How we’re helping women in sport get career starts

Women in sport

Industry-engaged sports degrees support women's career development

Our industry-engaged sports degrees, the Bachelor of Sport Media and Bachelor of Sports Business, are integrated with industry and delivered against the backdrop of our thriving sporting capital.

Each sports course guides students into exciting future careers such as a sport coordinator, programmer, manager, or other associated roles.

“The more opportunities we can provide to all our students, but particularly opportunities for women in sport, the better,” says Holmesglen Sport Degrees Course Leader Sam Duncan.

Sports media and business courses create professional development pathways

A great example of how Holmesglen is offering opportunities is through the Play Like a Girl program.

Our sport degree learners recently became the first cohort at Holmesglen to complete this pioneering program.

The program’s mission states:

“We teach girls that playing like a girl in sport, work and life is your ultimate power move.”

A five-week online program, the initiative is one of the first of its kind for leadership development of women in sport in Australia.

During the program, sport degree learners Kirra Johnston, Kiyono Hirata, Maddison Southam, and Sarah Radlow gained invaluable experience through:

  •  Mindset and self-belief strategies
  •  Mentoring sessions
  •  Connecting with fellow women in sport

“What was really rewarding was seeing the personal and professional growth of the students,” says Sport Degrees Lecturer Sharyn Meade. Maddison Southam completed our dual diploma SIS50321 Diploma of Sport with Diploma of Event Management SIT50322 (delivered with St Kilda Football Club).

She then followed a study pathway into the Bachelor of Sport Media and says Play Like a Girl grew her confidence as she prepared for a career in the sports industry.

"Play Like a Girl was mindset-changing and gave me more belief; that's one of the areas I've struggled with growing up.

“Being involved in sport, you may be told you can’t do something or someone’s better than you, but we are all different, and we all have different strengths and skills.

“You are able to tell yourself that you can do it and achieve the same as others.”

Growing opportunities for women in sports industry careers

There are encouraging trends across sporting codes of greater female involvement in sport.

  • Fox Sports reports seven in ten Australians are watching more female sports than before the pandemic.

  • At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, 48 percent of athletes were female. This follows on from the International Olympic Committee being included in the UN Women's Sport for Generation Equality initiative.

  • Plus, with Australia having hosted both the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the path for inspiring the next generation of women in sport is clear.

Ready to turn your love of sport into a career? Holmesglen's sports courses and degree programs can help you break barriers and build your future in the sports industry. Our industry partnerships, including with St Kilda Football Club, provide real-world experience that prepares you for success in sports media, business, or management roles.

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