TORONTO — Investment in sports is an investment in society.
These words resonate even louder when the topic centres itself around women in sports. In the latest edition of the Diversity is Strength Conversations presented by Kyndryl and powered by SiriusXM, host Donnovan Bennett was joined by Shannon Woeller from the Vancouver Rise FC of the NSL, Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport and Lindsay Knowlton, Founder and CEO of Iron Lady Golf to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Stacey Bennett, who is the head of marketing for Kyndryl Canada, also joined the conversation via Q&A and shared her insights on her journey from playing university hockey to leading the Canada marketing team at Kyndryl.
Sandmeyer-Graves is at the head of the Canadian Women & Sport, an organization founded over four decades ago to advocate for progressive change within Canada’s sport system. Its goal was to see the enhanced presence of girls and women at all levels and in all areas – as athletes, participants, leaders, officials, coaches and trainers.
The organization now partners with sport entities, governments, and leaders to build better sport through fairness and inclusion as experts on systemic change looking to build a stronger, more inclusive sport system for girls and women and for all Canadians.
That is more evidence that sport can be an instrument of change, not only at the individual level but also entire communities.
“There’s so much research – and our own experiences – that speaks to the fact that investing in sport is an investment in a strong, healthy, and successful person, but also society as a whole,” said Sandmeyer-Graves on the podcast.
“Our research here in Canada with girls really speaks to the fact that sport is helping them with their mental health in so many different ways.”
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Woeller, who started her professional career with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and played for clubs like the Seattle Sounders and Spain’s Valencia FC, as well as Canada women’s national soccer team, is also living proof of the impact sports can have on a person’s life.
Despite international success, Woeller shared that the lack of opportunities closer to home can present challenges to young female players looking to start their professional careers.
“I was very, very passionate about it,” said the defender when asked why she decided to stay in sports despite all the obstacles. “I wanted to play for Canada. That was what I wanted. At a young age, I was very driven through that. But certainly, as I reached post-university years, I definitely questioned it.”
“I think sometimes the coaching quality is just quite poor when managing females, and I’ve had a lot of coaches that over the years, unfortunately, have really not understood the environment.
“I think the other big one for me was just the opportunity, right?” Woeller continued. “After I finished university, I moved to Europe and spent 11 years there, and that was really hard. It was an incredible experience. I learned a lot, but you’re so far away from home, you’re lacking sort of mental support and mental health resources. And I think if you look at a lot of the girls I grew up playing with, the ones that were really dedicated and that really did want to continue playing, I think that was a big one for them, the lack of opportunity in North America.”
Woeller now plays for the Vancouver Rise FC of the Northern Super League, a new top-division professional women’s soccer league in Canada founded by former Canadian national team player Diana Matheson that will begin playing in 2025.
“I’m so grateful that I’m around to see this day and I can participate in this,” Woeller said. “Because I didn’t know if I ever would see this, and to have those females ahead of me building it like they never got this opportunity. It means even more to me. This is for them too, right? This is for all of the females in women’s soccer in Canada that didn’t get this opportunity, and so I think it brings a lot more meaning to all of us as well.”
The growing infrastructure for women sports in Canada means a growth in stories like Woeller but impacts more than just professional athletes looking to start their careers. These opportunities also lead to lessons that can last a lifetime for everyone involved.
That’s the case for Bennett, who learned on the ice the importance of teamwork and collaboration, leading her to help create spaces that foster a supportive and collaborative environment.
“I have found many ways to mentor young women in the business, both internally and externally,” said Bennett. “I’ve supported initiatives like the All-Canadian Girls Volleyball Tournament (for the second year in a row), which Kyndryl sponsors. This reflects Kyndryl’s commitment to fostering a supportive environment of belonging, empathy and empowerment. This commitment is a testament to how we, at Kyndryl Canada, consistently strive to make a positive impact and foster growth wherever we can.”
Another example of teamwork and collaboration is Knowlton’s Iron Lady Golf, a community for women to learn, play, and connect. Their mission is to make golf more accessible for women of all ages and skill levels and to create an inclusive environment that supports and encourages each other.
The former Ohio State Buckeye team captain had a decorated career as a three-year member of Canada’s National Team, three-time Ontario Champion and silver medalist at the 2004 World Championships.
Lindsay Knowlton, Shannon Woeller and Allison Sandmeyer-Graves joined the Diversity is Strength Conversations presented by Kyndryl and powered by SiriusXM (CFL.ca)
Despite all of the success, Knowlton also had to overcome the challenges of not having a structure available to support her at the start of her professional career but is now seeing the change with more investment in the development of young aspiring golfers in their careers.
“When I was playing on the national team, when we finished being an amateur and had to turn pro, there was actually no sort of pathway,” said the golfer. “You literally would pack up your bags by yourself, move to Florida, figure it out, and turn professional.
“You went from sort of being in a team atmosphere to being an individual. Golf Canada has done a tremendous job creating this young pro pathway so that people like Brooke (Henderson), and as you mentioned earlier in the call this incredible pathway of younger professional players coming up the ranks, they actually stay as a team. They train centrally. Now they are funded, so there’s lot more opportunity to still feel that community and that team atmosphere as you go and proceed in this individual sport.”
Investment also often takes time to generate results. The seeds planted by generations that came before are now starting to grow into results. But the investment can never stop.
“What would it look like if we took a portion of these dollars that we invest in sport and direct them over here into this beautiful space that is women’s sport with all of these Canadians who say they’re passionate fans of women’s sport?” said Sandmeyer-Graves.
“There are so many different levers to pull, and nobody has to try to tackle the whole thing or own the whole thing. They just have to do what they can do with their sphere of influence.”
