“Women In Sports Night” Opens Networking Opportunities For Girls Pursuing Careers in the Sports
Victoria Bruckler | Writer
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms hosted their first “Women In Sports Night” on Feb. 7, opening the floodgates for girls to network and connect with women working in the sports industry.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day fell on Feb. 5, allowing the Phantoms to finally have a night dedicated to the women who make the sports world go round. Before the game started, the Phantoms held a discussion panel in the 99 Bottles entrance from 5 to 6 p.m. Attendance was open to anyone with a ticket to the game, and luckily the Phantoms had a ticket deal to make it more accessible to get tickets.
The Phantoms hosted Courtney Perzan, Vice President of Team Business Services of the American Hockey League; Michelle Perl, Senior Vice President of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs; Nicole Cannon, Senior Manager, Corporate Partnership Activation, of the Philadelphia 76ers; and Breanna Ebisch, Researcher at NHL Network, Girls Club Head of Journalism.
The panel also included Kristen Folk, Phantoms Service and Retention Specialist, who helped run and organize the event.
The event means a lot to Folk.
“It’s great to have recognition,” she said. “A lot of the time it’s unnoticed these days which is awesome. It’s less of an ‘Oh my god a woman is working for a sports team.”
Panelists shared their experiences working in the industry, what they went through to get where they are today, and the different classes and opportunities to take advantage of. They stressed the importance of getting out of your comfort zone.
A theme that emerged from the panel was that the industry isn’t one-dimensional, the possibilities are endless for those wanting to pursue a career in sports.
“There are so many paths into the industry that you can do anything you want to,” Folk said.
Before the game began the Phantoms held a ceremonial puck drop for “Women In Sports Night.” Courtney Perzan dropped the puck between Phantoms Captain Garrett Wilson and Cleveland Monsters Captain Stefan Matteau. Throughout the game, the photos of the women who work for each team were featured, and intermission games focused on questions about female hockey players.
The Phantoms plan to bring the event back next year.
“That is part of the plan, this is the one to iron everything out so we can go bigger and better next year,” Folk said.
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