When it comes to professional sports leagues, a 2018 study showed women were underrepresented.
That’s one reason the Detroit Pistons hosted Red Wings, Tigers and Lions female staff members for a happy hour at BasBlue, a social club dedicated for women located in the Midtown neighborhood.
As the sun was setting in Detroit’s Cultural Center Historic District in March, more than a hundred women trickled into the Victorian mansion for an evening devoted to women’s empowerment.
“It's Women's Empowerment Month and I really wanted to get a chance to network, not just with Pistons employees, but with other women (from other sports teams) as well,” Pistons human resources generalist Gabrielle Reed said during the event.
In the Malibu-inspired cafe and social space, women gathered on all three floors to enjoy glasses of Soul Squeeze wine, nibble on specialty made Detroit sports-themed cookies and share industry advice and stories.
“The people I love the most in my organization are women and just get to see them here and get to see other people who are adored in the sports world, and being a part of that energy is super special,” Pistons social media coordinator Tianna-Marie Rosser said. “This gets me fired up to do my job.”
Detroit Lions graphic design coordinator Katie Quinlan said she was eager to meet other creatives from different teams.
"This is a safe space,” Quinlan said. “It's awesome to see everyone here and just mingle, see familiar faces and meet people.”
There was universal agreement that providing these opportunities for women in male-dominated industries fosters important personal and organizational growth.
“Taking the time to recognize what we do all year round is so important to highlight the amazing work that we're doing to give back in the community and beyond,” Lions corporate partnership sales manager Chloe Laniado said. “What we do on off the field, court or ice is just as important and we need to continue telling those stories.”
Empowering women at every age
On a brisk day in early March, more than 100 high school and middle school girls traveled to the Pistons Performance Center in the New Center neighborhood for a mentorship exercise for young women.
The Pistons hosted its annual Girls Dream Big Summit to celebrate Women’s Empowerment Month. To highlight women leadership, opportunities and diversity, the Pistons invited students from COTS Detroit, Figure Skating in Detroit, Pretty Brown Girl, PeacePlayers and the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan to speak with local women mentors including Bally Sports reporter Natalie Kerwin and the founder of jewelry brand Harper Ray Accessories, Gillian Bradley.
“It was a really well-rounded summit where girls from all different walks of life got a chance to experience different things as well as network with each other,” said Reed, who volunteered at the summit.
The students engaged in speed mentoring with representatives from local organizations, took part in a financial education class and a basketball clinic on the Pistons practice court. Afterward, the girls were driven to Little Caesars Arena to watch the Pistons play the Brooklyn Nets for a full game-night experience.
“As young girls get older, you start to lose girls in some of these spaces more than boys,” Reed said. “As you create some of these environments and give them a safe space to meet other people like them and give them a place to say it’s cool to be a girl in sports, finance and even own a business, this can truly empower them and promote some of our superpowers as women.”
Harper Ray provided all students and mentors with bracelets from the collection and a pair of Harper Ray socks. The Girls Dream Big Summit was supported by Ally, Delta Airlines and Priority Health.