The Women’s Sports Report has been a staple in the Columbus sports community for more than a decade, honoring the trailblazers who advocate for equity and advancement for girls’ and women’s sports. In February 2021, we gathered virtually with keynote speaker and NFL Broadcaster Erin Andrews and other women's sports industry leaders. You can read more about Erin's keynote here.
Learn more about Erin Andrews, and the sports industry leaders who led our three 2021 breakout sessions, below.
About Our Speakers
Very few people in the world know exactly what they want to be at the age of 13, much less make that dream into a reality, but that’s exactly what Erin Andrews did, as she’s become one of the most recognized and respected sports broadcasters in the industry.
As part of FOX Sports’ A Team, Andrews currently reports for “FOX NFL Sunday,” for sideline coverage and features, a show that records a staggering 56.4 million unique viewers, as well as reporting for “NFL Thursday Night Football.”
Andrews’ recently added “creator” to her long list of titles with the launch of her new women’s NFL apparel line, WEAR by Erin Andrews. The fashionable, comfortable and subtle line, designed for women to wear anywhere and everywhere, has quickly garnered notable attention as the best performing new women’s collection across Fanatics’ entire NFL portfolio in 2019/2020. Due to the popularity of the line’s first collection, this year’s Fall 2020 collection will feature more than double the assortment of styles available to fans across all 32 NFL teams – growing from 9 styles to 23 styles. Additionally for Fall 2020, WEAR is expanding to include styles for select NCAA schools and NBA teams in addition to the ever-growing NFL line.
In addition to being a trailblazer in the sports world, Andrews also made a name for herself in entertainment as she co-hosted ABC’s long-running reality series, “Dancing with the Stars,” alongside Tom Bergeron for 11 seasons. Having a unique perspective on the competition, Erin was also a contestant in 2010, where she was paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy and earned third place.
Recent notable appearances include her coverage of Super Bowl LIV, Superbowl LI, Super Bowl XLVIII, the 2018 NFC Championship Game, the 2015 & 2014 World Series, the 2015 & 2014 MLB All-Star Games and hosting FOX’s “Prime Time College Football Pregame Show.” Prior to her move to FOX, Andrews spent eight years at ESPN where she hosted the first hour of ESPN’s “College GameDay” on ESPNU and was a features reporter for the full three-hour program, congruently serving as a sideline reporter for NCAA football and basketball games.
Erin began her career with Fox Sports-Florida South as a freelance reporter and Tampa Bay Lightning reporter for the Sunshine Network. She joined ESPN in May 2004 as a reporter for the network’s National Hockey League coverage and quickly become a fan favorite, transitioning into college football and basketball.
Professional golfer and educator Renee Powell is the second Black woman to play on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour.
Today, Renee is the LPGA/PGA Head Golf Professional at Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio where she's keeping her father’s legacy of “Golf for Everyone” alive. Renee's work extends throughout her community as a member of several boards including the Northern Ohio PGA, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mercy Medical Center, and Pathway Caring for Children, as well as a member of Rotary International.
She is the first Black woman elected to membership in the PGA of America (1996), the first female golfer to receive an honorary doctor of laws degree (2008) in the 600-year history of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and in 2015 was named one of seven women as Honorary Members of the 260-year-old Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews, Scotland.
In 2018, Powell became the first American to be honored by the University of St. Andrews with the dedication of a residence hall --- Renee Powell Hall.
In April 2019, Powell was elected the first At-Large Director of the PGA of America Board of Directors. That month, Powell also made a one-year commitment to serve as girls’ golf coach at Minerva (Ohio) High School, where her late father, William, was a member of the town’s first prep golf team.
Powell is the only daughter of William Powell, the only African-American to design, build, own, and operate a golf course in the United States. Mr. Powell was inducted posthumously March 12, 2013, into the PGA of America Hall of Fame.
In 2011, Renee founded Clearview HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), which is the sole year-round women’s military rehabilitative golf program in the country. The chapter currently serves nearly 60 female veterans from throughout Northern Ohio.
Introduced to golf and coached by her father, a PGA Life Member and the 2009 PGA Distinguished Service Award recipient, Powell began playing golf at age 3. She entered her first amateur tournament at age 12 and won her division. Three years later, she had 30 youth tournament trophies. She graduated from Central Catholic High School in Canton in 1964 and attended Ohio University and Ohio State University, serving as captain of the women’s golf team at each institution. Powell made her professional debut on the LPGA Tour in 1967, and her first tournament was the U.S. Women's Open. She competed in 250 professional golf tournaments and won the 1973 Kelly Springfield Open in Brisbane, Australia, posting a final-round 67 to set a course record.
Powell was chosen to represent the United States in the U.S. vs. Japan Team Matches on four separate occasions during the 1970’s. Team members include other notables such as Kathy Whitworth, Carol Mann, Pat Bradley, Sandra Post, Donna Caponi-Byrnes and Susie Berning. In each of Renee’s four matches, her team won.
Powell was invited to participate in King Hassan’s Tournament in Morocco and was the only American golf professional to play in President Jawara’s Tournament in Gambia. President Kaunda of Zambia personally invited Renee to play with him at the State House Golf Course, the first woman golfer to do so.
During the 1970s Renee was part of the USO Tour to Vietnam. Joined by her friend, Mary Lou Daniel (Crocker), and one-armed trick-shot artist, Jimmy Nichols, they gave golf clinics in hopes of bringing “a little bit of home” to our troops abroad.
In 1979, Powell made history by becoming the first woman to be named Head Professional at a golf course in the United Kingdom - Silvermere, an hour southwest of London. At that same time, she wrote another piece of history in England by competing with men in a professional event from the same set of tees.
While in England, Renee began designing and promoting golf, tennis, and jogging clothes for McCarthy Sports of London. Harrod’s of London was the first store to purchase the line and did a front window display of Renee’s design. She also wrote instructional articles for Par Golf Magazine. In 1980, Powell finished her Tour career and taught golf in Africa and Europe and later returned home to Canton where she currently serves as the head professional golfer at Clearview Golf Club. In 2001, Clearview Golf Club was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Powell has made numerous trips to Africa, serving as a goodwill ambassador of the game of golf.
The Powell family established the Clearview Legacy Foundation for education, preservation and turf grass research. In 2003, Renee Powell was the recipient of the PGA First Lady of Golf Award.
In founding Clearview HOPE, which now has nearly 60 members, Powell entered a new chapter in giving back to the game of golf. Clearview HOPE, an outgrowth of PGA HOPE, is sanctioned by both The PGA of America and the Veterans Administration. It features both golf instruction and events that evolved into a year-round social group. Clearview HOPE reaches out to assist and support veterans who are in need that have yet to become participants in the program.
Becky Newell:
Becky Newell is the Championship Director, of the 2021 Solheim Cup for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). The Solheim Cup is the largest women’s professional sporting event in the world and will be conducted at Inverness Club in the fall of 2021.
Becky joined the LPGA in December of 2010 as the Director of Sales & Marketing, 2013 Solheim Cup in Denver, Colorado and was promoted to Tournament Director in June of 2012. At the conclusion of the 2013 Solheim Cup Becky relocated the family to LPGA Headquarters in Tournament Business Affairs and is in her 10th year with the Tour.
Prior to moving into her new role as Tournament Director for the Solheim Cup, Becky spent five years as the Director, Tournament Business Affairs. Becky served as a primary liaison between the LPGA and approximately 10 LPGA tournaments to ensure events are properly serviced, responsible for the renewal of existing tournament agreements, development of new tournaments and related sponsorships as well as assisting with the development, negotiation and implementation of the LPGA schedule. She worked closely to improve the quality of assigned tournaments by way of personal visits and information exchange relative to marketing techniques, promotional options, special event opportunities and tournament production. In addition, Becky traveled extensively both domestically and internationally.
Becky spent five years working for IMG in their Golf Division primarily as a Tournament Director for several LPGA events and support staff for managed PGA Tour events and the Masters hospitality program. She also worked at Octagon running a Men’s Asian Tour event in Beijing, China and prior to that she spent approximately 13 years as the Director of Operations for the LPGA’s Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from BGSU Becky’s teaching career started at Ottawa Hills Elementary School in Toledo, OH and she also spent nine years at Maumee Valley Country Day School teaching and coaching both in the High School and Lower School.
She is a native of Maumee, Ohio and graduated with a degree in Education from Bowling Green State University in May of 1983. Becky and her husband, Mark currently reside in Monclova, OH. They have two children; Eric a graduate of Colorado State University, Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture, resides in Denver, CO and Nicole a graduate of the University of West Georgia in Sport Management and a Master’s in Business resides in Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Lisa Hinkelman is an educator, counselor, researcher, and author who has spent nearly fifteen years researching girls and educating counselors formerly as a professor at The Ohio State University and currently as the Founder and CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX). ROX is a national non-profit that provides evidence-based empowerment programming for girls, professional development for counselors and educators, and research on the critical issues impacting girls. Her books provide relevant research, case studies and effective strategies to help adults support the girls in their lives. Focused on building self-esteem, enhancing communication, increasing competence and addressing gender stereotypes and barriers, 'Girls Without Limits' is currently being utilized by parents, educators, coaches, mentors, helping professionals and University professors throughout the country.
Dr. Hinkelman is also the principal investigator and author of the groundbreaking publication The Girls’ Index: New Insights Into the Complex World of Today’s Girls. The Girls’ Index reveals the findings from a survey conducted with nearly 11,000 girls across the country and includes girls’ thoughts, behaviors and beliefs on confidence, body image, relationships, school, social media, careers and leadership. She also published Girls & Sports: A Girls’ Index Impact Report, Girls & STEM: Decoding Girls’ Futures in an Age of Social Media and Girls, Diversity and The Future. Featured in the Wall Street Journal, USAToday, SXSW, Lean In, The 74 and Education World, The Girls’ Index research provides the most nationally relevant and representative statistics currently available on girls.
Lisa received her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Education from Chatham College in Pittsburgh, PA and her master’s and doctorate degrees in Counselor Education from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Hinkelman’s ROX program is delivered to more than 5,000 girls annually in schools throughout the country. She trains and educates 3,000+ adults each year through professional development workshops, parent symposiums and conference keynotes on topics such as: social/emotional learning, stress and pressure, confidence and self-esteem, STEM, sexual harassment/violence and Title IX, school climate, and gender equity.
Kathy DeBoer is the Executive Director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) a position she has held since February 1, 2006. Membership has doubled during her tenure. DeBoer is widely credited for leading the effort to get Beach Volleyball recognized as a collegiate sport. Also, under her direction, AVCA established a Diversity Scholarship Fund, a Coaches For Coaches Scholarship Fund, and a Thirty Under 30 Award, all contributors to the professional development of young, aspiring volleyball coaches.
Prior to the AVCA, DeBoer spent twenty-three years in intercollegiate athletics serving as a coach, administrator and fundraiser. She spent eighteen years at the University of Kentucky, first as head volleyball coach, and finishing as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs. She started her career at Ferris State University in Michigan.
DeBoer was a collegiate athlete in volleyball, basketball and tennis. As a senior at Michigan State, she was named a finalist for the Wade Trophy. She played two years of professional basketball after graduation in the WBL.
DeBoer is a nationally-known speaker on the impact of gender on competitive behavior in business and sports settings. Her first book, Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently, was published in 2004.
DeBoer has a B.A. in Humanities from Michigan State (1978) and an M.B.A. from University of Kentucky (1988). She is married to Mark Pittman and resides in Lexington, Ky.
Jen Flynn Oldenburg:
Jen Flynn Oldenburg, a former four-year standout for the Buckeyes, returned to Columbus as the head coach of the Ohio State women’s volleyball program on Jan. 17, 2020. Oldenburg is the sixth head coach of the Buckeyes in the 48-year history of the program.
In June 2020, Oldenburg was selected to join the Big Ten’s Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition as one of eight Ohio State representatives. The goal of the Coalition is to seek tangible ways to actively and constructively combat racism and hate around the world while also empowering student-athletes to express their rights to free speech and peaceful protest.
Oldenburg graduated from Ohio State in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in sport and leisure studies and spent the 2001 season on staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes. During her time on the court from 1996-99, she recorded 3,213 career assists (7th) and 1,138 digs (12th) to secure her place in the program’s history book. She handed out 1,587 assists during the 1997 campaign to check in at No. 4 among OSU’s single-season leaders.
Oldenburg led Ohio State to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and was the first conference player to be named All-Big Ten at two different positions (setter and outside hitter). In the classroom, she received OSU Scholar-Athlete laurels every year and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Following her undergraduate career, Oldenburg went on to be the starting setter for the USA National Team and led the squad to a silver medal at the 2002 World Championship. She also started for the Grand Rapids Force (USPV) and played on the USPV “Dream Team,” starting at setter for the Millennium Cup Champion USPV All-Stars, where she was named to the all-tournament team.
The Pittsburgh, Pa., native is coming back to the Buckeye State after spending six years as the club/associate director of the Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball Association. She was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the club, handled recruitment for potential collegiate athletes and worked as a private lessons instructor.
Oldenburg returned to her Buckeye roots in 2019 when she joined former Ohio State head coach Jim Stone’s staff as an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball Girls Youth National Team. She helped coach the U18 team to a world championship title in Cairo, Egypt, securing the first gold medal for a U.S. age-group team at that event.
Prior to her time in Pittsburgh, Oldenburg spent nine seasons (2003-12) at the University of Illinois as an assistant coach for the women’s volleyball team. She had a hand in all aspects of the program during her tenure, focusing on recruiting, on-court training, travel and summer camps while serving as a liaison for multiple entities throughout the athletics department. Her work with the team’s serving and passing as well as the defensive specialists was instrumental in leading the Illini to four-straight NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances and the NCAA runner-up finish in 2011. Five of her players earned All-America honors and nine different players have received 13 first team All-Big Ten honors.
Oldenburg and her husband, Steve, have two children – Maverick and Kassidy.
About Kristin Fasbender:
Kristin currently serves as a Director of Championships and Alliances. Fasbender is in her 23rd year at the national office and serves as a Director of championships and alliances. In this role, Fasbender serves as the lead administrator and primary day-to-day contact for the Division I championships in women’s volleyball, men’s ice hockey (the “Frozen Four”) and the NCAA’s newest championship, National Collegiate beach volleyball.
Before serving as a Director, Fasbender previously was an Assistant Director (August 1999-August 2007) and Associate Director (August 2007- September 2014) in the Championships and Alliances group. During that time, Fasbender ran day-to-day operations for 13 different championships across all three divisions of the NCAA.
Prior to 1999, Fasbender served as an Assistant Director of Championships at the Big 12 Conference from 1998-1999. While at the Big 12, she was the tournament manager for the Big 12 Women’s Basketball tournament as well as running the daily operations for the conference championships in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field and men’s golf. She also served as the liaison to those respective sports head coaches.
Fasbender started her career in collegiate sports as an intern in the NCAA championships department from 1997-1998.
A former member of the University of Nebraska track and cross country teams, Fasbender graduated with high distinction from UNL in 1997 with a Bachelor’s of Journalism in Broadcasting. Fasbender was honored in 2013 with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Nebraska.
Kristin and her husband, Shawn, have three children, Kaitlin (17), Megan (14) and Will (12).