It's all about leading from the front. That's what it's about for Baseball Australia Board member Jess Goddard. She says she has seen a difference with having female leadership in sport and that's one of the many reasons she wants to get involved with sport at a top level. "Look at it from an elite perspective, it [baseball] is male dominated," she says. "To ensure that we are developing the women's game, doing what we need to do from an administrative level, it is imperative there are female leaders to drive the female agenda and let people know the women's game is equal to the men's game and not an afterthought." It's not just baseball Goddard is involved in.
Goddard works across multiple sports. She works at the National Rugby League (NRL) as the General Manager, Government Partnerships. She also spent six years at the Cronulla Sharks leading the marketing and communications team. Now she brings her experience to sit on the board of Baseball Australia as one of the Board Directors. Goddard says she enjoys the intensity of moments and delivering something special to a community.
" being part of the group that actually delivers something, that is incredibly exciting, she says. "It's incredibly valuable to a community or young people. It’s a privilege to be part of that."
Goddard - in both her rugby league and baseball experience - is a champion for women involvement in sport. "Women make up 50% of the population. When you deliver a sport, you need to have representation," she says. "It's important to ensure that we have the views of both halves of Australia." Providing a female perspective is something she takes pride in, she says. It's all about balance. "Even some of the jerseys are different cuts, right? They're female cut. To have that perspective is huge," she says. Goddard is one of the key figures in developing the national participation plan for baseball. "I think the biggest challenge is just making sure everyone's voice is heard," she says. Goddard is one of nine members on the Board of Directors for Baseball Australia. She is one of three women on the board. For more information on everyone's portfolio you can visit us at https://baseball.com.au/baseball-australia/about-us/
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