Gatorade recently announced its newly formed Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board. The board intends to help drive continuous change for women and girls in sports. Its goal is to keep more girls in the game. Gatorade plans to do this by addressing the societal and cultural barriers that contribute to the attrition of females in sport. It will also address the ongoing decline in sports participation among girls. The Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board will also provide counsel on brand initiatives to better serve female athletes.
Encouraging participation in sports
“By establishing the Women’s Advisory Board, we have a dedicated group of women from a variety of backgrounds, professions and stages of life who will help us deepen our connection with female athletes, while also holding us accountable in delivering against our guiding pillars,” said Jill Abbott, Gatorade Head of Consumer and Athlete Engagement. “As a longstanding supporter of women and girls in sports initiatives, we know the importance of these efforts. It won’t be easy, but we’re a brand that is all about doing what is right for athletes. We will continue to ensure that female athletes have the inspiration and support to participate in and stay in sports.”
The power of sports
According to the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), high school girls have 1.1 million fewer opportunities to play a sport at school than their male counterparts. Research also shows that by the age of 14, many girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys. However, the WSF has also found that girls and women reap significant benefits from sport participation. These benefits are both immediate and long-term, in areas including physical, social and emotional. Additionally, sports can contribute to higher rates of success in academics and leadership positions.
The positive benefits of sports are well known by the Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board members. The board includes members of Gatorade leadership, professional athletes, sports practitioners, sports media and industry leaders.
Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board Members:
- Jill Abbott, Gatorade Head of Consumer and Athlete Engagement
- Carolyn Braff, Gatorade Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy
- Maddie Bregman, GirlZ, CEO
- Jennifer Brunelli, Sports Nutrition RDpro
- Tanna Burge, Texas A&M, Director of Sports Performance
- Aminah Charles, Beats by Dre, Sports Marketing Manager
- Elena Delle Donne, WNBA Champion, two-time MVP and Olympic Gold Medalist
- Gina Hardy, Tonal, Senior Vice President of Marketing
- Sydney McLaughlin, Team USA Track & Field Olympian
- Candace Parker, WNBA Champion, WNBA MVP, Olympic Gold Medalist, and NBA and NCAA analyst for Turner Sports
- April Ross, AVP Champion, seven-time AVP MVP and two-time Olympic medalist
- Sarah Spain, ESPN Sports Reporter and Chicago Red Stars Co-Owner
- Aleia Taylor, Women’s Sports Foundation, CMO
- Abby Wambach, Women’s World Cup Champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist
“As a female athlete, I know the undeniable benefits that sports participation has on girls throughout their lives,” said Elena Delle Donne, WNBA Champion, two-time MVP and Olympic Gold Medalist. “It’s an honor to join my fellow board members to advocate for the advancement of women in the game with the support of Gatorade.”
The Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board will kick off its inaugural year with quarterly meetings. Above all, these meetings will support the brand’s efforts to keep girls in the game.
To keep up with the Women’s Advisory Board, follow along with the conversation on social @gatorade on Instagram and Twitter.
About Gatorade
The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets the needs of consumers who participate in Sports and Fitness, through brands that include Gatorade, Propel, Muscle Milk, Evolve and Bolt24. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep understanding of the unique needs and occasions of different types of sports and fitness. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is underpinned by more than 50-year history of studying the best athletes in the world and sports-nutrition research by the Gatorade Sport Science Institute, allowing it to provide scientifically-formulated products that meet athletes’ needs both on and off the field. For more information and a full list of products, please visit www.gatorade.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. “Winning with Purpose” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business strategy and brands. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
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