Women In Sports Wednesday - with Jen Brooks

By: Madison Hedding

Women in Sports Wednesday 
A one-on-one in-depth series sharing the stories of women in sports, shedding light on issues and challenges that women in sports face, and how to navigate those to be successful in this industry. 

Who: Jen Brooks, Athletic Director at Ursuline Academy in Saint Louis, Mo. and founder of The Global Community of Women in High School Sports 
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JenBrooks.com | Twitter: @GCWHSS

"Dealing with the unnecessary preconceived notions that come from being a female in sports is truly a double-edged sword. For females who work in the world of sports in any capacity, males look at females, and for them yet "all in the same breath, we're too masculine for them, and we're too feminine for them." 
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What's your story? 

Jen Brooks grew up engulfed in the sports world before realizing she wanted to pursue a career in it. Her dad was an umpire, teacher and athletic director himself, and so naturally, Jen was always around or attending sporting events of some kind. She played three sports in high school and three in college. "I knew in college that whatever my major was, or whatever job I was going to get, it had to be something that had a positive impact on people; I was drawn to that." 

In Jen's second year of college after the soccer season, she hurt her knee and had surgery. With a turn of events, Jen knew she had to find something to keep her in the sports world. So, she reached out to her coach, who was the athletic director at the time and asked him for any open opportunities that he knew so Jen could work since she could no longer play. Thankfully, an opportunity opened up literally down the street from her, to become a local high school's gym supervisor. 

"I'm sitting there on the first day of my job, leg in a full cast and crutches, and I can hear the Athletic Director across the hall saying, 'I need a Freshman Basketball coach like NOW,' so I said what the heck, hobbled over on my crutches, and I convinced them to hire me as the basketball coach." Here is Jen, 19 years old and in a full leg brace and on crutches coaching the Freshman basketball team. At that moment, she realized that being in that environment was what she loved and what she wanted to do. 
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Jen continued coaching and playing sports the following year as her health improved. After graduation with her degree in religious studies, she went to Ursuline to interview for a full-time teaching job. Everyone's route to finding their place in the sports world is unique, but this was quite an unusual route to make it down the path to sports. 

"The nun who was the Principal at the time looked me up and down and said, 'I have a part-time theology position open, but you look healthy so why don't you teach health too.'" So, Jen taught health at the school, and naturally created a relationship with the Athletic Director. At the time, Jen was coaching at Ursuline and coaching at the college she attended, so she told the Athletic Director, "If you ever need any help, I'd love to learn because one day I want to do this." Sure enough, within a year, Jen was allowed to step into that role and haven't looked back. Jen is now entering her 27th year at Ursuline and 25th year as the Athletic Director. 

"I learned everything on the job, and I still am." Jen loves being with the girls; it gives her energy, and just from being around them, she still learns something every day. 

But throughout her career as an Athletic Director, Jen realized there was a need to create a community for females in this field; because there wasn't one. She didn't have anyone to run to as a mentor and saw a need for something to be created to fill the gap.

Over the past year, Jen has founded and created the Global Community of Women in High School Sports. As of December of 2019, the group has taken off to support and encourage women in the industry and has well over 700 members. Yet shortly after the national conference in December, COVID hit, yet it ended up being a blessing in disguise for the community. "It gave us Zoom," which has been an avenue that has helped the community reach so many more females across the world, just in a virtual fashion. Not only does the community meet virtually over zoom, but they now also have a book club and a mentoring program which has had a huge impact on young females already. 

"I felt like I had a responsibility to do something; to mentor, nurture, embrace, connect and network with other females. I've got to make it easier than it was for me. It's my responsibility, and that's the responsibility of the global woman." 

Jen is doing such spectacular things and changing the game for females in sports on a global scale, but even walking down her halls, she strives every day to be a model for her young ladies at Ursuline. "I have to be strong and confident. But it's also saying that I was wrong, that I made a mistake. It's about teaching them how to overcome adversity. If I'm modelling perfect, that's not helping anyone." 

Share some struggles/challenges you have had to overcome that you face as a woman working in sports? 

If you met Jen 25 years ago, you probably would have known a scary-esque type of person who had the image of what comes with the title of 'Athletic Director.' One that no one ever wanted to talk to or see because it meant you were in trouble or you were going to get in trouble. "I was young and a female, so I had to fight and claw for respect. I didn't know any other way to get respect in that position other than to be a huge disciplinarian, to be a person that kids had to be scared of." 

But through that, Jen has since worked her entire career to be approachable, relatable, and understanding her students and their stories. It has been a wholly changed approach compared to where she started.  

As far as being an Athletic Director, and a female Athletic Director, Jen equates her job and what she does to Ginger Roberts and Fred Astaire. Ginger Roberts did everything that Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in heels. "that's what I am doing every day as a female Athletic Director. I'm doing the same job as my male counterparts, but I'm doing it backwards and in heels." As a female, there are so many times that we are not heard, not seen, just because we are a female. 

There have been times where Jen has walked into meetings with other Athletic Directors and has been asked, "are you in the right place?" because a female isn't supposed to be there. 

There have been times where Jen has gone to conferences and brings her husband as her guest but more so does it for a fun experiment. She would have her nametag on that says, "Jen Brooks, Athletic Director," and her husband would say "Don Brooks, Visitor." Yet, all the vendors would gravitate and talk to him because they just assumed he was the Athletic Director. 

There have been times where Jen would be in the gym before a game, and the referees would ask, "where's the Athletic Director?" and they didn't think it was her. 
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There have been times when Jen has been mansplained rules to her by male officials because they think she didn't know the game's laws. 

There have been times where people have told Jen that her job being a female Athletic Director must suck because "girls sports are boring." 

Dealing with the unnecessary preconceived notions from being a female in sports is indeed a double-edged sword. For females who work in the world of sports in any capacity, males look at females, and for them yet "all in the same breath, we're too masculine for them, and we're too feminine for them." 

It got to the point where Jen found the courage and confidence to say that I'm not going to let this happen anymore. Enough was enough. She felt that she was called to find a way to change the narrative and show the younger generation of females that they could be her if they could see her. 

What is the best advice you can give a woman who is either just getting her foot in the industry or already working in sports about navigating the struggles and challenges we face? 

"On an elementary level, get experience. Start coaching, if that means volunteering, volunteer." Jen pushes everyone to get their feet wet, but always be willing to learn and not be afraid to make a mistake. 

Jen also highly emphasizes that it's essential for women to have a seat at the table if nothing else. It is not just a seat by yourself, a seat that encourages others to come and join you at the table. "We have to model what it looks like to sit at the table, but we also have to invite others to join us." 

Just as important as it is to bring women to the table with us, we also have to educate the men already there. It's about sitting at the table with our male allies, inviting people with you and creating space for everyone. "Knowing that often, I'm sitting at the table, making space for the people who can't be at the table." 

Women are always striving to empower other women, yet in the world, we live in, it's still in males' hands. At what point can women ever win? 

But, it's not about who wins. It's about being able to educate men to be our allies to be on our team, and we can succeed together. 

If you are interested in sharing your story, struggles and words of encouragement for other women in sports, please send me a DM through social media (@MadisonHedding) or email me 15mhedding@gmail.com.