CM

Published Opinions

Published Opinions By: Cierra Moore

SPORTS

Culture

DIVERSITY

Inclusion

MARKETING

WOMEN

Athletes

SPORTS Culture DIVERSITY Inclusion MARKETING WOMEN Athletes

Early investment critical for brands to get the most out of their partnership with female athletes

When Megan Rapinoe announced her retirement after this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, the onslaught of well-deserved farewell tributes, campaigns and messages from brands began. The dearly beloved cultural response her announcement received should be a wakeup call to brands on the value of partnering with female athletes over the course of their entire careers. Waiting until the end of their playing career or apex of their popularity is a poor strategy.

 
 

Brittney Griner and the Girls we Forgot to Represent

The American public’s mixed reaction to Brittney Griner while she remains detained in Russia is deeply troubling, but not surprising. It is a testament to the impact of representation and its ability to create not only affinity, but humanity too. Brittney Griner is an American. She is a woman but she’s not America’s girl, and therein lies the bias and apathy. She’s not America’s girl because of the lack of diversity in girls and women represented in the media. Diversity and inclusion has not been intersectional and it has created an America that doesn’t recognize the humanity of girls and women who look like Brittney Griner.

When the Love turns into Hate: The Growing Toxic Fandom in American Sports

The backdrop of this year’s just-concluded Mental Health Awareness Month continues to be a pandemic that has everyone’s mental health at risk. The World Health Organization reported in the first year of the pandemic that anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25% globally. Athletes and their fans aren't absolved from being a part of that statistic. After having fans back at live events for the past several months, we’ve gotten a chance to see with our own eyes how fan behavior has grown more sinister. The American fan base is growing more toxic and athletes are taking the brunt of their violent outbursts.

Sports Ecosystem Needs to Balance the scales: What happens when you don't support female athletes

This year, more than 1,300 female athletes competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, accounting for 45% of the athletes — a record-breaking number. Our televisions and social media are feeding us countless stories about female athletes’ inspiring journeys and victories. But unfortunately, this is not the norm. A 2018 report from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), warned us of this. The Olympics remain the rare time female athletes receive sustained coverage. Outside of major sporting events, men represent 96% of all sports media TV coverage.