Members of the 2025 “Women in Sport” diplomacy initiative gather in Washington, D.C.
The University of Tennessee Center for Sport, Peace & Society (CSPS), founded in 2012, uses the powerful equation of sport and education to work towards a more equitable, peaceful, inclusive world, from Knoxville and Kiev to Kyoto and Kansas City. Inspired by legendary Lady Vols basketball Coach Pat Summitt, the mission to change the world one high five at a time is woven into our DNA. Social change is a team sport, and our work benefits Tennesseeans by connecting our local communities to global counterparts through service and scholarship.
This September, we welcomed 14 women from 13 different countries to the United States as part of our flagship “Women in Sport” sports diplomacy initiative. For this annual program, known as the Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP), we partner with the U.S. Department of State and espnW to bring sports leaders State-side for five weeks of in-person mentorship and knowledge exchange. During that time, participants worked closely with the CSPS, the U.S. Department of State, espnW, and mentors from the country’s top sports sector organizations; they also attended the espnW Women + Sport Summit in Ojai, California, as part of their learning journey.
NHL Executive Vice President, Club Business Affairs, Susan Cohig, left, poses with a member of the 2025 “Women in Sports” cohort.
The 14 sports industry professionals in this year’s cohort were sports administrators and executives, sports journalists, coaches, and social entrepreneurs. Not only do they already provide opportunities for thousands of girls and women to become leaders in the sports arena and in the boardroom. But they also brought unique insights from a kaleidoscope of countries and cultures that enriched our U.S. partners, mentoring organizations, and ourselves. The cross-cultural engagement and sharing enhances opportunities for women and girls at home and abroad. This year’s cohort included women from the Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Malta, Mexico, Serbia, Spain, Suriname, and Uzbekistan.
The mentor organizations for the 2025 espnW GSMP: Women in Sport represent the top entities within the U.S. sports industry. This year, that included the Big East Conference, Creative Artists Agency, DoubleVerify, ESPN, Green Bay Packers, NCAA, New Balance, the NFL and NFL Films, the NHL, Saatchi & Saatchi, the United States Tennis Association, and the University of Connecticut. We also welcomed first time mentor organization James Madison University (JMU)!
“This unique partnership brought together two institutions committed to advancing leadership through sport, physical activity, and education, and created a powerful platform for global impact,” said director of the JMU Morrison Bruce Center, Cathy McKay.
“We are honored to welcome this newest cohort of global leaders in women’s sports and to continue partnering with American companies committed to advancing the values that make the United States strong—meritocracy, fairness, competition, and equal opportunity,” said CSPS Founder and Director Dr. Sarah J. Hillyer. “Together, we are building the skills, confidence, and networks that help create strong, independent nations—self-sufficient, safe, and stable—where women and girls can thrive as leaders on and off the field.”
The CSPS has served as the cooperative agreement partner for the U.S. Department of State’s Global Sports Mentoring Program since 2012 and has worked alongside 301 alumni from 101 countries in both its Women in Sport and Disability Program exchanges. Alumni of the GSMP have returned home to establish 428 new sport- and community-centered organizations, reach over 900,000 participants in sport-based clinics and workshops, receive 1,039 awards or promotions, and have been featured in over 4,000 media stories, reaching more than 65 million people through social media.