For the past month, a piece of Sydney Swans history has been created with an all female trainer group for the club’s AFL matches.
The female trainer group of Katherine Tapscott, Nicole Gunzburg, Lana Karam, Helena Setio, Maggie Parsons have led the way on match days over the past four rounds with sports trainer duties.
Women make a big contribution at all levels of the football club and the ‘Advancement of Women’ is a key pillar of the club’s Diversity Action Plan (DAP).
The club is proud of the existing gender diversity and committed to creating even greater opportunities for women, as well as developing pathways to help female staff reach their aspirations.
Medical Services Coordinator Katherine Tapscott, who started at the club this season and is responsible for managing the trainer group, said it was a ‘rewarding and special feeling’ to be part of an all-female training group.
“It excites me to see more females in the sporting industry,” Tapscott said.
“It was not my intention to have an all-female training group and I was not even aware of it until I was informed after the game.
“They are a highly skilled and experienced group of trainers.”
Tapscott said the group reflects well on the evolution of the industry, but more importantly on the ‘Bloods’ culture at the Sydney Swans.
“It makes me proud to be a part of a supportive and inclusive club” Tapscott said.
“I hope it inspires more females to work hard to achieve their goals and ignore any gender bias they may experience.
“I come from the standpoint where the right person should be picked for roles based on skills, experience, professionalism, attitude and their ability to fit into the team regardless of gender, race, religion or sexual preference.
“I once got told that the right person will always open up the right opportunities.”
The saying 'you can only be what you can see' has been linked to women’s sport and coverage in the media in recent times but can also be applied to women working in sport and it’s a motto which Tapscott is a firm believer in.
“It is important to see professional women in these roles as it then paves a pathway and can provide confidence, inspiration and motivation for other females to pursue their goal,” Tapscott said.
“I think it’s great to see women being included and respected in the sporting industry and that there are pathways being established that empower women to grow, develop, seek out and take opportunities. This will indirectly address issues such as equality and diversity in industries.”
Visibility of women in roles such as those that Tapscott and her team perform will continue to close the gender gap that still exists in the industry, but Tapscott said it’s important to recognise the changes that clubs and organisations are making.
“I have been fortunate enough though to find great mentors, and have been involved in inclusive environments where I have felt supported to grow as an individual and a professional,” Tapscott said.
“I have experienced an evolution in the industry where a multi-dimensional approach to behaviours, language and leadership has been encouraged, and the Sydney Swans have excelled at this and continue to provide an environment in which each individual has a voice that is supported.
“I hear a lot of people say that we are lucky to have a role as a female in elite sport. This is rewarding to hear; however the reality is, everybody (male and female) has studied, worked hard, applied themselves and created or taken opportunities to get there.”
