Student-athletes from Carpinteria to Goleta gathered Monday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds for the annual Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Women in Sports Luncheon, an event focused on leadership, opportunity and the continued growth of women’s athletics.
The luncheon featured a panel discussion with UC Santa Barbara softball head coach Jo Evans, Santa Barbara City College women’s basketball head coach Sandrine Krul, and Westmont College women’s swimming head coach Jill Lin. The trio shared personal experiences and guidance aimed at inspiring the next generation of female athletes.
UCSB Director of Athletics Kelly Barsky moderated the discussion. The event was presented by Cottage Health and Mullen & Henzell L.L.P., continuing a longstanding partnership with SBART to promote equity and excellence in sports.
The program opened with remarks emphasizing the lasting significance of Title IX and its role in expanding opportunities for women in athletics. Cottage Primary Care Medical Director Dr. Jane Varner followed with a message underscoring the impact young female athletes have as leaders and role models, and reaffirmed Cottage Health’s commitment to supporting women in sports.
“Today, we celebrate [Title IX’s] legacy, and we celebrate all of you,” said Varner to the student athletes. “On behalf of Cottage Health, thank you for being amazing. We are inspired by you and are so proud to support you. You are the leaders, role models and trailblazers who will shape our future.”
During the panel discussion, Barsky prompted the coaches to reflect on how athletics shaped their lives and how sports can influence high school student-athletes beyond competition. Krul shared how basketball played a central role in her personal development, offering a sense of identity and confidence that extended far beyond the court. She emphasized that sports can be transformative, fostering resilience and perseverance even during challenging moments.
“Sports doesn’t just open doors, it transforms you,” Krul said. “I just want to tell all of you to stay the course. Don’t give in. Don’t give up before the miracle can happen.”
Lin highlighted the importance of applying lessons learned through athletics to other areas of life. She stressed that personal growth and self-improvement are possible when athletes approach their experiences with a growth mindset, remain present, and maintain a clear vision for who they want to become.
“Just knowing that the work I’m doing to constantly think about how I can inspire and encourage my athletes may not look like it inspires and encourages them tomorrow and I don’t see the outcome of that inspiration immediately,” Lin said. “But years down the line, when they are making really hard life decisions about what their future career is going to be or if they should pursue a masters degree in some area, they are able to think back in those little snippets and moments that we talked about something important.”
The conversation also explored leadership and its importance within women’s sports. Krul encouraged student-athletes to trust their preparation, embrace their voices, and maintain confidence, noting that effective leadership often emerges through perseverance and strong support systems.
The panelists and Barsky also discussed their favorite aspects of coaching, the moments that have defined their careers, and the qualities they seek in student-athletes aspiring to compete at the collegiate level.
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session involving the student-athletes in attendance. When asked about the future of women’s sports, Evans expressed optimism and encouraged continued advocacy, participation and support to ensure ongoing progress and opportunity for female athletes.
“We’re putting so much money into paying athletes, which I’m happy athletes are getting paid, but it’s been becoming such an enterprise that I’m worried about women’s athletics,” Evans said. “I hope that we can get people energized and excited about women’s athletics and girls’ athletics, and see what tremendous value it has to young people in our community in general.
“We really have to advocate for ourselves. We have to get in front of people. I firmly believe that if we can gather people together and have them come out and watch us and meet us and know who we are as people, they will get engaged, and they will be fired up about what we’re doing, and they’ll want to come and support.
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