Trip Durham to Facilitate the “DSC Bull Sessions” About Gender Equity, Inspiring Women through Sports, and the Play Like a Girl Movement in Durham
March 22, 2021 (DURHAM, N.C.) – In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Durham Sports Commission (DSC) will host three virtual panels to explore the accomplishments and impact of women athletes, coaches, and changemakers from Durham. The first discussion, titled “Being a leader in sports,” will center on the importance of women working in male-dominated sports and female mentorship. The first taping was released today, Monday, March 22 and can be viewed here. The second panel focuses on the importance of female coaches and can be viewed here, while the third and final panel features female student-athletes and can be found here.
“Women have had a transformative impact on sports and that trend has continued in recent months. From Sarah Fuller to Kim Ng to Sarah Thomas, women — to steal a phrase from Women Leaders in College Sports — are kicking glass and it’s exciting to see” said Marcus Manning, executive director of the DSC. “By offering our platform, the DSC seeks to put a spotlight on female leaders, coaches, and athletes to dive deeper on complex, timely topics such as gender equity working in sports, coaching in sports and the future of female participation. I encourage sports fans and casual viewers alike to tune in and learn more about the immediate impression women in sports are having in shaping Durham and communities across the country.”
Starting from a national perspective, the DSC found it integral for the opening Women’s History Month discussion to feature a representative from a National Governing Body of sport. Ashley Bratcher, senior director of baseball operations for USA Baseball will discuss topics ranging from the disparities between women and men working in sports, the importance of female participation in male-dominated sports as well as mentorship amongst females working in sports and the expectations associated with being a female leader in sports.
The second-panel discussion concerning the importance of having female coaches at all playing levels will be shared later this month. Confirmed panelists include Trisha Stafford-Odom, head women’s basketball coach at North Carolina Central University, and Kerstin Kimel, head women’s lacrosse coach at Duke University. This conversation will be centered on why female coaches matter, the lack of female coaches, and delve into how female coaches lead and inspire women through sports.
The third and final discussion focuses on female student-athletes and will be shared at the end of the month. Confirmed panelists include Darcy Bourne, field hockey student-athlete at Duke, and Christine Alcox, women’s volleyball student-athlete and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president at North Carolina Central University. Part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, SAAC is made up of student-athlete advisory committees – at the campus, conference, and national level – to ensure that student-athletes not only have a voice, but that their entire experience is enhanced through opportunity promotion, protecting student-athlete welfare, and fostering a positive image. This conversation will bring to light the motivation behind women wanting to play sports, the Play Like a Girl movement, the impact of social media on women’s sports, and life after athletics.
All three conversations will be facilitated by Trip Durham, founder of 2D Consulting, LLC, and the current public address announcer for Duke Athletics. Durham was previously the President of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) and the Associate Director of Athletics at Elon University.
Each discussion is expected to be approximately 30 minutes to an hour in length and will be published across the DSC’s website as well as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. The Women’s History Month roundtable conversations mark the second installments of “DSC Bull Sessions,” a new storytelling initiative from the sports commission that will showcase and explore various topics that are important to the community.