Feature

The Girl in the Office

October 13, 2016

By: Kiersten Briscoe, Sport Administration student at Laurentian University

Catch your attention? Good. Now can I ask if you read the title with a positive or negative connotation? Welcome to my summer a couple of years ago working for a local soccer club.

As a female student studying the business side to sport and growing up playing sports all my life, I have experienced some cringe worthy moments that I would like to share with you today. Why? Because I think they are deserving of a different perspective, some honest advice, and a touch of humor. So here goes my best shot at a quick summary and a how-to-handle as future advice.

Disclaimer: Advice and stories to be taken with a grain of salt. Also I cannot force you to follow my advice so you know, no blaming me. Unless things turn out great, then I will for sure take some credit. You’re welcome.

“The girl in the office”

Some would refer to me in a positive manner in the sense that they couldn’t remember my name or title when talking to others. It’s understandable as I myself am terrible with names. But others would address it in a negative sense (going back to the first paragraph). Not only do I have a name (yes sometimes people would get it wrong), but I had either the title of “Office Administrator” or “Club Representative.”

How-to-handle: Let others politely know something like that is bothering you. Or politely inform them of your position as the “girl in the office.” Not only did this seem effective, but my colleagues would remind others when I was addressed such as this in the future. They had my back.

“So you’re dating one of the players?”

One of the first comments when I started volunteering with management of a local Men’s Competitive soccer team (I remember physically wincing). To put into perspective, imagine starting a new job or receiving a promotion (male or female employee), and someone asking, “So who did you screw?” Sounds harsh and unprofessional right? Exactly.

How-to-handle: Politely inform them of why you are working there or why you received the promotion. Accomplishment or work such as this should be talked about in a professional matter first and should never be overshadowed by personal matters. Think of the countless times female athletes have been asked about being a wife/mother/give-us-a-twirl- reference before being addressed in regards to their profession. Not that we cannot rock both (same for working dads); but professionalism should come first, and more personal matters second (and only if it is the right time or place).

“In charge of bake sales”

Asked if this was what I was in charge of when I obtained the opportunity to fundraise and do marketing for a University team. Could I run a bake sale? Absolutely. And I bet it would be amazing. But it also means that I can run a Facebook page, an Instagram account, and look into other areas of fundraising. Savvy?

How-to-handle: Politely inform others of what you know you are capable of and don’t assume what little others can accomplish. Maybe this will be eye-opening for the other person and prevent future similar occurrences. Also, being a female in the sports world and providing a female perspective can be utilized as an opportunity to see things and understand a whole market a little differently. Try to provide that different perspective.

“Dealing with Paparazzi”

Brow already knit thinking about what’s next* You guessed it. Cat calling. While this example isn’t specifically sports related, it has happened both on and off the field. One of the first questions in regards to this is usually, “well what were you wearing?” Fun fact; doesn’t matter. But for arguments sake, I was dressed professionally head to toe (again, not important).

How-to-handle: Speak up and let them know they are making you uncomfortable. Bystander? Help the person out. What made this experience more manageable was that colleagues with me at the time not only spoke up as well, but made sure I was alright afterward. Believe me when I say showing support like this goes a long way.

And in regards to work attire; my best advice is to dress professional and comfortable. Don’t over think it, professional means professional, and comfortable means not wearing any item of clothing that will make you feel uncomfortable (think too tight/too loose). And what I say here does not give you the excuse to wear sweatpants when you need to be in a professional setting. Not that kind of comfortable.

Overall

So that has been some of the experience so far. Have there been other instances? Probably. But I think my memory has repressed them.

What is most important to know when it comes to situations such as these is that just because you don’t hear about them doesn’t mean they won’t happen. Some could feel embarrassed or nervous about more pushback/conflict aside from what they have already experienced.

And while the above instances haven’t been fun, they represent a very small fraction of my overall experience. Let’s say 25% out of 100%. But that doesn’t mean it has a small impact. In a sports setting, if an athlete has a small torn muscle, it can make a world of difference. The trick is to strengthen that muscle. Not further injure it. That other 75%? That represents the people who have simply treated me as a professional. It makes work feel seamless and it has felt great to work with those individuals.

This is who you should strive to be; on and off the field.