Images of Us Sports
Providing a Unique, Educational, Cultural & Athletic Experience for Girls and Women.
Blog/News Article
As Images of Us Sports celebrates its fifth year sharing, educating, and empowering girls and women through sports, the organization is taking this time to honor women who possess the skills needed to juggle multiple duties both in and outside the home. Vicki Vannieuwenhoven, the first female vice president of Finance for the Green Bay Packers and the mother of three children, is a woman that represents a generation of women that have embraced the commitment to work/life balance.
Vicki acknowledges that work/life balance is the most difficult challenge she faces. “Being committed to both family and career, a working parent never quite feels that they have mastered both,” she said. “I have been fortunate to have worked for employers that allow some flexibility and my family has also been very supportive of my career. It comes down to many things that make it possible to balance both…my husband who handles many of the responsibilities at home, neighborhood car pools, not getting much sleep, knowing many other parents who do the same, and my kids who have learned to understand that we do the best we can. I truly believe that the experiences and lessons learned from parenting become very valuable tools to use at work.”
As a volleyball and basketball athlete in high school, Vicki was not daunted by the task of balancing school and sports, stating that her enjoyment of the sport never burdened her to attend practices or play the games. She says, “The more challenging part was that I was very driven when it came to my grades so I did spend a great deal of time on homework and studying. I often woke up in the morning with my bedroom light on and my books lying around me on my bed after I had fallen asleep studying the night before.”
Vicki states that being an athlete helped to prepare for her career in a number of ways. She learned early what it meant to be a part of a team working toward a common goal and how to juggle a number of things at once. Vicki also learned that although disagreements may arise with a coach or teacher or a teammate, it was a must to be respectful and learn to work together anyway. Vicki explained, “Participating in sports provides a great foundation for being a role model and teaches athletes about representing not just themselves, but their teams and schools also.”
How did Vicki end up pursuing a career in accounting? “I became interested in accounting in high school when a teacher approached me and a couple of friends about taking the class as an independent study (it was not offered as a standard course then). I did well in the class and enjoyed the ‘math’ part of it. Math was always one of my favorite subjects.” She adds, “Of course, like most accountants, I have learned over the years that there is so much more to it than just ‘numbers’.”
I asked Vicki how she feels about being the first female vice president in Packers history. She said, “I never really thought of it until someone asked me that question in preparation for an interview. There are other VPs at other teams and similar positions across the country in a number of industries. I guess professional football will always be considered a man’s sport, so I am honored to have had the opportunity as one of many women who have a career in this industry.”
In addition to sports related activities, IOU Sports is committed to providing educational opportunities for girls to learn about careers in sports and recognizes that girls see Vicki as an inspiration. To this regard Vicki says, “It wasn’t until after being promoted to vice president that I first realized that many people saw it as inspirational to other girls. I didn’t realize it would stir such interest. There are so many amazing women in high level positions at other companies; it just happens to be that the public has great interest in professional football and the Green Bay Packers. That is what makes it a story. I hope it helps girls see that there are many opportunities out there and they can choose something they are interested in and take it as far as they desire.”
When asked what kind of advice she would give to girls and women wishing to pursue a career in sports, Vicki said, “The same advice I would give to anyone pursuing any career. It is not really about your gender; it is really about committing 110% to whatever it is you are doing at the time. In every job you have, do it the best you possibly can. And always treat people respectfully along the way. A big part of being happy in any job comes down to respecting yourself and respecting the people and company you work with.”
Vicki’s children, ages fourteen, twelve and ten, all play sports, though the Vannieuwenhoven rule at home is that homework comes first. In direct response to her work/life balance commitments, Vicki says, “Although I may miss a game every now and then due to work, we have spent most weekends in the last five years driving all over the area to participate in basketball and baseball tournaments.” She continues, “Having three children, like many parents, our kids have at least one activity going on almost every night. And, I would not trade that for anything. Knowing how valuable sports are to their growth, learning and meeting people, I am more than happy to live a life of chaos for a while and sit on countless bleachers cheering them on.”
Packers President and CEO, Mark Murphy, acknowledges Vicki’s dedication to both her career and family. “I enjoy working with Vicki and I’m impressed with how she handles the balance between work and her kids,” he said. “I know she will continue to do a great job with the Packers.”
Not only is Vicki a role model for girls wishing to follow in her footsteps, she is also an example for women seeking to stabilize the responsibility of work with the devotion to family. She is a woman in harmony with her balancing act.
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