Goal Tending

There’s a new student organization for women on campus looking to pursue a career in sports.

Sophomore sports communications major Delaney Giles knows the uphill battle she faces as a woman in the field.

“It's pretty obvious that it's a male-dominated field, and that's seen everywhere,” she said. “Seeing how the women who are in similar positions to men in sports are criticized at a much higher rate, I know it will very likely happen to me once I get into the professional field.”

At Bradley, Giles is happy to have largely been shielded from some of the more typical misogyny present in the field. She feels fortunate to work for several organizations that are incredibly supportive of her pursuits as a woman, including the Bradley Athletic Department and the club hockey team.

However, there’s still work to be done when it comes to leveling the playing field.

“The sports communication program here is really amazing. It’s one of the best in the country,” Giles said. “But, I did notice that my classes are mostly male. I felt that in such a prominent program, we need to open the door for women because there are so few of us.”

With that in mind, Giles proceeded to connect with the national Girls Club organization, a women-led group dedicated to raising up women in sports through resources and networking. Given the organization’s goal of opening the door for women in sports and getting them prepared for the professional world, she felt the club would transfer well to Bradley’s campus. As such, she founded Bradley’s Girls Club chapter in the fall of 2023.

“The national foundation aims to help members find their footing in the sports industry and to propel them to achieve their goals,” she said. “Our chapter does that while also providing a support system. We help them improve their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and show them how to get those jobs in sports by setting themselves apart from other candidates.”

In the short time the Bradley Girls Club has existed, the positive impact has already been felt. Drawing on the resources afforded by Bradley professors, as well as Girls Club resources like panels of women in the industry and access to TeamWork Online (a site founded by women designed specifically for job applications in the world of sports), all that’s left now is to connect with more folks on campus that could benefit from such resources.

“This is something that I want to outlast my time here at Bradley, so we're hoping to get as many people as possible involved,” Giles said. “It's not a huge commitment and it's a lot of fun. It's a great group of girls.”

For those with questions or who are looking to get involved, the easiest way to connect with the group is through their Instagram @girlsclubbradley.

-Jenevieve Rowley-Davis