Top 5 Female and their Achievements in Sports
“Any time you take a non-traditional path there are going to be bumps in the road because nobody smoothed them out yet” — Dr. Jen Welter
Some women might say that they have it tough at their job place, but working on a traditionally male-dominated sport industry, that’s a different story. Working in a one of the most competitive work field has their challenges, specially being a female. In the past years some woman are trying to change the fact that some sports fields are underrepresented by women.
More women, who are highly skilled, well educated and passionate for the sport and have been stepping up their game which has led them to make history in the sport industry. Woman like Eva Carneiro, Jen Welter, Sarah Thomas, Violet Palmer and Sue Falsone have what I considered my top 5 females who have achieved so much in the sport industry. Each of these women have worked hard to gain the respect of their fellow coworkers and the industry itself. This women also have prepared for the challenges that they knew that they would faced once inside the field.
These women need as much as respect as the athletes they work for. More opportunities are given to women to become leaders in the sport industry. This 5 women took every opportunity given to accomplished where they are now. Just as referee Dr. Jen Welter and Violet Palmer were not intimidated by the man in the industry, they created their own opportunities and become the first women ever to hold a traditionally male-dominated position.
Dr. Eva Carneiro
(Picture by mirror.co.uk)
NAME: Dr. Eva Carneiro
SPORT & TEAM: Soccer / Futbol — Chelsea F.C. (2009–2015)
POSITION/CAREER: Team doctor and sports medicine specialist
EDUCATION: Dr. Carneiro studied medicine at Nottingham University before training and working in A&E and surgery in Scotland and Australia.
ACCOMPLISHMENT: According to the official Chelsea F.C. page, Dr. Carneiro was promoted from working with the Chelsea FC Reserve team squad to work with the first team at the start of the 2011–12 season.
CHALLENGES: Once at a match, Dr, Carneiro became a victim of sexism and verbal assault. While a full amount of male fans grossly and offensive chanted insults to her, just because she was a woman. Later on her career at Chelsea F.C. she had some conflicts with the head coach, which lead her to quit from her position.
Dr. Jen Welter
(Picture by arizonasports.com)
NAME: Dr. Jen Welter
SPORT & TEAM: Football (NFL) — Cardinals
POSITION/CAREER: Coach
EDUCATION: Welter graduated from Boston Collegeand has a master’s degree in Sport psychology and a PhD in psychology from Capella University, an online, higher education institution in Minneapolis, Minnesota .
ACCOMPLISHMENT: Welter became the first Football Coach in the National Football League (NFL). Before becoming the first NLF coach, according to Elite Daily, Welter became the second female player to hold a position other than a kicker or placekick holder for a men’s professional league.
CHALLENGES: From her stature and gender Welter had challenges coming however, with her determination she was able to accomplish her dream. Welter in aninterview with elitedaily she mention “Any time you take a non-traditional path there are going to be bumps in the road because nobody smoothed them out yet”
Violet Palmer
(Picture by ESPN)
NAME: Violet Palmer
SPORT & TEAM: Basketball (NBA)
POSITION/CAREER: Referee
EDUCATION: Palmer attended college at Cal Poly Pomona, where she played point guard on the 1985 and 1986 NCAA Division II women’s championship teams. In 2001, Palmer established Violet Palmer’s Official Camp to train youths in the art of officiating games. The camp runs annually from July 9 to July 11. In 2010, Palmer was part of a family team on the game show Family Feud.
ACCOMPLISHMENT: Back in 1997, she became the first woman to officiate a National Basketball Association game — and the first woman to officiate a major men’s sport at the top professional level. Palmer also became the first woman to officiate an NBA playoff game.
CHALLENGES: In the beginning, Palmer said to abc news, players and coaches openly questioned her competence, and some even objected to her presence outright. But over time, she has earned the respect of both her colleagues and the players.
Sarah Thomas
(Picture by fansided.com)
NAME: Sarah Thomas
SPORT & TEAM: National Football League (NFL)
POSITION/CAREER: Referee
EDUCATION: According tobiograpgy.com Sarah attended the University of Mobile on a basketball scholarship. After graduating from college, Thomas continued to play basketball on a men’s team in a Mississippi church league.
ACCOMPLISHMENT: Sarah Thomas became the first full-time female official in NFL history according to theNFL official website.
CHALLENGES: In an interview with NFL, she mention that throughout her rise through the officiating ranks, Thomas challenges were the ones shared by all new officials: learning the rules, being in the right spot, understanding the mechanics of officiating. But she said she has seldom encountered blowback from players, coaches and other officials, although it seems inevitable that at least a portion of her audience — fans, players and coaches alike — will question whether a woman belongs on a football field.
Sue Falsone
(Picture by aweekly.com)
NAME: Sue Falsone
SPORT & TEAM: Baseball (MBL) — Los Angeles Dodgers
POSITION/CAREER: Head athletic trainer
EDUCATION: Sue received a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Daemen College in Amherst, New York. She continued her education by earning a master’s degree in human movement science, with a concentration in sports medicine, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
ACCOMPLISHMENT: According to LA weekly Falsone was named head athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers — the first woman to hold that title in any professional sports league. Falsone also served as Head of Athletic Training and Sport Performance with US Soccer’s Men’s National Team.
CHALLENGES: In Falsone’s case, she says “I had an unbelievable experience…The [players] were absolutely nothing but respectful. The coaches were fantastic; the management was great. [My gender] was just a nonissue.”
