Greater than 800 ladies stuffed a concourse inside Raymond James Stadium on the primary Friday morning in March for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ inaugural “She is Soccer Weekend.”
They heard from Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, NFL govt Dasha Smith and numerous feminine leaders throughout many industries, participated in a full-day summit that includes small group breakout classes, and watched a dwell recording of the “Calm Down with Erin & Charissa” podcast that includes NFL reporters Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson. All-Professional left deal with Tristan Wirfs additionally joined them for an interview.
The 2-day occasion was the most recent instance of the Buccaneers’ dedication to opening extra doorways and growing alternatives for girls within the NFL. The weekend highlighted ladies working in the neighborhood, showcased ladies who play flag soccer, and helped present them with worthwhile mentorship.
4 years in the past, Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar grew to become the primary feminine coaches on a crew to win the Tremendous Bowl when Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and the Buccaneers beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9.
The Glazer household has a objective to create the subsequent era of feminine leaders by the ability of sports activities. They’ve a mission of creating 50,000 feminine leaders yearly.
The crew’s final objective is to construct off the success of its ladies’s programming and proceed strengthening its management place amongst feminine sports activities followers all through the nation.
“We would like ladies to have the ability to community with each other and to discover a neighborhood collectively to empower themselves and create a larger community that may profit them personally and professionally,” Glazer Kassewitz advised The Related Press. “We have now been doing ladies’s occasions for years, so this isn’t new for us, however this occasion is one thing that we actually wished to turn out to be a tentpole occasion for the Buccaneers group to point out our dedication to the feminine neighborhood in Tampa Bay and past, each ladies and ladies.
Glazer Kassewitz, who alongside along with her household launched the Buccaneers Nationwide Teaching Academy to create pathways for aspiring NFL coaches final yr, pointed to a statistic that mentioned 94% of ladies in govt positions performed sports activities after they have been youthful.
“Our objective for this occasion is to assist protecting ladies in sports activities as a result of there’s a connection between ladies, sports activities and management,” she mentioned. “Supporting feminine management and the ladies in our neighborhood and championing the event of younger ladies into leaders is essential to my household.”
The weekend included a 5K run, stroll and stroll on Saturday. Greater than 3,000 individuals participated. A market pageant was held contained in the crew’s coaching facility that includes women-owned companies, and there have been curated excursions all through the advanced that gave younger ladies a chance to be taught extra in regards to the roles accessible inside knowledgeable sports activities group.
Glazer Kassewitz joined one of many excursions, engaged with the visitors, requested questions, posed for footage and highlighted for the women a number of of the completely different jobs they may pursue sooner or later.
“This pillar of empowering ladies and creating younger ladies into leaders has been one thing that the Glazer household has been doing for greater than 10 years,” mentioned Kourtney Sanchez, chief affect officer for the Buccaneers. “Witnessing the unimaginable response to this inaugural occasion and feeling the vitality right here this weekend has bolstered the significance of this mission and mirrored our continued dedication to protecting women and girls within the recreation.”
On the NFL Scouting Mix final month, the league held its ninth annual Ladies’s Discussion board as a part of its ongoing, league-wide dedication to inclusion. Greater than 250 alternatives have emerged for girls in all ranges of soccer for the reason that discussion board’s inception in 2017. Final season, the NFL had 15 full-time ladies coaches, a league file and most for any male skilled sports activities league on the planet.
“We all know that as a league, we are able to’t attain our fullest potential with out the success and exhausting work of our golf equipment uplifting their native communities,” Smith mentioned. “Because of organizations just like the Buccaneers, the NFL can proceed to advance the sport of soccer and supply distinctive alternatives for all.”
Smith referred to as the summit “really inspiring” and identified how ladies from completely different backgrounds got here collectively to collaborate and uplift one another.
“I’m desperate to see how these connections affect the sport of soccer, affect the native Tampa neighborhood, and drive lasting momentum past the occasion, hopefully residing on for years to return,” Smith mentioned.
“She Is Soccer” weekend was such a success that the Buccaneers have already introduced the subsequent one might be held March 6-7, 2026. Followers from different groups, together with the divisional rival New Orleans Saints, confirmed their appreciation.
Initially conceived as a regionally centered occasion held across the celebration of Worldwide Ladies’s Day, the weekend exceeded the group’s expectations, drawing curiosity from ladies throughout the nation who traveled to Tampa for an opportunity to develop their networks, have a good time their shared love of sports activities, and presumably discover profession inspiration.
“I used to be by no means at one thing like this the place you may choose the brains of individuals which are within the positions that possibly sometime, you wish to be in, or concepts for positions that you just wish to create or construct,” mentioned NFL Community reporter Sara Walsh, who moderated the occasion and served as a mentor. “It actually would have opened your eyes.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
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