Women's History Month is widely celebrated in the U.S. during the month of March to recognize the success and accomplishments of women. Local groups, such as Dayton Women in Sports, work to bring women together and support each other throughout the month and all year round.
Dayton Women in Sports is a networking and social group for women who are involved in the sports world, whether that be playing, working or even just being a fan. The group does monthly meet ups at different local places in Dayton to give women the chance to build a community in sports and the chance to talk about what they are passionate about.
“This will be a welcoming space to swap stories and start building a supportive network of like-minded women in the Dayton area,” the Dayton Women in Sports website reads.
The organization was started by the founder, Val Arias, who is a Dayton native. She has a background in video production and marketing with the University of Dayton Athletic Department and executing brand activations for major sports events in the region. She talked about the importance of starting this group.
“In bigger cities they have these established women’s sports organizations, but there really wasn’t anything here in Dayton. So, I really just wanted to create a space where women could meet and just grow their networks and kind of just share ideas and experiences with others who just care about the sports industry,” Arias said.
While the group does daily meetups, they also are doing a March Madness bracket for women’s and men’s basketball with a pay-in for those interested. For more information, visit the Dayton Women in Sports website above.
Arias also talked about why groups like this are important to the culture of women in sports.
“People don’t always understand the challenges. I think it’s really valuable to have people that truly get it. And I also think that networking is a huge part of the industry,” Arias said.
In a competitive field, being able to network and build a community where women can feel welcomed, accepted and celebrated in their passion for sports.
