Women’s Athletics Excellence Event
4/27/2023 12:50:00 PM | General
Monday evening in the Fawcett Center, nearly 200 Ohio State women student-athletes and staff gathered for the inaugural Women's Athletics Excellence Event. The event, planned and executed by Ohio State Department of Athletics staff in support of the women student-athletes, was a night of networking and learning.
After dinner and a time to socialize, the programming started with a welcome and a keynote speech, followed by breakout sessions, with each attendee choosing two topics to focus on.
Angie Bennett, vice president-sales and senior instructor at Dardis Communications, was the keynote speaker and hosted breakout sessions.
A few key themes emerged throughout the night – relationships are important across every area of life, women must be informed and feel empowered to make decisions and to stay true to your values while building your personal brand.
At the end of the evening, each attendee went home with an officially licensed Script Ohio necklace made by Stone Armory.
Coca-Cola supported the Women's Athletic Excellence Event by providing funds for the speakers and donating beverages for the evening, with the dinner provided by Roosters.
The Breakout Sessions
Bennett's workshop was on managing your brand and included topics on first impressions and building connections.
Dr. Maggie Doe, head team physician for Ohio State Athletics and a family and sports medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, spoke on women's health, with a focus on the transition to living a healthy life after sport.
Sonia Brinkman, who played tennis for the Buckeyes and is now a wealth advisor at CI Budros Ruhlin Roe Private Wealth, presented on financial planning for women and topics relevant for student-athletes both in college and post-college as they take control of their finances and all that entails.
A coaches panel, focused on leadership lessons learned, featured four Ohio State head coaches – Jen Flynn Oldenburg (women's volleyball), Rosalind Joseph (men's and women's track and field), Kate Sweeney (women's rowing) and Lori Walker (women's soccer). Siobhan St. John, assistant spirit coach/head event coordinator, moderated the panel. The group talked about a range of topics, from their career paths to tips for a successful job interview.
Student-Athlete Introduces New Student Organization
Olympic gold medalist Emma Maltais, who recently completed an All-American career with the Ohio State women's ice hockey team, addressed the attendees about an organization for women student-athletes that is being established at Ohio State.
"The event was a really great way for the women of Ohio State Athletics to come together and celebrate each other," Maltais said. "We got to discuss and learn more about topics related to being a woman in sport, and I had a great time in the sessions I attended. It was also exciting to launch the student organization Athletes Voices Amplified, which will be a space that educates student-athletes on developing a voice within our athletic community."
Celebrating 50 Years of Title IX
The Women's Athletic Excellence Event is part of the Ohio State celebration of the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX. Other events have included a kickoff breakfast with a speakers panel, recognition nights at athletic events and a weekly series that highlights key women student-athletes, coaches, staff and women's teams in Ohio State history. 50 Years of Title IX
