CHICAGO — To help drive continuous change for women and girls in sports, Gatorade has announced its newly formed Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board. The board will aim to keep more girls in the game by addressing the societal and cultural barriers that contribute to the attrition of females in sport and an ongoing decline in participation. Additionally, the Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board will provide counsel on brand initiatives to better serve female athletes.
“By establishing the Women’s Advisory Board, we have a dedicated group of women from a variety of backgrounds, professions and stages of life who will help us deepen our connection with female athletes, while also holding us accountable in delivering against our guiding pillars,” said Jill Abbott, Gatorade Head of Consumer and Athlete Engagement. “As a longstanding supporter of women and girls in sports initiatives, we know the importance of these efforts. It won’t be easy, but we’re a brand that is all about doing what is right for athletes. We will continue to ensure that female athletes have the inspiration and support to participate in and stay in sports.”
According to the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), high school girls have 1.1 million fewer opportunities to play a sport at school than their male counterparts. Their research also shows that by the age of 14, many girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys. However, the WSF has also found that girls and women reap significant benefits from sport participation that are both immediate and long-term, in areas including physical, social and emotional, as well as higher rates of success in academics and leadership positions.
The positive benefits of sports are well known by the Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board members, which includes members of Gatorade leadership, professional athletes, sports practitioners, sports media and industry leaders.
Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board Members:
- Jill Abbott, Gatorade Head of Consumer and Athlete Engagement
- Carolyn Braff, Gatorade Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy
- Maddie Bregman, GirlZ, CEO
- Jennifer Brunelli, Sports Nutrition RDpro
- Tanna Burge, Texas A&M, Director of Sports Performance
- Aminah Charles, Beats by Dre, Sports Marketing Manager
- Elena Delle Donne, WNBA Champion, two-time MVP and Olympic Gold Medalist
- Gina Hardy, Tonal, Senior Vice President of Marketing
- Sydney McLaughlin, Team USA Track & Field Olympian
- Candace Parker, WNBA Champion, WNBA MVP, Olympic Gold Medalist, and NBA and NCAA analyst for Turner Sports
- April Ross, AVP Champion, seven-time AVP MVP and two-time Olympic medalist
- Sarah Spain, ESPN Sports Reporter and Chicago Red Stars Co-Owner
- Aleia Taylor, Women's Sports Foundation, CMO
- Abby Wambach, Women’s World Cup Champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist
"As a female athlete, I know the undeniable benefits that sports participation has on girls throughout their lives," said Elena Delle Donne, WNBA Champion, two-time MVP and Olympic Gold Medalist. "It’s an honor to join my fellow board members to advocate for the advancement of women in the game with the support of Gatorade.”
The Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board will kick off its inaugural year with quarterly meetings to support the brand’s efforts to keep girls in the game.