Partnership designed to generate greater awareness of women in football and young athletes through a combination of in-person events and original media programming
CANTON, Ohio – November 9, 2020 – Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (“HOFV” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football and owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls (the “Destination”), today announced a partnership with Dr. Jen Welter, the first female to coach in the NFL, that will help support the growth of the Company’s events and media divisions.
As a brand ambassador for HOFV, Dr. Welter will host several live events at the Destination year-round to help cultivate the next generation of female athletes in football and other sports, including the Grrridiron GirlsTM football camps. The youth sports complex at the Destination will also serve as the home base for Grrridiron GirlsTM. Moreover, Dr. Welter will work with HOFV’s media division to produce docuseries and other programming based on her career and the on-campus events to help shine a spotlight on women in football and young athletes altogether.
“We are thrilled to partner with Jen to help promote the inclusion of women in football, a priority for our company,” said Michael Crawford, President and CEO of HOFV. “Jen is someone who is held in high regard across the sports landscape for shattering the glass ceiling and inspiring the next generation of athletes. Together, we have a real opportunity to do something special to raise the profile of women in football and youth sports overall by leveraging our world-class facilities to host events on campus and our media capabilities to produce unique content centered on these demographics.”
Dr. Welter is widely known as a trailblazer and pioneer in professional football, becoming not only the first woman to coach in the NFL, but also becoming the first woman to play running back in a men's professional football league. In the summer of 2015, she served as a linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals, where she formed a strong bond with many of the players. In 2018, Dr, Welter founded the Grrridiron GirlsTM football camps to deliver a message of empowerment and inclusion for women in football. Drawing from her PhD in Psychology from Boston College and personal experiences, Dr. Welter infuses football lessons with messages of self-worth, self-confidence and positive self-image to young girls of all ages, encouraging them to strive for greatness in whatever they pursue.
“I am incredibly honored to work closely with an organization in the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company that is as committed to increasing access and opportunities for women in football as I am,” said Dr. Welter. “I feel so strongly that by combining forces, we have the resources and platforms needed to bring greater awareness to female and youth participation in the sport while also opening a pathway for more women to become coaches, executives or officials. I truly believe that football requires participation from men and women in order for the game to achieve its greatest heights.”
Prior to joining the Cardinals, Dr. Welter served as the only female coach in Champions Indoor Football (CIF), where she helped coach the Texas Revolution to the most successful season in franchise history. Before joining the Revolution, she had a highly decorated 14-year career in women’s professional football which included four World Championships, two gold medals as a member of Team USA in the 2010 and 2013 International Federation of American Football’s (IFAF) Women’s World Championship, and eight all-star selections. Dr. Welter was inducted into the first class of the Women’s Football Hall of Fame on November 30, 2018.
About the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company
The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) is a resort and entertainment company leveraging the power and popularity of professional football and its legendary players in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company is the owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame's campus. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.HOFREco.com.
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