TAMPA, Fla. — Having broken significant ground for women in pro football, the Bucs are pressing on with a little more pioneering.
The team has announced the launch of the Women’s Summit for Careers in Football, which it bills as a “first-of-its-kind program” run by an NFL club. Operated in conjunction with the league, the summit — to be conducted virtually in the first year — features a series of classes with team executives and senior coaching staff “providing insight into the skills, responsibilities and objectives of leaders in the NFL.”
Those wishing to view the sessions must first register online.
“Creating exposure and awareness of the many opportunities that exist in football and providing tangible advice for career development is key,” Bucs co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz said in a team news release. “The Buccaneers are proud to continue these efforts while advancing gender equality and diversity in our sport.”
Session One, which focused on coaching, featured coach Bruce Arians, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust. Upcoming sessions will involve roster management, scouting, marketing and digital media, player development, and performance and nutrition.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht, director of football administration Mike Greenberg, director of football research Jackie Davidson and other front-office members will participate in future sessions. All 43 members of the inaugural class of participants are previous attendees of the NFL Women’s Careers in Football Forum, of which the Bucs have taken an active role.
“Darcie, Coach Arians, Jason Licht and the rest of the Buccaneers organization have made it clear that diversity and inclusion is a critical priority across the board, specifically related to the inclusion of women in football,” said Sam Rapoport, the NFL’s senior director of diversity and inclusion.
“They are truly leading in this space. We’re proud of the impact the NFL’s Women’s Careers in Football Forum has had across the league, and to my knowledge, the Bucs are the first club to specifically address the lack of women in operations roles through intentional programming.”
Two years ago, the Bucs became the first NFL team with two female coaches on staff when Arians hired Locust and Maral Javadifar (assistant strength and conditioning coach). The two were the first full-time female coaches in franchise history.
Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.
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