CoolPlay CEO, Tori Gardner, is determined to empower other women in sport to take up space and take on leadership roles in the industry.
CoolPlay is an NGO that has a developmental programme which focusses on working in underprivileged communities in South Africa, providing a safe space after school for learners aged 5-18 where they are involved in various sporting activities.
Throughout her career in the sport industry, Gardner has accumulated a degree in BA Sports Sciences, a postgraduate degree in Marketing and also went to Business School to study NPO Management.
She reveals that a part of her role as CEO is to show and direct people who want to help, how exactly they should help and ultimately make a difference in sport for children.
Speaking with Erica Mathye, Gardner reveals how she continues to take up space in a male dominated industry and how she manages to balance between family and work life.
Tori, thank you for taking this time to have a chat to us. Please tell us what it is that you do at CoolPlay and how the journey has been for you.
It’s been seven months since I took over the CEO role at CoolPlay and before that I was working at another NGO.
I think I’ve always been lucky with the men I sit around a table with. They have always been accommodating and really great. It comes with some challenges, but I wouldn’t say in my working career I’ve come up against too many challenges because I’m a woman.
What do you think has been your biggest highlight since taking the leadership role at the organisation?
For me it has been having the opportunity to go and look at the sites where CoolPlay operates and meeting some people in the communities who have a very strong calling to help the learners that are in their care.
I really enjoy meeting very good people in our country and elsewhere who want to give back but are not necessarily sure how to. So my role has been to kind of show them how to help and give them ways to make a real difference.
What has been your hardest moment as a woman in sport since taking the leadership role?
I think it has been the fact of prioritising because there are so many things and I want to live a balanced life. I’ve got a family, I like to run and I like to do well at CoolPlay. So just prioritising my time and really trying to give it my all in every one of those different areas.
What has been your personal mission when it comes to sport and gender inequality?
Growing up I have always been able to participate in sports and I have always been keen but I often have seen that it’s a difficult thing to do. For example, in my personal life I try to engage in the conversations and to always play even if I know I’m not as good as my male counterparts. I also watch sports, to be interested and to play when you get the opportunity, it brings you on a level playing field and creates a level of respect.
Society has always pictured leaders as male, more so in the sport industry. How do you think holding the CEO role at CoolPlay has helped the organisation develop even further?
I definitely think that there are traits that I have brought which have created opportunities for CoolPlay, especially having a positive outlook and accepting failure.
I have also been asking a lot of questions. There’s this belief that in order to be a leader you need to know every single answer and not feel like you are unsure of anything. So I have taken the approach that I don’t know everything and I’m going to ask as many questions as I possibly can.
I think I have brought that nurturing and understanding that we are all human beings at the end of the day.
Looking at the dynamics of sport in South Africa, what would you like to change when it comes to gender inequality and women being in leadership positions?
I think we are going in the right direction and that there is a huge shift. I see more women taking up leadership roles but I think everyone needs to take a developmental approach.
I’m in my role because of another female leader who saw potential in me and she gave me the confidence to apply myself and apply for a role which I probably wouldn’t have had the guts to do before.
I would like to see more women taking others under their wings and pushing them a little bit more to think that leadership roles are possible because it might not be for everyone but it is for a lot of people. If you aspire to, there shouldn’t be a reason you shouldn’t get it.
How do you want your role as a woman in sport to motivate other women?
I think I want people to understand that it doesn’t have to be one thing or another. Often we think in order to be a leader everything else needs to take a backseat. I think women are notoriously multitaskers and we can do it all. If it gives you joy being a leader and being at the table then there’s no reason that you shouldn’t make it happen.
Photo 1 Caption: CoolPlay CEO, Tori Gardner, is determined to empower other women in sports to take up space and take on leadership roles in the sports field. Photo: Supplied
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