Dr. Donna Lopiano has dedicated her life to invoking change in the world, but when it comes to introducing herself at speaking engagements, she rarely deviates from divulging her childhood dream in one succinct line.

“When I was four, all I wanted to be was a New York Yankee,” Lopiano said.

Lopiano never made it into pinstripes – there were still no girls allowed when she signed up for Little League at age 11, although there was little else she was not able to accomplish and experience in sports.

Coach, athletic director, former chief executive officer of the Women’s Sports Foundation and president of Sports Management Resources, Lopiano is consistently listed as one of the top 10 most powerful women in sports and is a member of several halls of fame, where she is immortalized with such names as Julius Irving, Marv Albert, Sandra Day O’Connor and Sally Ride (the first woman in space).

Through it all, it would appear as though Lopiano has barely broken a sweat, a trick she learned during her time with the Raybestos Brackettes.

Bitter to this day about not being permitted the opportunity to become the next great Yankee, Donna Lopiano did play professional softball for a decade. Her career started with the Raybestos Brackettes at age 16 and although her accomplishments would be many, she absorbed a lesson that would stick with her the rest of her career during her first practice.

On a championship team, Lopiano was informed that on the Brackettes, players were to make things look easy, no matter how difficult the task.

“When you make things look easy, it really is intimidating to your opponent,” Lopiano said.

Today Lopiano puts her gender equality and sport administration expertise and experience to use as a public engagement speaker. On Saturday, she made the trip to Grand Valley State University to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Title IX legislation.

Lopiano was keynote speaker at the Celebration of Women in Sport and Physical Activity reception hosted Saturday in the Alumni House which honored Joan Boand, former GVSU jack of all trades coach and professor emeritus of physical education, and Patti Rowe, GVSU professor of movement science, with an endowment fund that will support professional development opportunities for students. Lopiano also spoke at the Leadership Summit held in the Kirkhof Center. She helped to illustrate the progress that has been made.

For many in the over-capacity crowd that were drawn to the Alumni House for the proceedings, which included GVSU faculty, students and a slew of alumni, the impact was felt.

“Working in athletics, I became very well versed in it (Title IX), but today makes it hit home as far as what it really did,” said GVSU associate athletic director Keri Becker. “I was born in 1972 so I feel like I’m a Title IX baby. I never knew what it was to not have an opportunity. What it means today to see all those people who made that happen gives it more impact than I ever thought it would have.”

Lopiano also made a point to emphasize that although progress has undeniably been made, there is still a long ways to go before full equality might be achieved. Many in the audience are prepared to pick up the fight where their predecessors left off.

“Well I think at this point it transcends gender,” Becker said. “I think anything we can do from an athletic standpoint to be more diverse and inclusive as a whole, that’s where our focus should be. It’s about race, it’s about socioeconomics and I think athletics have a unique position to be one of the most diverse. That’s how we need to lead.”

Rachel Gladstone, GVSU sports leadership alum and student affair and leadership graduate assistant, helped to coordinate both events and walked away inspired. There may not be a female Yankee pitcher next season, but there are plenty of strides yet to make.

“Just because Title IX was 40 years ago and there have been changes, it’s not the only thing that can be done,” Gladstone said. “No matter who you are or where you are in life, you can do something.”
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