Three Student-Athletes Attend the Women's Sports Foundation Athlete Leadership and Connection Event
10/28/2024 2:32:00 PM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Swimming and Diving, Women's Track and Field, Student-Athlete Enrichment
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.- Three Bucknell women student athletes, Jennifer Bolden, Isabelle Roes, and Lauren Shaffer, attended the Women's Sports Foundation Athlete Leadership and Connection Event on Oct. 15. The ALC is an annual event hosted by the WSF that aims to connect industry leaders with professional and collegiate women athletes and to inspire the next generation of leaders. This foundation was founded by Billie Jean King who wanted to provide success and opportunities to female athletes and leaders. The three athletes had the opportunity to listen and interact with some of the most notable figures in women's sports.
Three Bucknell women's teams were represented. Bolden is a member of the women's swim team which recently started its season. Roes throws for the women's track & field team. Shaffer runs for the women's cross country team and races distance for the women's track & field team. All three ladies symbolize the highest ideals of the Bucknell student-athlete in excellence in the classroom and in the athletic arena.Â
Here are their words on the event:
Bolden:Â
I had the pleasure of hearing from numerous athletes and leaders including Coach Lisa Bluder, who coached Caitlin Clark and Iowa to success; Lyndsay Signor, SVP of Consumer Engagement at NBC Sports; Madison Marsh, 2nd Lt. and 2024 Miss America; and Olympians Ashleigh Johnson (Water Polo), Mallory Weggemann (Swimming), and Julie Foudy (Soccer). The day included sessions on financial literacy, equity in sports and in the workplace, media training, leadership, transitioning skills developed in athletics to the workforce, and marketing surrounding the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The WSF also shared their research on the generational impact of sport on women's leadership, and their goal to involve more girls in sports, especially those from marginalized groups.Â
The speakers and members of WSF were incredibly inspirational, breaking barriers and creating pathways for women from all backgrounds to enter mainstream sports. Thank you to the WSF for coordinating the event and sharing their research, thank you to Morgan Stanley for hosting the event, and thank you to Bucknell Athletics for making this trip possible for Bucknell women student athletes.
(2024 Miss America Madison March and Bolden)
Roes:Â
"Being able to attend the Women's Sports Foundation Athlete Leadership and Connection Event was an experience unlike anything I have ever had the opportunity to do before. It was incredible to be in a room with such powerful and driven women who all shared a common goal with you: the advancement of women's sports. To meet female athletes who I have grown up watching on TV, speak to them and learn about their stories, was truly a moment of meeting your role models for me. My personal highlight of the event was being able to meet and speak to Coach Lisa Bluder and learn about how she defines leadership and nurtured it on her team. This event demonstrated to me why it is so important that we have women in athletics in all capacities, whether it be coaching, administration, athletics, or any other facet. My overall takeaway from this event was that if these women in front of me can do it, why can't I?"
(Panel of Paralympics and Olympians)
Shaffer:
"At the conference, we heard from various speakers including Olympic athlete, Ashleigh Johnson, who was the goalkeeper for the USA women's water polo team in Paris 2024, and Paralympic athlete, Mallory Weggemann, who competed for the USA in Paris 2024 in swimming. Both of these athletes talked about their experiences as female athletes and the challenges they faced to get to the Olympic and Paralympic games. It was truly amazing for them to talk about how they valued themselves as people and athletes, and how they were able to have a family and still compete at such a high level. The Senior Vice President of Consumer Engagement at NBC Sports, Lyndsay Signor, was also there with Ashleigh and Mallory, and she talked about the viewer statistics of the Olympic and Paralympic games. She was in charge of deciding what events were aired at different times, and who would be in charge of promoting the content of the Paris games. It was interesting to hear the games from this perspective and from someone who had this much power over the coverage."
Shaffer also had the opportunity to hear University of Iowa women's basketball head coach Lisa Bluder - a major coup as Shaffer, like many people, is a huge Caitlin Clark fan and she always admired Bluder's coaching style and leadership.Â
"My former basketball player mindset kicked in and I couldn't help but to be amazed when I listened to her talk. Coach Bluder talked about the progress of women's sports since she was a college basketball player. She talked about how it was almost unheard of for women to be college coaches, but this was her main goal, and she pushed through to reach her goal. She talked about the importance of never just accepting no for an answer, and to always know that you are capable of anything. She had this experience when she first applied to be the head coach at Iowa, but was denied and she continued to coach at Drake University. When the position opened again five years later, she wasn't afraid to reapply because she knew that that was where she was meant to be."
After Bluder concluded her talk, she allowed participants to come up and meet with her. Shaffer had the chance to introduce herself and explain how she ran cross country and track & field for Bucknell. Bluder expressed her admiration for the stamina and work ethic displayed by track & field athletes and gladly posed for a photo with Shaffer. The junior runner promptly plastered the photo everywhere on social media.Â
(Coach Bluder & Shaffer)
Shaffer's final words on the event sums up the great opportunity that she, Bolden, and Roes received:
"I could not be more thankful for the opportunity to attend this conference. It was truly an honor to represent Bucknell Athletics, and everything that we have to offer here. I learned so much about making myself a better leader, athlete, and overall person. I learned to value myself in all aspects of my life, such as a student, athlete, woman, daughter, sister, and so much more. I learned ways that I can better the culture of my team to make sure that everyone feels appreciated and important to our successes."
There is no doubt that someday all three ladies will in the not-so-distant future find themselves as members of such panels detailing and passing on their experiences to the next generation of female athletes.Â
About the Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate, and a catalyst for tomorrow's leaders. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we are one of the first organizations to recognize the powerful connection between sport access, equity, and society. WSF has been changing the game for 50 years through its research, advocacy, and community programming, investing over $100 million to help girls and women play, compete, and lead – in sports and beyond – without barriers. A leader and champion of the entire women's sports ecosystem, WSF amplifies the vital societal and cultural impact that is made when girls and women play sports. All girls. All women. All sports® To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
Three Bucknell women's teams were represented. Bolden is a member of the women's swim team which recently started its season. Roes throws for the women's track & field team. Shaffer runs for the women's cross country team and races distance for the women's track & field team. All three ladies symbolize the highest ideals of the Bucknell student-athlete in excellence in the classroom and in the athletic arena.Â
Here are their words on the event:
Bolden:Â
I had the pleasure of hearing from numerous athletes and leaders including Coach Lisa Bluder, who coached Caitlin Clark and Iowa to success; Lyndsay Signor, SVP of Consumer Engagement at NBC Sports; Madison Marsh, 2nd Lt. and 2024 Miss America; and Olympians Ashleigh Johnson (Water Polo), Mallory Weggemann (Swimming), and Julie Foudy (Soccer). The day included sessions on financial literacy, equity in sports and in the workplace, media training, leadership, transitioning skills developed in athletics to the workforce, and marketing surrounding the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The WSF also shared their research on the generational impact of sport on women's leadership, and their goal to involve more girls in sports, especially those from marginalized groups.Â
The speakers and members of WSF were incredibly inspirational, breaking barriers and creating pathways for women from all backgrounds to enter mainstream sports. Thank you to the WSF for coordinating the event and sharing their research, thank you to Morgan Stanley for hosting the event, and thank you to Bucknell Athletics for making this trip possible for Bucknell women student athletes.
(2024 Miss America Madison March and Bolden)
Roes:Â
"Being able to attend the Women's Sports Foundation Athlete Leadership and Connection Event was an experience unlike anything I have ever had the opportunity to do before. It was incredible to be in a room with such powerful and driven women who all shared a common goal with you: the advancement of women's sports. To meet female athletes who I have grown up watching on TV, speak to them and learn about their stories, was truly a moment of meeting your role models for me. My personal highlight of the event was being able to meet and speak to Coach Lisa Bluder and learn about how she defines leadership and nurtured it on her team. This event demonstrated to me why it is so important that we have women in athletics in all capacities, whether it be coaching, administration, athletics, or any other facet. My overall takeaway from this event was that if these women in front of me can do it, why can't I?"
(Panel of Paralympics and Olympians)
Shaffer:
"At the conference, we heard from various speakers including Olympic athlete, Ashleigh Johnson, who was the goalkeeper for the USA women's water polo team in Paris 2024, and Paralympic athlete, Mallory Weggemann, who competed for the USA in Paris 2024 in swimming. Both of these athletes talked about their experiences as female athletes and the challenges they faced to get to the Olympic and Paralympic games. It was truly amazing for them to talk about how they valued themselves as people and athletes, and how they were able to have a family and still compete at such a high level. The Senior Vice President of Consumer Engagement at NBC Sports, Lyndsay Signor, was also there with Ashleigh and Mallory, and she talked about the viewer statistics of the Olympic and Paralympic games. She was in charge of deciding what events were aired at different times, and who would be in charge of promoting the content of the Paris games. It was interesting to hear the games from this perspective and from someone who had this much power over the coverage."
Shaffer also had the opportunity to hear University of Iowa women's basketball head coach Lisa Bluder - a major coup as Shaffer, like many people, is a huge Caitlin Clark fan and she always admired Bluder's coaching style and leadership.Â
"My former basketball player mindset kicked in and I couldn't help but to be amazed when I listened to her talk. Coach Bluder talked about the progress of women's sports since she was a college basketball player. She talked about how it was almost unheard of for women to be college coaches, but this was her main goal, and she pushed through to reach her goal. She talked about the importance of never just accepting no for an answer, and to always know that you are capable of anything. She had this experience when she first applied to be the head coach at Iowa, but was denied and she continued to coach at Drake University. When the position opened again five years later, she wasn't afraid to reapply because she knew that that was where she was meant to be."
After Bluder concluded her talk, she allowed participants to come up and meet with her. Shaffer had the chance to introduce herself and explain how she ran cross country and track & field for Bucknell. Bluder expressed her admiration for the stamina and work ethic displayed by track & field athletes and gladly posed for a photo with Shaffer. The junior runner promptly plastered the photo everywhere on social media.Â
(Coach Bluder & Shaffer)
Shaffer's final words on the event sums up the great opportunity that she, Bolden, and Roes received:
"I could not be more thankful for the opportunity to attend this conference. It was truly an honor to represent Bucknell Athletics, and everything that we have to offer here. I learned so much about making myself a better leader, athlete, and overall person. I learned to value myself in all aspects of my life, such as a student, athlete, woman, daughter, sister, and so much more. I learned ways that I can better the culture of my team to make sure that everyone feels appreciated and important to our successes."
There is no doubt that someday all three ladies will in the not-so-distant future find themselves as members of such panels detailing and passing on their experiences to the next generation of female athletes.Â
About the Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate, and a catalyst for tomorrow's leaders. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we are one of the first organizations to recognize the powerful connection between sport access, equity, and society. WSF has been changing the game for 50 years through its research, advocacy, and community programming, investing over $100 million to help girls and women play, compete, and lead – in sports and beyond – without barriers. A leader and champion of the entire women's sports ecosystem, WSF amplifies the vital societal and cultural impact that is made when girls and women play sports. All girls. All women. All sports® To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
Players Mentioned
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track and Field(Coaches Camera) Salem Men's Water Polo Vs. Gannon (9/21/25)
Monday, September 15
Salem Men's Water Polo Vs. Gannon (9/21/25)
Monday, September 15
(Coaches Camera) Bucknell Men's Water Polo Vs. Wagner (9/21/25)
Monday, September 15
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Vs. Wagner (9/21/25)
Monday, September 15