past couple of years’ major teams have been hiring women for big time roles within the leagues. The recent hires go to show that there might be change going on even though sometimes it doesn’t seem like it. For example, the San Antonio spurs hired Becky Hammond, a former WNBA star, as a full time assistant coach in the NBA. In the summer of 2016, Hammond was the first woman to coach the summer league for the Spurs and she did not disappoint as she led them to a championship (Campbell). Her role as the “first” helps inspire others wanting to follow in her footsteps. Hiring more women in the sport workforce can help increase coverage on women sports, which is suffering currently. [WLR1] Women like Aaron Andrews and Pam Oliver have set a good foundation for sport reporting, however there needs to be more. The voices of females are limited within the male dominated environment.
The question of how we can change the lack of women in sports is a good one, but it is up to the top individuals of the network. They know that women are qualified for the job, but they need to implicate the hire to make a difference within the community. In the speech made by up and coming sports commentator Maria Taylor, she talks about her experience with ESPN and getting hired. In the speech, she mentions the backlash she got on the internet when she messed up during her broadcast. The comments include shaming her about being a woman and that she
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was “manly”. Of course, she took those comments with a grain of salt but she expressed her feelings towards young people watching her and reading the backlash that she received and she hoped that it wouldn’t discourage someone watching from doing her job one day. Everyone will receive hate no matter who they are, but the comments towards her looks made her feel as though she had to seem “hot” for men to have interest in watching her and to not lose ratings.
There are leadership summits dedicated to women in the sports industry that brings together thousands of women each year. At the summits, they discuss their role within the industry and share their experiences of good and bad while doing their jobs (Siang). As I started my research I thought about who I could talk to in order to get a better perspective, possibly through the eyes of someone in the sports industry. I’m currently in Sport Management Student Association and I talked to our president Emily and she referred me to Nadia Nixon. Nadia works in the front office right here for FSU football
Not too long ago she was in the classroom in Southern Miss and on the basketball court finishing a dance routine, now she’s working at the school of her dreams after finishing her Masters.
The result of her getting her masters in sport management was because she minored in it during her undergraduate studies. The class sizes changed drastically
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during her transition of Universities. She said she was “in shock” but quickly adjusted to her surroundings. From the football games to the school spirit, she believed she was at the best school in Florida. However, Nadia didn’t have the easiest time getting to graduation. “It was hard but I made it through. I had to learn there was going to be bumps in the road and I had to pray to God to help me get through it”. She was determined to get her Masters, she had gone way too far to stop now. She spoke with her department and did what was best for her. Nadia took a few months off and during that time she took graduate prep classes and used that time to reboot herself. She had to stop putting herself down and push to the end to obtain the degree she has always wanted.
One of the college of Education directors saw her determination and helped her get an internship through the football office. The internship followed her until she graduated. She noticed a job position opened for an administrative assistant. Since she was a familiar face and did her job to the “T” she got the position. This was the first real career within her field and it is the stepping stone to more opportunities and experiences.
I asked Nadia about her experiences and/or opinions on the role(s) that women play in the sports industry. She believes that she personally has a major role in the sports industry and the impact is more important than she thinks. She explains to me that there are two sides to the view. “Many think that women in sports are there for
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the wrong reason. I just go in the job one day at a time and try to focus on my assignment”. As a “rookie” to her position she thinks back on the mistakes she made just out of being nice and how it could be twisted into a wrong way. Football players would flirt with her knowing she’s new. The subtle friendliness she displayed back was out of a way for them to get to know her better, however she knew she had to keep it professional because of what others might think of her. As she told me, she obeys by the quote “good news travels like bad news, it just takes a little longer to get there.” She explains that even though she thinks women are analyzed more than men, women in the sports field can have a major impact on the audience and can benefit the company. Nadia also says that most days she just blends in as everyone else and no one questions anything she does. Working for FSU she says is a great experience and it is a great place to work. Her hope is that in the near future women will be seen equal in not only the sports industry but in every job. She thinks back on the time when she was first making her decision about her major. She remembers her dad briefly questioning her choice because he saw it as too competitive and a job that isn’t easy to find women. Nadia knew her dad was being protective of her, however he was placing the stigmas of the outside world onto his own daughter. Nadia informed her parents that it would be the best decision of her life.
However, not all is bad in the sport world for females. A major effort is happening for women to put out their skills in the sports industry and the lack of
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appearance of women was a mistake for major sport companies. “Women comprise of 47% of ESPN’s viewership” and with the help of statistics it shows that sports are just as interesting for women as for males (Antoniacci). It is also the job of the media which has a huge role in sports change perceptions of women in the sports world by hiring role models and women who have a major impact (Siang). The raise of percentage of women hires can lead to the growth of a fan base and even make changes in the front office of a franchise. An article I found presented an interview with Mia O’ Brien. She is an up and coming sports journalist in Iowa. As she talks to the interviewer she states that “being a female helped in some situations since many companies are trying to diversify their sport staffs”. When asked about if she faced any discrimination when applying to a job she said, “I’ve lost out on plenty of jobs but I haven’t felt like any of the rejections are gender related” (Maciolek). This comes back to the role of women in sports business because it isn’t negative in all situations and companies respect women in the sports field despite a few bad apples. There are many women summits held every year across the world that bring together women of the sports world to offer advice to each other. Even though there is still progress to be made, the work of all dedicated women in the field are making an impact, “women have not only become part of the fan base, but also decision makers, change agents, and major players in the industry as a whole” (Siang).
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To conclude, there have been high achievements that women have made throughout the history of sports that has created a path for many, however “very few have risen to the top of sports organizations” (Simmons, pg.1). The gender stereotype of the type of jobs women shouldn’t have is an effect on women currently working in the industry and perusing a career in the future. Women are doing the best overcoming obstacles set before them such as sayings that women are in the sports business for the wrong reason – impressing a friend or trying to date an athlete. In my interview with Nadia she talks about ignoring the negative talk and perfecting her role as an administrative assistant. This topic can have two different views and can be easily split down the middle, leaning toward points for both sides. By doing this research I am left with an open mind. The sources that I found led me points that I would have never even thought of before. The topic of sports business related to me personally because it is what I would like to do in the future and it is what makes this paper fit to who I am. Despite obstacles women are achieving more than imagined in this industry and I can’t wait to be a part of it.
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. Work Cited Page
Adidas Company. “Learning From the Journey With ESPN’s Maria Taylor” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x_58u7UQnI, 2017
Antoniacci, Mandy. “This Female-Driven Business Model Is in a League of Their Own.” Inc.com, Inc., www.inc.com/mandy-antoniacci/espn-women-business-model.html.
Campbell, Rich. “The Expanding Role of Women in the Sports Business.” The Balance, www.thebalance.com/career-opportunities-for-women-in-sports-business-3113255
Campbell, Rich. “Sports Business Watch: Women in Sports Media.” The Balance, www.thebalance.com/sports-business-watch-women-in-sports-media-3113262.
Maciolek, Faith. “What it's like to be a woman in the sports industry.” The Tab US, 16 June 2016, thetab.com/us/2016/06/16/like-woman-sports-industry-18888.
Nixon, Nadia. Personal interview. 28 January 2018
Siang, Sanyin. “Change Is Happening for Women in the Sport Industry.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Sept. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/sanyin-siang/change-is-happening-for-w_b_3949493.html.
Simmons, Katie. “Women in Top Management Positions in the Sport Industry: Breaking Down the Barriers and Stereotypes.” St. John Fisher College Fisher Digital Publications, 10 Aug. 2011, fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=sport_undergrad
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Research and Rationale
The topic that I will be researching is women in sports. With the question of "What role will women play in the sports industry?" This was an interesting topic for me because I am placing myself in a sports community. I overall want to be an impactful member of the sports community and I believe that being a woman shouldn’t have an effect on my job opportunities in the future. I came up with my research question by thinking about something that could closely relate to me. This question is important because in the jobs today, women are still being paid less than their male co-workers and are lacking as representatives of high ranked jobs. I plan to look up interviews with women as sports reporters, analyst and more. To get a depth inside look into the community, it would be helpful to find documentaries, podcast and interviews from women in the sports world. I also plan to find a woman that works in the FSU athletic department or for any sports related job and speak with them about their experiences getting to where they are today. What’s missing in my research is facts, I need numbers to support my own voice within the paper.
[WLR1]Where are you getting this info from? May need a citation
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