Bri Wade, Florida's director of on-campus recruiting, left Louisiana to rejoin head coach Billy Napier at Florida. (Photo: Jordan McKendrick/UAA Communications)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As a little girl, Bri Wade watched Kobe Bryant dominate in a Lakers uniform from her father's lap. On the hardwood floor in Los Angeles, the Black Mamba showed dedication, confidence and sacrifice. Bryant's talent reflected his mentality: the standard of excellence.
A native of Byram, Miss., Wade observed in awe. Wade's earliest sports memory is rooted in a special bond that she and her father share. The Lakers' purple and gold uniforms once captivated her attention, but now Wade reps Florida's orange and blue, sharing her journey as the director of on-campus recruiting and football events for the Gators.
Similarly, the revamped Gators program pursues excellence while building a solid foundation rooted in a winning culture. Culture starts from the leaders within the front office, and UF head coach Billy Napier has made sure that his hires reflect that standard of excellence. Several of those hires under Napier are female.
During Women's History Month, the female representation within Florida's football program served as an inspiration to females aspiring to have a career in sports.
"I think it's very important to lift as you rise," Wade said. "So, as you're rising, be lifting another woman up with you."
Each journey is different, and for some women working in sports, they could not visualize a career in sports until they saw other women succeed in the field. This was the case for Katie Turner, Florida's assistant athletic director of recruiting.
March is #WomensHistoryMonth and we are celebrating the women that impact Florida Football.
The University of Alabama graduate recalls the impact of seeing one of her mentors at Alabama, Candice Rosenkranz, in her position.
"I just thought, that is such a cool job because I love people, I love football and the fact that like, you can combine those two and really help, you know, build something special with the football program, it just seems like a dream come true," Turner said.
Turner doesn't know if she would have been able to envision herself in that role if she hadn't met Rosenkranz and learned from the example she set.
"It's just all about representation," Turner said.
Wade and Turner work as a duo with the Gators. They share electric energy and joy that beams from their eyes. The two also share an office with a coach where the players can come to talk to them at any point.
"We have a very open-door policy," Turner said.
Wade and Turner's intentionality to each conversation is evident through the football players.
"They bring a lot of energy," said linebacker Amari Burney.
Katie Turner, Florida's assistant athletic director of recruiting, is one of the women with important roles for the UF football program. (Photo: Jordan McKendrick/UAA Communications)
The ideology that Napier instills in his staff about putting people first is evident through the work of Turner and Wade. While recruiting, Turner and Wade have proven to bring the energy while creating relationships.
"I really do think it is about the people that are in the building," said Turner.
Another female in the building is Kelsee Gomes, the Gators' director of sports nutrition. Gomes recently returned to UF after a stint at the University of North Carolina.
Gomes treasures the relationships she has built during her career in sports.
"I think that's my favorite part about athletics," Gomes said. "It's just the relationships and the connections that I built here over the course of the being here for three or four years."
A working mother, Gomes has had continued support from her staff. At UF and UNC, the workplace allowed her to prioritize her role as a mother.
"Both work environments are so family-oriented," Gomes said.
Turner talks about the family environment that starts within the front office. The staff meets daily to get on the same page and ensure the visions are aligned.
"The full entire staff is crammed into this one room," Turner said. "That really helps with just the unity of it all because, I mean, it all goes back to just communication. Just all being on that same page at the beginning of the day."
The big family within the Florida football program shows the younger generation of females that the little girl reading this could one day represent the Gators just like Wade, Turner and Gomes.
As Wade once watched the Black Mamba from far away and far-inspired, the future generation of females in sports can be inspired by observing the representation of females within the Gators football program.
