From September 25 to October 31, seventeen international delegates and American sports sector mentors will take part in the annual U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP). In its sixth year, this program supports the U.S. Department of State’s global efforts to advance the rights and participation of women and girls through sports.
Working side-by-side with these emerging female leaders, senior executives in the American sports sector open their respective organizations as host sites while sharing personal entrepreneurial and management insights. During the mentorship, emerging global leaders develop business plans to support “sport for social change” initiatives in their home countries. These strategies allow communities at home and around the world to experience the benefits that come from cross-cultural relations and participation in sports, thereby creating more resilient and stable societies. In turn, the American mentors are enriched by new perspectives and an expanded domestic and international network.
The GSMP class of 2017 hails from Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, China, France, India, Kosovo, Morocco, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, Peru, South Korea, Taiwan, Uganda, and Venezuela. This delegation will join the ranks of 82 global alumnae—Olympians, Paralympians, journalists, ministerial officials, civil society leaders, entrepreneurs, and sports administrators—from over 45 countries who are providing opportunities for thousands of individuals to become leaders on the field, in the boardroom, and in their schools and governments.
Taiwan’s candidate is Ms. Po-Chun Liu, the first female umpire in Taiwan and an umpire at the 2017 World University Games. An advocate for women and girls’ participation in sports in Taiwan, she co-founded Taiwan’s Women’s Baseball Advocate Associate. In GSMP 2017, Ms. Liu’s mentor will be Ms. Susan Cohig, the National Hockey League’s Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and Integrated Marketing. Ms. Cohig will share her experiences in marketing, sponsorship, live streaming, game coordination, and related topics with Ms. Liu.
This year, U.S. mentors represent the following companies and organizations: America East, the Big East, Burton Snowboards, Eli Lilly & Company, ESPN, Fox Sports, Gatorade, Google, the NCAA, the National Hockey League (NHL), PGA of America, Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Under Armour, Spurs Sports & Entertainment, the University of Connecticut and the Women’s Sports Foundation. The GSMP is implemented in cooperation with the University of Tennessee’s Center for Sport, Peace, and Society.
Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #EmpowerWomen. For more information, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov and ESPN’s Jane Bullock at Jane.Bullock@espn.com
