For several years, the Sports Management Association stood as St. John’s University’s solo student organization dedicated to sports. This was the case until April 22, when a new program was announced: the Women in Sports Association, a club open to all, but its main focus was to tackle the issue of women in sports.
“I started this because I wanted to meet more like-minded women, especially in such a male-dominated industry, I think it’s helpful,” said Sarah Rao, a junior at St. John’s University and president of the organization.
Rao isn’t a stranger to leadership roles. She is an incoming member of the President’s Society for the 2025–2026 school year, an events coordinator for the Sports Management Association, a Catholic scholar, a GLOBE manager and lastly a resident assistant.
On April 21, the Sports Management Association (SMA) and Women in Sports program attended a New York Mets game. The program was invited to attend a pregame event, where four women who worked for the Mets’ sales team held a panel explaining how they started.
This event marks one of the first major events for the Women in Sports organization since officially being recognized as a campus group. Once recognized, the University gives its organizations access to funding and resources, which gives groups like this the opportunity to expand and reach more students, while tackling the main problem: navigating an industry that has long been dominated by men.
“We’re rapidly expanding, and now we can campaign more, fundraise more, and work with our amazing alumni network,” Rao said. “This Mets event is just the beginning.”
Since launching the organization in November 2024, Rao has brought together more than 80 students — including both women and men— who share an interest in sports.These students hope to one day work in sports, for teams in front office roles and sales.
Rao has helped to inspire so many young women who are interested in working in the sports industry, just like she had for the freshman representative of WIS, Cristal Rosa Sánchez.
“Even if many people in your community don’t believe in you, there’s always a percentage that does—and they’ll help you persevere,” she shared. “I’ve helped bring in a lot of new members, and some have already secured internships with big companies.”
The inspiration doesn’t stop at just members in her own organization. Rao, already being a member of the SMA e-board, has grown a strong relationship with President Chris Young, which has opened the opportunity for collaborating. The idea behind this is to create strong connections throughout the sports world—not just for their members, but for any students interested in the opportunities.
“Sarah has done a great job with the club so far,” Young said. “Combining that with SMA and doing these bigger events leads to more opportunities for students who are invested in the sports industry. That’s the end goal for both of us.”
Rao has a dream. Her dream is to work for a sports organization. This summer, she will be beginning an internship with the New York Mets as a member of the sales team, an opportunity she created through running the WIS program. Once an independent organization that would meet once a month, the University is fully on board with women working in sports.
“I believe it makes my career dreams to work within sports—marketing, sales, wherever I end up—feel possible,” Rao said. “This isn’t far-fetched anymore. It’s real.”
