AUSTRALIAN basketball icon Rachael Sporn is excited to share her knowledge to help influence the next generation of female athletes through her role with the Port Adelaide Football Club.
Joining SEN SA’s breakfast show on International Women’s Day, Sporn spoke about the development in women’s sport and her new role as the club’s AFLW Operations Manager.
Sporn used the occasion of International Women’s Day, to celebrate the progression of visibility of women’s sport.
“International Women’s Day for me is about celebrating women’s achievements, really admiring females who have leadership roles and being more visible,” Sporn said.
“If you look at the sporting world, we have always had women’s sport, it has always been there, but it is so much more visible and we are getting to see the talent and skills of our female athletes.
“That’s what I’m loving of this day and age because when I was growing up there wasn’t really any women’s sport on TV. The only time I got to see females competing was the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games.”
Last month it was announced the three-time Olympic medallist had taken up a new role at Port Adelaide as Operations Manager within the club’s AFLW program.
Sporn expressed her excitement to officially commence the role on the 15th of March.
“I’m so excited to be involved, I grew up loving football, I wanted to be a boy so I could play. How great now you don’t have to say that any more, you can be a girl and play at the highest level,” Sporn expressed.
“I am excited to be involved from the ground up, we get to start with these amazing women and build that great culture which is incredibly important, and surround ourselves with great people.
“I’m also really looking forward to working with Juliet Haslam, the Head of our AFLW program at Port. We have great respect and friendship over many years.
“I know that Juliet brings a lot of professionalism and diligence to whatever she does, so I’m looking forward to working with her.”
Both Sporn and Haslam come from elite sporting backgrounds and Sporn says there is a lot to draw on from their time with the Australian Opals and the Hockeyroos respectively to build a successful culture at Port Adelaide.
“For me, it’s about the values that everyone needs to have to buy in on the same thing,” Sporn explained.
“The standards…it was something that was very powerful and we all bought into.
“It’s simple things; being assertive and being a team player, being flexible and adaptable.
“Sharing all of these things with the players from the start and making them understand those principals, realising if you live by these in both your sporting lives and outside of sport, you are going to be successful.
“I can’t wait to have that opportunity to share that with the girls, being around them day to day and getting to know them and all the personalities.”
