ANAHEIM – The day started with Ducks coach Dallas Eakins meeting with the media after the morning skate and going over their recently completed trip and Saturday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes, among other things, and eventually getting to the jam-packed sports schedules of his two daughters Emerson (14) and Cameron (11).
In fact, Eakins said he was going to be spending a good chunk of the upcoming bye week helping his wife Ingrid shoulder the driving duties to his kids’ practices and games.
“We talk about it all the time,” said Eakins, wearing a T-shirt with the words, ‘Women in Sports.’
“Sport is for everyone. It should be for everyone. I’m extremely excited that our organization has really taken a leadership role in this and getting a day and night like tonight for women in sports going.”
Eakins was talking about the Ducks organization hosting “Women In Sports Night,” a first-time event here. Jillian Samueli-Reddin, the San Diego Gulls director of hockey operations, kicked off a panel discussion later in the day at Honda Center, a few hours before the Ducks-Coyotes game. Among those in attendance was her mother and Ducks owner, Susan Samueli. Henry and Susan Samueli have owned the Ducks since 2005.
“I’m very proud our organization is stepping to the forefront to highlight and promote strong women leaders on and off the playing surface,” Samueli-Reddin said. “In fact, all of the key elements of tonight’s celebration were strategically planned and orchestrated by more than 100 women sports executives working here with the Ducks organization.”
The lively panel discussion featured ESPN sportscaster Linda Cohn; three-time Olympic gold medalist and USA Volleyball Hall of Famer Misty May-Treanor; co-founder and president of Angel City Football Club Julie Uhrman, and Lauren Chamberlain, the commissioner of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch softball league. Moderating the panel was Aly Lozoff of Bally Sports West, the Ducks’ rinkside reporter
Uhrman’s daughter was in the audience, and Cohn talked about the time she received some wise words from her own daughter regarding social media around 2008 or so.
“My daughter was the one that always reminded me that the good mentions don’t mean anything,” Cohn said. “And the bad mentions don’t mean anything. They all don’t mean anything. ‘Mom stop looking at it.’
“That’s what I tell young people all the time – as much as they would like the ‘likes’ and posting Instagram photos and all of that, of what they’re wearing – don’t forget to be prepared for your assignment. That doesn’t include what you’re wearing for the gig. I get that times have changed. I get there’s a balance. But I’m glad we’ve seen – like softball – all shapes and sizes now for women who do what I do. And it just makes me smile.”