Women in sports discuss industry triumphs, challenges

Establishing a support system is something fundamental to success in any field. For women in the sports industry, this is a building block that is paramount to success.

For Janet Dutch, executive vice president of marketing and communications for UBS Arena and the Islanders, she said she had a village to help her build her career.

“For me, it has been finding mentors who have been in the industry, out of the industry, and I feel like I have a village of support,” Dutch explained, speaking on the women in sports panel at UBS Arena on March 5.

Alexa Gruschow, PWHL New York forward, feels that having the opportunity to play hockey at the professional level is a privilege.

“Just to see it as an opportunity to lead, and maybe push through a closed door, and then to hold that door open for other women behind us, that can then kind of become your team,” she said.

New York Islanders MSG telecast host Shannon Hogan moderated the panel, which included Lindsey Post, PWHL New York goalie, Gruschow, Alexis Moed, president of Islanders Elite Hockey and Northwell Health’s New York Metros, Amy West, physical medical and rehabilitation sports medicine doctor at Northwell Health, Dutch, and Pattie Falch, marketing director of partnerships and consumer experience at Heineken USA.

Audience members included Islanders Girls Elite, a program established by Alexis Moed with the Islanders and Northwell Health in 2016 that helps girls ages 8-19 develop their hockey skills and play competitively, Team Long Island, a competitive girls ice hockey travel team, the Long Island University Women’s hockey team and several youth hockey organizations.

The panelists all gave insight to the aspiring women in sports in the audience about how their own career paths through the world of sports.

As a woman in sports, Hogan said she fights imposter syndrome every day.

“All you can do is the best that you can do,” Hogan said. She asked the panelists if they had any advice for dealing with imposter syndrome.

For West, she considers the amount of professional experience and expertise that she brings to her position as a woman treating women in sports.

“In my case, there is no one who can treat a female-athlete like I can because I understand the experience,” West said. She said based on her experience and ability to connect with patients on a personal level as an athlete gives her a different perspective on issues they deal with.

“Having that belief in yourself, and knowing what you bring to the table, to the situation… it’s important to remember that,” West said.

For Moed, she has pushed through anxieties and doubts that she has had growing up playing hockey. She started out playing the sport with boys and didn’t have an opportunity to play with girls.

She spoke of her experience being the general manager of the Connecticut Whale and doubts she had going into the position.

“You just do it and then you get experience from that, you get confidence,” Moed said. “And then the next time another challenge comes up, you say, ‘Well I’ve done it before. I’ll figure out how to do it again.’”