BURLINGAME, Calif. — Encircled by 30 or so teenage girls in the end zone of a high school practice field, Pam Baker provides the game plan for the day, breaks down the huddle and sends her charges to position-specific training stations.
From there, the Northern California former businesswoman and mother of two roams the field. She keeps a watchful eye on the instruction and action on this third day of her flag football clinic at Burlingame High School, just outside of San Francisco. Baker ensures that her coaches are adequately supported, and remains alert for any issues with athletes that may require one-on-one attention.
- Pam Baker, a Northern California businesswoman, founded the Women's Coaching Alliance (WCA) to honor her late husband's legacy and provide Bay Area youth with quality coaching.
- The WCA's mission is to recruit and develop teenage girls into coaches, giving them leadership skills that will translate to the corporate world.
- Baker recognized parallels between sports and the business world, and believed that providing young women with coaching experiences and support could help them deal with challenges in their future careers.
- The WCA has turned 59 San Francisco-area high school and college-aged girls into youth coaches for various sports, with another 40 girls attending leadership academies or other functions.
- The program pairs each two-person coaching staff with two adult mentors: a coaching veteran and a corporate world leader, who guide them through their seasons.
- The WCA pays each youth coach a modest stipend to teach them the value of their time and help close the gender wage gap.
- Baker has established relationships with high-profile sports figures, such as Steve Kerr and the San Francisco 49ers' outreach program, to strengthen the impact and reach of her organization.
- The WCA's flag football clinic, led by Brittany Dybdahl, a product of the program, exemplifies the results Baker and the organization aspire to achieve and build upon.
