Buccaneers program helps women kick off careers in professional sports

Shannon Hogue enjoys her job as a scouting assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team.

"You kind of you fall in love and it's been a really great experience and I've learned a lot," the 25-year-old said. "It's not where I thought I was going to be going to be 15 years ago, but it's been a really good with good run so far."

Shannon owes her dream job to the Buccaneers Women's Summit for Careers in Football program.

"When you think of football, you don't think, ‘Oh, did she play in high school? Did she play in college?’ She doesn't get that first introduction to get into that so-called boys club. So it's been really great to have that outlet for us to get that first step that not a lot of us women get."

The summit gives free first-hand experiences, from senior coaching staff and club executives, to women who really want to be a part of professional sports.

"We are at the forefront of gender equality in the league, and this is just another program that we thought through this offseason and wanted to implement it for women that are looking to break through into the National Football League and work," said Tara Battianto, vice president of community impact and the executive of director of the Glazer Vision Foundation.

The summit provides a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be a part of a pro franchise.

"I've really enjoyed meeting the 43 individuals that we're working with," said Battianto. "I've also really enjoyed the sessions, getting to know what our coaching staff, our scouts, our marketing team does on a day-to-day basis. It's just, it's truly interesting content."  

In its inaugural year, there were more than 40 women participating in the training sessions.

"You get to learn from all the different facets of working in a club and kind of see, OK, where do I see myself?" said Shannon.

She says working for the Bucs organization has been a dream come true.  

"I love it. I get to do what I love every single day with great people, so it's been a good experience."

The program is paying off; 16 class members have already found jobs.

LINK: For more information, visit www.buccaneers.com/summit/