Victorian Basketball is leading the way with recognising and creating more opportunities to encourage equality, aligning with this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, Invest In Women – Accelerate Progress.
Within Basketball Victoria, 45% of our internal staff are female employees and in 2023 we also appointed our first female Basketball Victoria President, Michelle Bruggeman. More broadly, within our member associations, more women are taking on a range of leadership roles including presidents, CEOs, board members, coaches and mentors.
Katherine Gourley, Women and Girls Participation Coordinator for Basketball Victoria has been at the forefront of supporting and encouraging female participation across all aspects of our community and she is excited by how our sport is evolving, “For a long time sport has not been viewed as a space for women, however that never stopped the trailblazers who stood up again and again to fight for their place as athletes, administrators, officials, coaches and volunteers. This year’s IWD theme Invest in Women: Accelerate progress is the perfect reminder that investment into gender equity practices from the grassroots to the elite level will result in the acceleration of female participation in sport, and which can only improve experiences and outcomes for all.”
For this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) we are celebrating four amazing women in our community and the important contribution they continue to make.
Rebecca Lewis – 2023 Basketball Victoria Volunteer of the Year
Meagan Keating – President, Rochester Basketball Association
Samantha Woosnam – Coach, Dandenong Rangers Men NBL1 South
Michelle Bruggeman – Basketball Victoria Board President
Rebecca Lewis – 2023 Basketball Victoria Volunteer of the Year
Rebecca Lewis volunteers tirelessly for the Surfcoast Basketball Association and understands how important it is to support women in sporting roles. In her words:
"To challenge existing gender norms, create and demonstrate inclusive environments, it shows that women are valued and respected for their skills and contributions. I am passionate about ensuring we invest in women specifically, as investing in women is more than a matter of equity, it promotes diversity and representation, and ensures we reflect a broader range of perspectives. It is also important for women to see women succeeding in sport whether it be in competition, leadership, or administrative roles. I have seen how far the perception of women in sport has come as more women are represented in CEO, Director, Coach and many other high-level positions across sporting bodies in Australia. These women are powerful and influential, and leading the way for more and more women to become engaged in key positions in sport.”
Meagan Keating – President Rochester Basketball Association
As President of the Rochester Basketball Association, Meagan has been the backbone of the small basketball association as they navigated through some rather tough times, including the devastating floods in 2022. She believes it is vital to keep investing in our women across all areas of the basketball community, especially our small country associations as they are run as small businesses. In her words:
“Good small businesses have a variety of people in roles suited to their skills i.e. marketing, legal, finance and this is no different in sport. Many women who take on volunteer roles to assist their preferred sport or their family's preferred sport, need to be given the opportunity to upskill so they can thrive in a role, not just survive. I’m passionate about our sport and believe it is vital we keep investing in women as it highlights the skills that women can bring to the sport. Sport is a meaningful way to demonstrate the great skills women bring to this space. Women are all too often the ones that sit back and let a man take the role when they are suitably skilled. Sport administration can be a great way of developing confidence and highlighting skills that can be taken into other roles, but we must continue to highlight women. It is also important to acknowledge the administrators, both male and female, that find better ways to highlight and support women. I enjoy challenging the traditional ways of thinking to help bring new people into my committee that have specific skill sets whether they know the sport well or not. As it is all about a balance of skills and gender, regardless of their knowledge or experience in the sport, with the aim to always be adding new talent, especially women, to the committee.
This creates change. This creates equality. This increases skill and this assists to remove pre-existing bias. This is when growth happens.”
Samantha Woosnam – Coach, Dandenong Rangers Men NBL1 South
Samantha is head coach of the Dandenong Rangers NBL1 South men’s team and is the only female coach in NBL1 South. In her words:
“I strongly believe in investing in women in sport to achieve gender equality, fostering societal inclusivity, unlocking economic potential, and providing role models. Investment will challenge stereotypes, align with corporate social responsibility, and contribute to long-term industry growth. Basketball needs more strong female role models and leaders. By investing in women to accelerate their progress in basketball, and continuing to advocate for women will pave the way and provide pathways for generations to come. Supporting women provides us with a voice by fostering empowerment, breaking stereotypes, and promoting equality. Through recognition, encouragement, and opportunities, we as women, can share our perspectives, contribute to decision-making, serve as role models, and actively participate in various fields. I have seen a shift in the visibility of women in sport – however to continue to minimise the disparity, we need to continue to showcase and highlight the amazing women that are a part of our game and communities - from players and referees to administrators and volunteers. We need to use the momentum to turn discussions into reality.”
Michelle Bruggeman – Basketball Victoria Board President
Current Chief Operating Officer of Levande (Lifestyle Living for over 55s) and former Director of Melbourne Zoo and YMCA, Michelle Bruggeman is passionate and enthusiastic to continue female participation growth in our sport through stakeholder engagement, governance, and education. In her words:
“Having been involved in the sport since I was five years old, I have seen a shift in women being involved with the sport across all areas, and now as president I am passionate about encouraging more women to become leaders within our community at every level. It is vital that we encourage and lift each other up to reach and realise our full potential.
Having strong women across all areas of our sport gives balance, empathy and different perspectives to continue to grow the sport for both females, and males. I am proud of the investment Victorian basketball has made and continues to progress to ensure that we are achieving better equality within our sport.”
