Women & Girls in Sports Luncheon
Women & Girls in Sports Luncheon committee co-chair Alison Bernal, second from left, with speakers and college coaches, from left, Serela Kay of UCSB, Justine Bosio of SBCC and Kirsten Moore of Westmont College. (Rochelle Rose / Noozhawk photo)
  • Women & Girls in Sports Luncheon committee co-chair Alison Bernal, second from left, with speakers and college coaches, from left, Serela Kay of UCSB, Justine Bosio of SBCC and Kirsten Moore of Westmont College.
    Women & Girls in Sports Luncheon committee co-chair Alison Bernal, second from left, with speakers and college coaches, from left, Serela Kay of UCSB, Justine Bosio of SBCC and Kirsten Moore of Westmont College.
  • Randy Weiss, left, and Penny Sharrett of sponsor Union Bank with luncheon committee co-chair Laura Leighty of American Riviera Bank and Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table board member Joe Howell.
    Randy Weiss, left, and Penny Sharrett of sponsor Union Bank with luncheon committee co-chair Laura Leighty of American Riviera Bank and Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table board member Joe Howell.
  • Jennifer Wobig, left, and director Penny Morgan Overgaard of presenting sponsor Cottage Concussion Clinic.
    Jennifer Wobig, left, and director Penny Morgan Overgaard of presenting sponsor Cottage Concussion Clinic.
  • Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte, left, with event sponsor Andrea Johnson of Maho & Prentice.
    Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte, left, with event sponsor Andrea Johnson of Maho & Prentice.

iSociety: Rochelle Rose

The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table once again hosted the annual Women & Girls in Sports Luncheon on Feb. 3 at the Earl Warren Showgrounds.

Joining hundreds of similar observances and celebrations across the United States and coinciding with the National Girls & Women in Sports Day, the observance commemorates the passing of Title IX and highlights the accomplishments of local female athletes.

“We are happy to join Girls & Women in Sports Day celebrations in all 50 states and recognize the positive influence of sports participation for girls’ development and the progress that has been made to ensure that there is equality for females in sports,” luncheon committee co-chair Alison Bernal said.

Laura Leighty, luncheon committee co-chair, told Noozhawk, “Today, we have 470 young women athletes here who have traveled from local high schools and colleges.”

This year, the event featured three local women college coaches: Serela Kay (UCSB, women’s water polo), Kirsten Moore (Westmont College, women’s basketball) and Justine Bosio (SBCC, women’s softball). The on-stage Q&A was moderated by former female athlete Catherine Remak from K-LITE radio.

The presenting sponsor was Cottage Concussion Clinic. The luncheon also was sponsored by three foundations: the Volentine Family Foundation, the George Page Foundation and the Outhwaite Foundation. There were also numerous table sponsors, including Noozhawk.

The theme, “Perspective from the Top: Earning Your Spot, Keeping Your Spot, and Life After Your Sport,” was examined by the panelists. All three accomplished coaches and athletes shared that none of them had been coached by a female coach during their college careers.

Despite the passage of Title IX in 1972, which guaranteed gender equity in athletics, the percentage of women who coach women’s teams has been on a steady decline. With higher status and larger payrolls, coaching women's teams has become more attractive to male coaches.

Moore commented on the death of basketball great Kobe Bryant: “Our team has been in a state of suspended disbelief. This is the power of sport. It’s not about winning a game. It’s about impacting people. Kobe had a tremendous impact on sports and women’s sports. He recently said that he knew five women who could play in the NBA. In 1997, he missed a memorable shot in an important game, but through perseverance and hard work, he perfected that shot.”

Women & Girls in Sports Luncheon
Randy Weiss, left, and Penny Sharrett of sponsor Union Bank with luncheon committee co-chair Laura Leighty of American Riviera Bank and Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table board member Joe Howell. (Rochelle Rose / Noozhawk photo)

Bosio, a 2000 Dos Pueblos High School graduate, said she learned the value of hard work on her family’s avocado orchard.

“I started out playing on a boys Little League team,” she said. “My father coached me until I entered high school.”

Kay confessed that she felt that she was a competitive athlete “from the womb.” Along with a successful athletic and coaching career, she earned a master’s degree in sports science from the U.S. Sports Academy, a master’s degree in education from UC Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Maryland, University College.

The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table was founded 51 years ago to recognize and support athletic participation as an important means of fostering discipline, teamwork, self-respect, personal responsibility, and camaraderie. It publicly honors athletic performance, scholastic achievement and exemplary ethical behavior of local student athletes.

Click here for more information about the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table, or call Leighty at 805.455.3254.

— Noozhawk contributing writer Rochelle Rose can be reached at rrose@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.