More and more women have an increasingly visible role in the sports industry.

On Tuesday, the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, along with Women in Sports and Events, held a symposium in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium. The symposium, called “A Word to the WISE: Testing the Limits,” addressed how women are able to integrate themselves into the sports world, as well as the role of social media in a changing industry.

Six women and two men participated in the panel. All of the members hold a prestigious job in the world of sports, representing major companies such as Under Armour, ESPN and the MLB Network.

To start the conversation, moderator and Syracuse University professor Dennis Deninger asked about the qualifications and qualities a woman needs to possess to obtain a high-ranking position in the sports industry.

Amy Hobbs, development director for the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, acknowledged the importance of networking and finding one’s niche. She also stressed that being a woman does not have to negatively affect a person’s career.

Just having the confidence that one is as good, or better, than the man sitting next to them is important, Hobbs said.

Being a female in the sports industry is a non-issue, said Circe Wallace, senior vice president of Action Sports and Olympics, part of the Wasserman Media Group. Women can use it to their advantage and find more opportunities to excel, she said.

Deninger also asked about the role of social media in the sports industry.

Joe De Sena, co-founder of the Spartan Race, said social media is extremely powerful, but also a lot of work.

For example, De Sena said company members mistakenly let loose a 600-pound tire during the obstacle-riddled Spartan Race, which could have potentially harmed someone.

De Sena said, “in a matter of six minutes,” a social media expert gave a personality to the tire, calling it “Ted the Tire.” Now, Ted the Tire has close to 10,000 friends on Facebook and found his way onto “The Today Show,” he said.

Another panelist, Shana Gritsavage, director of global events for Under Armour, discussed an element of social media that no one else had addressed: the expense. She brought up how cheap Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are compared to expensive advertising, like purchasing ads to run during the Super Bowl.

Social media also improves viewership, said Patti Kleinman-Fallick, director of broadcast operations and strategy for the MLB Network. The MLB Network televises any baseball game that is close to becoming a perfect game or even a no-hitter, noting that within minutes of tweeting about something urgent, such as a perfect game, viewership increases dramatically, she said.

The panelists also discussed the role social media plays in developing new sports shows and expanding on existing ones. Laurie Orlando, senior vice president of talent development and planning for ESPN, mentioned all ESPN shows take social media reaction into account and encourage viewer interaction.

In a world of constant evolution, panelists agreed that businesses like ESPN, Under Armour and the MLB Network must rapidly adapt. They said adding women into the workplace, as well as increasing the use of social media, are among the many factors the industry needs to address.

Published on April 10, 2013 at 1:09 am

Contact Eric: esriter@syr.edu