Cardinals Make History

Are you like the vast majority of sports (guys) fanatics that thought you would never hear about or see a Female Coach in the NFL and especially the Cardinals?

Well – you aren’t alone as thousands like the move, there are still those who think there is no room in Men’s pro-sports for a Women.

Over the years women have made huge strides in reaching positions of power and/or influence in almost every other aspect of the business world, they still seem to lack that so-called presence in the executive suites of professional sports.

Depending on who you ask, we still have male chauvinist in the world and they will always be there.

Stacey Allaster (age withheld) the chairperson and CEO of Women’s Tennis Association, recently stated in an interview “I think we need to create the opportunities for women so that they feel that they can aspire to these positions,”

She calls Welland Ontario home and is considered to be one of the most successful women executives in sports.

The former head of Tennis Canada said she felt the added pressures of being a female as she worked her way up the corporate ladder in tennis.

According to the most recent survey by Fortune Magazine, 14.4 per cent of executive officer positions in Fortune 500 companies within the United States were held by women.

Well – Men Move Over and think twice, cause now they are not only in the boardroom, they are working pro sports as officials in  the NBA and Coaching in the NFL.

The NFL Arizona Cardinals hired Jen Welter as an Assistant Coaching intern for training camp and preseason.

She has her masters in Sports Psychology and played 14 seasons of pro football, albeit mostly in the Women’s Football Alliance.

She also is the first  female running back in men’s pro football when she played for the Texas Revolution.

As some thought of the hiring not everyone was positive about her recent career move and many Cardinals fans were tweeting insults at her.

Some openly stated “women don’t belong in football and that hiring her over male candidates “doesn’t make sense.”

Her first paycheck from a professional football team was $12 and it was for a whole season that amounted to a dollar a game – including a championship.

Welter never bothered cashing that check, instead making it a keepsake and inspiration that she still carries around and is safely tucked into a purse and at the press conference this was a topic of discussion at the Cardinals’ Tempe facility.

Regardless of your thoughts, the world is changing and I for one know this first hand having a Daughter that was the first to play minor hockey for North Delta.

It’s all about changing the mindset of individuals who simply don’t like change and I know my Mom understood what my Daughter was going through.

Congrats to Jen on her recent success and who knows – she could be the first Female NFL Head Coach?

Give it some thought? 

Leading Women Power Brokers in Sports

Stacey Allaster

The Canadian-born 47-year-old has been hailed by Forbes Magazine as “one of the most powerful women” in sports. As the chairman and CEO of Women’s Tennis Association, Allaster was instrumental in achieving equal prize money for women tennis players at all four Grand Slam events.

Kim Ng

After nine seasons as vice-president and assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers it is widely accepted that Ng will eventually wind up as baseball’s first female general manager.

That feeling was only bolstered in March when Ng resigned from the Dodgers to accept the job of senior VP for baseball operations at MLB.

Jean Afterman

VP and assistant GM with the New York Yankees and was first hired by the team in 2001 and she quickly established herself in the baseball world.

It was Afterman who led the charge that resulted in the signing of Japanese slugger Hideki Matsui in 2003.

Amy Trask

As chief executive with the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League she is responsible for everything from sponsorships to TV contracts to representing the team at league meetings.

Sports Illustrated (SI) referred to her as “the most powerful woman in the NFL.

Heidi Uberroth

She is the president of international business operations for the NBA, nobody is suggesting Uberroth isn’t deserving of the job.

Her chief responsibility is to try to grow the game abroad which is of critical value to a league where about 10 per cent of $300-million in revenues comes from overseas.