ANN PEGORARO
“Sport can play multiple roles in your life, even when you no longer play.”
Meet Ann Pegoraro, the Lang Chair in Sport Management and the Director of the International Institute for Sport Business and Leadership at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph, Canada. As an academic, her research centres on emerging issues in sport management including governance, digital media and gender equity. She is passionate about contributing to sport and ensuring equitable access for future generations.
“My journey in sports began with school sports in elementary school. I was always so excited to try out each sport, to join teams and to have fun with my friends through sport. This first love of sport has sustained me from athlete, to coach, to volunteer and now to educator/researcher.”
A PASSION INFLUENCED BY EXCLUSION
“One day in elementary school I was excited to see that there was a ball hockey game going on during recess (as a Canadian hockey was THE sport). I told the teacher that I was excited to play to which he said ‘girls do not play hockey, you need to go play with the girls at recess.’ I was so upset. Why could girls not play hockey? Why did none of my friends get to play?
I still have such vivid memories of this moment decades later.
This shaped my determination not only to play sport, but to show everyone that girls belonged in sport, that women belonged in sport.
I have played, coached, been an administrator all in the service of girls and women in sports. My research focuses on gender and inclusion and I take every opportunity to champion gender equity in sport and to demonstrate that girls who play sport become women who lead.”
COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN WOMEN’S SPORT
“The growth of women's professional sport is such an explosive movement right now, that I am excited to see all the emerging commercial opportunities. We are seeing new sponsors coming to women's sport, new investment companies being formed to invest and build women's sport, and new league or event models being launched for women's sport.”
“The one year growth of Unrivaled women's basketball, the emergence of Athlos for women's athletics, the Northern Super League for women's soccer in Canada and the successful launch and expansion of the PWHL in women's hockey. So much is going on and there are new records being set almost daily.
New highs in franchise fees in the WNBA and NWSL, record valuations for franchise sales, record media rights deals. Each day brings a new commercial opportunity in women's sport.
Now is the time to invest, to partner, to sponsor women athletes, to watch and to buy tickets. It's an incredible time!”
ANN’S WORK & PURPOSE
“To me, the story is that sport can play multiple roles in your life, even when you no longer play. Sport has had such a positive impact on my career and provided me with skills and experiences that were formative in my journey to where I am today.”
“Given where I am in my career now, I am truly focused on impact and legacy of my work whether it is through my research work with the sport industry or through the brilliant graduate students I get to work with.”
