Women in Sport: Kate Corkery

Posted on 10 May, 2019

“There are simply not enough women in leadership positions in sport. Despite having a community that’s brimming with intelligent, qualified and competent women, we are still only making up a fraction of many leadership and governance roles across different sports.”

Four years ago, HerCanberra was invited to attend the Canberra Conversation Series: Women in Sport. The event, hosted by the University of Canberra and Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, wasn’t the first of its kind—but it did bring attention to an area of our sporting community that remains just as critical in 2019: women in leadership.

As was the case in 2015, there are simply not enough women in leadership positions in sport. Despite having a community that’s brimming with intelligent, qualified and competent women, we are still only making up a fraction of many leadership and governance roles across different sports.

The CBR Women in Sport Workshop Series is designed to support great engagement from women in this sector and help to improve opportunities for women and girls. The first workshop, aptly titled Why Women in Leadership, is this coming Monday and is aimed at upskilling our future female leaders and creating a network of women to inspire and motivate one another.

Kate Corkery is the evening’s guest speaker and is a figure with an impressive and wide-reaching background. Currently the Chair of The Board of Directors at the Judo Federation of Australia, the Director of Sport Governance and Strategy at Sport Australia, and the Gender Equity Commissioner at the International Judo Federation, Kate has a thing or two to say about women in sports leadership positions.

We caught up with Kate to find out more ahead of Monday’s workshop.

How did it feel to be approached to be guest speaker at Women in Sport’s first workshop?

It is a real honour to be invited to speak at the workshop. I love being able to spark interest and passion for sport leadership and governance—hopefully in a way that’s interesting and practical.

How important is it to have events like this for women in sport in general, and specifically for those who are looking to develop their leadership skills or take on a leadership role?

One of the biggest challenges I have faced in sport leadership at times is a sense of loneliness and isolation. Not knowing who to call or who might be able to support me, to counsel me or just to listen to me and give me a sense of confidence to lean in and back myself.

These events are so valuable because there is an opportunity to create those connections with other women but also an opportunity to learn and to challenge your own way of thinking. One of the things I find interesting about the sport sector is because individual sports are so different, the perception is we must all be facing different challenges – when in fact we are actually often dealing with the same challenges and coming together really brings this out and offers solutions.

What are some of the other challenges faced by women in sport leadership roles?

A lack of critical mass of women in leadership positions in sport is a significant and multifaceted challenge. That is, until we reach a point where women are a critical mass in our leadership positions and on our Boards we will have a more challenging time gaining trust and influence. We know that having just one or two women on a Board or within a group does not substantially change the inclusion and acceptance of the women’s voice and ideas. Without critical mass, one or two women within a Board can stand out and be fiercely and unfairly scrutinised and stereotyped. They run the risk of being the “token woman” or the “quota position” and are not taken seriously.

The more women we have in sport leadership the less it will be perceived as tokenism and we will be valued as individuals with important skills and perspectives across the whole sport and the sector. It will also provide an opportunity for challenge to the established culture in sport – which is increasingly front and back page of the news, and not in a good way!

For women who aren’t necessarily pursuing a role in sports leadership or governance ourselves, what can we do to support women in this space?

We need to acknowledge and recognise that even the smallest role, from managing the under-10 team to officiating an event, to being vice-captain of a social team could be what sparks someone to want to pursue sports leadership roles. We need to encourage and support women to have the confidence to pursue these roles and to know when obstacles are put in their way that there is a support network to assist.

Help women who want to pursue these roles by facilitating access to your own network and contacts to that their networks and contacts expand. You never know when someone you know might be able to assist someone else you know. We will all benefit from promotion, support, and sharing of the great stories of women and girls succeeding in sport at all levels and in all roles.

What kind of background qualifies someone for a role in sports leadership or governance?

Everyone in our community is qualified to be a leader in sport. Whether in a local sports club, a state sporting body or a national sporting organisation. Sport leaders are managing our under 6 basketball teams, they are sitting on Boards or Committees, they are coaching our athletes, they are our athletes and they are employed within the sector.

Volunteer leaders are crucial to the success of sport in this country. Whether people invest their time in sport as a volunteers or as their career, ongoing commitment to professional development 0 which helps to build competence, confidence, and capability – is crucial. I encourage volunteers to look for opportunities to undertake courses and development which aligns with their interests and which will add value to the sport sector.

What are you most looking forward to about the workshop?

I can’t wait to experience the diversity of sports, ages, interests and passion of women in sport in one place… and to learn, connect, and be challenged.

the essentials

What: The CBR Women in Sport Workshop Series – Session One
When: Monday 13 May from 5:45pm
Where: Phillip Oval, 6 Spoering Street, Philip
Register: eventbrite.com.au