It was a night to remember.
A discussion that could have extended well beyond the scheduled finishing time. Catering were collecting last of the glassware and the house lights at Ikon Park just switched off, but that didn't concern some forty-five guests who continued their endless chat of women in sport and recreation.
This conversation is not a new one and has been a talking point among State Sporting Associations in Victoria for a while now.
Last night’s VPN event featured a panel of experienced and respected women who have successfully carved out careers in sport in Victoria.
Hosted by sports journalist and author, Angela Pippos opened the floor and welcomed the discussion on lessons learnt from sport at the elite level.
Vicsport Chairman Margot Foster AM openly shared her thoughts on how live television coverage has generated interest in people wanting to watch women playing sport.
"The number of cameras covering the Olympics is great exposure of women competing at the top level across a variety of sports".
AFLW commentator Chyloe Kurdas, known for her efforts in developing female football talent in Victoria and assisted in the creation of AFLW from its infancy, addressed the need for sporting clubs to be more culturally diverse and accepting;
"AFLW is a great example of a national sporting club embracing openly gay athletes".
The panel were asked "Have we reached the pinnacle of sport for women in Australia?”
Former Australian Diamonds netballer and Melbourne Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield without hesitation said;
"We still have a long way to go. We have come so far in acknowledging the talents of women on the sporting field but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done by way of equal pay for elite athletes in this country".
High on the agenda last night was the topic of how to boost female participation at sporting clubs, to which Angela Pippos stated;
"More money needs to be pumped into girls participating in sport at grassroots level".
Last night was an evening for Vicsport members to build their networks and connect with like-minded individuals in the sporting industry.
Keep an eye out for upcoming Vicsport events here and subscribe to Sportsview for industry news and updates.
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