WATCH: Black Women In Sports Spotlight: Odessa “OJ” Jenkins
Women’s National Football Conference Founder, Odessa “OJ” Jenkins, addresses the needs in the female football space, how she believes the NFL can better support the WNFC and why criticism around women playing tackle football opposes the essence of embracing and expanding women’s sports.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 What do you say to people that say women should not be playing tackle football? That's not what they should be doing. I say
00:05 The the idea that football isn't for women is as crazy as the idea that football isn't for kids
00:13 Football isn't for you know, like the idea that you can quantify who a sport is for. Yeah
00:19 defeats the whole purpose of sports
00:21 visionary
00:23 Businesswoman leader. Those are just a few words that come to mind when I think about Odessa OJ Jenkins
00:29 She's a successful tech sports executive CEO of bonfire and the founder of the Women's National Football Conference
00:35 We recently sat down to chat about all things women's football and much more and how the Women's National Football Conference is
00:42 Redefining what black women in sports should and will look like in the future. So fun story
00:48 When I first met OJ it was on IG live
00:52 I was doing my podcast
00:53 Yeah
00:53 And I had just started and I was doing it on IG live during the pandemic and I wasn't familiar with you what you do
00:58 At the time and I was running late
01:00 I think I got caught in traffic and I talked to you from my car and you were so gracious
01:05 So incredibly kind and we've crossed paths several times after that and you've remained the same
01:11 So I want to first just salute you
01:13 For your temperament for your kindness for your courage and entering into a space that a lot of other people would say
01:19 Not so much
01:22 For you. What has this journey?
01:24 You know incorporating women into professional football been like for you
01:29 It's a dream, you know, I think
01:31 It's hard to tell at what stage you are of the journey. Yeah, so in some ways it's scary
01:39 But it is absolutely my purpose and I'm having a blast
01:44 You know somebody was telling me the other day like you look like you're having a really good time
01:48 Yeah, you don't have bags under your eyes or anything. You're looking grumpy
01:51 No, but I am I'm having a blast like I get to
01:54 Every day I wake up and I think about how to put women in position to win
02:00 How to put women and how to accelerate equity and make sure that there's an opportunity for her in every space
02:07 And so doing that for women in football is is personal. Yeah, I play I play tackle football
02:13 I coach tackle football doing that for the women that are here and that are coming behind it's personal
02:19 But I honestly it's also
02:21 Exciting because it's a business opportunity. Yeah, when you talk about
02:24 building a
02:27 national football league for women
02:29 What's the biggest barrier to entry that you encountered and what's the biggest level of success that you feel you've experienced so far sure
02:37 You know
02:38 Most people would think the barrier is the girls the women themselves trying to find women who play football where?
02:43 Hundreds and thousands of women are there so the women and girls are there which is nice the bigger biggest barriers
02:48 Resources. I think there's limited awareness and limited storytelling
02:53 But that comes because the dollars aren't there yet. Yeah, right where there is dollars
02:59 There are cameras where there are cameras. There are brands where they're brad, but right be gets be gets be gets
03:05 And so I think the biggest hurdle is going to be how to continue to be
03:11 strategic to have brands latch on
03:15 to the idea of women playing tackle and flag football
03:19 and then
03:22 Finding investors right finding investors that see women's sports as a smart investment and continue to grab at that
03:29 Yeah, what do you what would you like to see from the NFL specifically in?
03:33 Partnering and or supporting the work that you're doing in the league itself. Yeah, I'd like to see the NFL
03:39 completely and
03:41 explicitly
03:42 Support women playing football
03:44 Whether it be flag or tackle
03:48 I know the NFL is really focused on youth girls right now, which makes sense
03:53 Yeah
03:54 But I think that there is a space for the NFL to clearly come in and say we support with their dollar
04:01 Yeah with their resources. We support the WNFC. We support women playing tackle football. Yeah
04:08 And I think when that does happen
04:12 It will create a legitimacy for women playing football
04:15 Similar to how all of a sudden girls have been playing flag football forever. Yeah now in the Olympics. They finally caught on
04:23 Yes, yes
04:25 So yeah, I think that's what I'd like to see
04:27 I'd like to see the NFL say you know what we are turning our time our attention our dollars
04:32 To women's football to ensure that not only does it keep existing. Yeah, but it exists in an affluent way
04:39 Yeah, what do you say to people and I'm sure you've gotten this question before but I've never been able to ask you
04:44 What do you say to people that say women should not be playing tackle football? That's not what they should be doing
04:49 Well, this might not be for them
04:51 Realize is like everything isn't for everybody. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, there is an audience for everything, right?
05:02 And I think us as women's sports need to stop
05:06 Advertising. Yeah, of course, we have to be marketable. Of course, we have to be all those things
05:10 but I say the the idea that football isn't for women is as
05:15 Crazy as the idea that football isn't for kids football isn't for you know
05:21 Like the idea that you can quantify who a sport is for yeah
05:24 defeats the whole purpose of sports because sport is supposed to be
05:28 irregardless of
05:30 Gender where you're from what language you speak? It's a universal language of team of fun, especially this sport. Yeah, so
05:38 the other thing I would say that is really really important for me is that
05:43 We are past the time of anyone defining what women are capable of
05:49 I love that
05:50 We need to start defining what we're capable of and what we should and shouldn't do and it's time for the world to realize that
05:57 We're done with that. I love that
05:59 One major way that being a black woman in sports has enriched your life
06:04 Adversity, I know how to handle adversity. I know how to get it done with not a lot, right?
06:11 I said that like it was a rep
06:13 No, I know how to do it
06:18 I know I get it done right and it's like
06:20 people find it miraculous some of the things that we're doing in the league whether it be marketing or social media or
06:27 Finding brand partnerships where there were none before and I think as a black woman
06:31 I've gotten that because I know how to go get it without a lot of resources as a young girl from South Central LA
06:38 Like I know how to make it happen and be a 10x er
06:41 So that's helped me as a woman in sports and then the other thing is like I was born this way
06:46 I was born into a world into a society that doesn't always make a space for me
06:50 So I have to know how to use my voice and my presence as a black woman to make a space for others
06:57 And you've certainly done that and speaking of making a space you got some advice that you that you're leaving. Oh, yeah
07:03 Playbook, yeah, you share your secret to success that you left on the playbook. Um, so I put here
07:10 embrace the power of choice
07:13 Because I know that everyone's path is going to be different. Yeah, everyone's journey is different
07:20 And I think when you're going through it, sometimes you forget especially as women
07:25 Sometimes we forget that you always have a choice. Don't let the world don't let society don't let expectations
07:33 Take away your number one opportunity and that is to choose whether or not I want to do this or not
07:38 I'm gonna step forward step backward deal with the consequences, but it is always your choice. So embrace the power of choice
07:45 I love that. Well, thank you for choosing to be a trailblazer. Thank you. Always pulling for you
07:49 Yeah, enjoy yourself in this week and all the best when you see the kicks off. Thank you sister. I appreciate you
07:54 *Music*
07:56 *Music*
07:58 *Music*
08:00 (upbeat music)
08:02 you