Game Changers: The Women Powering the Old North State League

“You know a lot for a woman.”

    It’s a phrase women in sports often hear. How could we possibly know what an RBI is? Or who has the highest batting average in the league? Can you name five players on the team? We are women and women shouldn’t know sports. Sports is a man’s world. 

    That is changing. 

    Today is an example of that. February 5th is National Women in Sports Day. It serves as a reminder that, like men, women deserve a place in sports. For the Players League, the women are essential to its success. Women are integral to the league, from the front office to the people on the field like the photographers.

    Women's influence extends beyond the league. Women are having a significant impact on individual teams. Edenton Steamers, a team operating in the ONSL, their general manager is a woman. Lauren Baker was always a sports fan. In fact, she grew up going to Steamers games. 

    Sports was something that came naturally to her. She knew she had the traits to become successful in the field. “My professors always told me I knew more about sports than most of the men did,” Lauren recalls. So, when Lauren volunteered for the Steamers one summer, she knew this was where she belonged. 

     It's far too rare to see women in positions of leadership in baseball. So, when the opportunity to become General Manager of the team, Lauren knew it was one she should not miss. She had gone from being a volunteer to becoming the GM. Not surprisingly, the were comments about her gender.“A woman in sports leading the men of summer,” was a comment left on a post announcing Lauren’s new position.

      With a smile on her face, Lauren explains, “I’m just going to use this as motivation.” Just like Caitlyn Clark – a female athlete Lauren admires – she uses that negativity to push her to do better.

       She hopes that she can be someone the next generation of women can look up to and admire. When I asked her if she had any advice for them she said, “It's so easy to hear the negatives of what the world has to say, but try and seek the positives and seek the good things out of it.

       Lauren's attitude and dedication have helped her achieve success in sports. She is an excellent example of how, when women are given opportunities in sports, they thrive.

       Amanda Sibrizzi is one of the women who help keep the Players League functioning. She is known as the First Lady of Old North State League. Sibrizzi and her husband Eric, run the Old North State League, which is the largest operating league in the Players League. Unlike her husband, she wasn't overly crazy about baseball. For her it started when some of her husband's baseball players became ineligible due to their grades. She saw how the players struggled with the workload between practice, school, home life, and games. Known for her time-management and organizational skills, Amanda stepped in.

        Those skills were noticed by Alec Allred, CEO of the Players League. From there, Amanda worked to become the first lady of the ONSL. Amanda's experience is not shy from discrimination. 

      Amanda talks about a time after giving a presentation, one that was critical to helping the league expand, a former employee came up to her afterward and said, “Great to meet you. it's really cute that you and Lexie [CEO’s wife and chief creative officer of the Players League] are stepping in as wives to help.”

       Hearing this was a shock to her, considering she just put this presentation together and was more than qualified to do so. “As a woman, you have two choices. You can react. You can be polite and sit pretty and just take but you're not really given another choice other than those two things.” Amanda tells me. 

       Her statement sits true with many women in sports. It’s often a battle to navigate how to react to certain situations. However, Amanda remains true to herself and continues to believe in herself. Her impact is seen through these players being eligible enough to play, but also teaching them skills to succeed in the real world. 

     Similar to Lauren, Jessi Kennedy had always known she had a strong interest in sports. Growing up she wanted to be a sports broadcast, but realized how much English she had to take. She knew then maybe sports broadcasting wasn’t something she could do. But there was another way she could be involved. 

     After teaching for a little, Jessi was asked to help coach a girl’s soccer team. Baseball was her sport, not soccer. Yet, the team gave her way back into sports. It was then Jessi began taking photos of the team. She wanted to document it for those parents who missed the game, while also helping spread coverage of their games. When she was behind a camera, it just clicked. 

    After taking pictures for an ONSL game, she started to get some traction. That is when she was hired to become the league's photographer. One moment she had a little following on her Instagram @gannonballmedia, then the next thing she knew she had about 2,000 followers.  

     Sports had finally come back into her life. She laughs as she talks, “I spend more time in the dugout than I do anywhere else.” Her shooting finger even bears a baseball tattoo, a symbol of her passion for the sport of baseball. 

       Jessi tells me that her experience shooting for the ONSL has been life-changing. She couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity the Players League granted her. The field and the people became her safe haven. “Definitely saved me as a person,” she says as she talks about the relationships she built with the players and other photographers. 

      Jessi acknowledges the biases she has faced because of her gender. The weird stares or the passive-aggressive comments. But in her experience, the sports community has been nothing but welcoming. “I also have a lot of guys I work with who are 100% there for me,” She explains. 

      Jessi, Amanda, and Lauren are among many women who work and thrive in the Players League. The Players League is built on caring about not only its players but the people that make it successful. 

      As I sit here and write this piece, I reflect on my own experiences as a woman in sports. I reflect on the shocked looks and answers I receive, “You know sports?” or “Wow you really know what you’re talking about.” However, I also reflect on how impactful women in the sports community have been. It’s the supportive community within the Players League, but also the women I work with in fan engagement. 

     Sports have seen an increase of women in the field. We see people like Alyssa Nakken, the first female coach in the MLB, and Jessica Campbell, the first female coach in the NHL, make waves for women in male-dominated sports. On days like today, we honor those who paved the way for women. The Players League hopes to continue on supporting women who want to work in the sports field.