University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers host Freeman/W.I.L.L. Event
1/23/2017 12:00:00 AM | Student-Athlete Development
On Monday, University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics welcomed more than 350 student-athletes and local professionals to the Jean K. Freeman Girls and Women in Sports Celebration and Women Invested in Leadership and Learning dinner and panel discussion at TCF Bank Stadium.
This new event, which focused on developing women in leadership, merged two established programs aimed at empowering women and girls to excel throughout their lives: the annual Jean K. Freeman breakfast and Women Invested in Leadership & Learning (W.I.L.L.). Combining these into a single event included more student-athletes and exposed them to a larger group of working professionals.
A former Gopher swimming coach and pioneer in women's sports who continues to be the namesake of the event, Freeman led the charge for equality in sports and within the work force. After swimming for the Gophers and serving as an assistant coach for one year, Freeman spent 31 seasons as Minnesota's head women's swimming and diving coach until retiring following the 2003-04 season. During her coaching career, Freeman led Minnesota to back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1999 and 2000 and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times. Although she passed away in 2010, her legacy lives on.
Established in 2014, the W.I.L.L. program fosters empowerment and education of young women through a heightened sense of self as a means to personal and professional excellence.
More than 150 Gopher student-athletes and 175 professionals in the Twin Cities area met in the DQ Club Room at the stadium for an evening that began with networking and dinner. An introduction by U of M Director of Student-Athlete Development Anissa Lightner kicked off the formal portion of the program. Former Gopher swimmer and United States Olympian David Plummer followed Lightner by giving a touching tribute to Freeman.
A four-person panel then took center-stage, sharing their thoughts about leadership, mentorship, obstacles female professionals face and advice for Gopher student-athletes. Long-time Gopher supporter and former YWCA Minneapolis Director of Individual and Planned Giving, Julianne Bye, served as the panel's moderator. She was joined by: Co-Director of the Tucker Center, Dr. Nicole LaVoi; Associate Athletics Director Julie Manning; Vice President, Finance & Corporate Treasurer for The Schwan Food Company, Kate Nau, and; Assistant Athletic Director and Student-Athlete Development/Diversity & Inclusion Director, Peyton Owens III.
After the panel addressed questions from the audience, GenYWCA's Mary Salisbury took the stage to provide the evening's closing remarks. Like every Jean Freeman function, the event closed with the crowd singing the Minnesota Rouser.
Gopher Athletics would like to thank partners and sponsors of the event: The Schwan Food Company, St. Jude Medical Foundation, BMO Harris Bank and GenYMCA
