On Saturday, September 21st, Porter’s Center for Global Leadership hosted its annual fall LEADS event, “Equal Play: Girls in Sports and Beyond.” Porter’s LEADS is a series of one-day workshops for middle school girls designed to encourage leadership skills and introduce important content related to pressing global issues. Inspired by the rising national interest in women’s athletics, especially women’s basketball, “Equal Play” emphasized the strong positive impacts of including women in sports. Not only do athletics teach a collaborative attitude and encourage players to live a healthy lifestyle, but the economic impact of athletes as public figures is incredibly substantial. During the event, participants explored all these aspects of women’s athletics.
The day started with an introduction to the history of women’s sports. Participants split into small groups to read short biographies about prominent athletes throughout history – namely Gertrude Ederle, Toni Stone, Sarah Attar, Diana Taurasi, and Billie Jean King – before coming together to play a sports trivia game. After participants had an understanding of the context of women in athletics, they watched a video from Morgan Tuck, a former player on the Connecticut Sun who has recently been named General Manager for the upcoming season. She was unable to attend the event due to the Sun’s championship playoff game, but she still virtually shared with participants about what women’s basketball has given her. Following the video, Sam Battle, a senior at MPS, shared about her experience as a basketball player and recruited athlete, followed by a Q&A with the participants.
For the final part of the day, participants engaged with content related to athletes in advertising. Athletes have always made significant income from brand deals and licensing, but with recent changes to NCAA rules, college athletes can gain financially in a way they have never before. To understand athletes’ role in advertising, participants watched a few examples of brand deals done by prominent athletes. From internet companies comparing their speeds to Usain Bolt’s record-breaking times to TikTok collaborations with UConn’s KK Arnold, participants got an idea of what name, image, and licensing deals have the potential to look like. After, they tried their own hand at creating athlete-centered marketing campaigns. The day ended with a presentation of all the participants’ video advertisements.
Overall, we could not have hoped for a better day. Fiona F., a junior at Porter’s and LEADS facilitator, said that she “had so much fun helping out with LEADS, and loved meeting all of the girls and learning about their passions!” LEADS is truly a very special program, and we sincerely appreciate everyone who spent their Saturday with us! We hope to see everyone again for our spring program, “Lead a Changing World: Be a Politician for a Day!”
Don’t let this opportunity pass by! Mark your calendar for April 12, 2025, and secure a spot for this transformative day-long experience. Let’s equip the next generation of changemakers with the tools to lead a changing world. Registration details and further information are available here. Sign up today and take the first step toward making an impact!