Sports & Society Program Initiative: A Discussion with Lucy Montgomery
The Sports & Society Program Initiative in American Culture Studies is pleased to host Lucy Montgomery, AB ’14, the founder of the Women’s College Players Association.
Nearly a decade after Northwestern University’s football team made the first attempt by a college sports team to form a union, the need for athletes to have a collective voice and representation is more apparent than ever. Athletes are committing more and more hours to their sport and playing in conditions that prioritize winning above their health and safety. This talk will explore the Women’s College Players Association’s efforts to reach women college athletes and build an organizing structure that empowers women college athletes to find their voice, understand their rights, and fight for equity and justice.
Lucy Montgomery is the founder of the Women’s College Players Association, the first players association for women athletes at the collegiate level. Lucy has dedicated her career to helping improve the lives of women athletes. She helped launch Angel City Football Club of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in summer 2020 and was a member of the team that launched the Athletes Unlimited basketball league in summer 2021. She also has work experience in the public sector, working for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign and the mayor of Chicago. Lucy is a former Division III athlete at Washington University in St. Louis, where she was the captain of the basketball team. She earned a master’s in business administration from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a master’s in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School. She currently lives in Chicago, IL and enjoys playing pickleball and cycling along Lake Michigan.
If you're interested in joining us, e-mail co-organizer Noah Cohan.