GMS- Breaking Barriers, Seizing Opportunities: Women Shaping the Future of Pro Sports- On the Field & Behind the Mic

About the Speakers:

Ruthie Polinsky-
Ruthie Polinsky is currently the host of the Big Pro Football Show on the Chicago Sports Network (CHSN). Additionally, she hosts a Chicago Bears focused podcast called The Charter and occasionally fills in on other programs for the network like The Chicago Lead. Previously, Ruthie was a host and reporter for NBC Sports Chicago working a variety of roles including as a reporter for the Chicago Bulls, the host of the Bears post-game show called Football Aftershow, Football Night in Chicago, and Sports Sunday. She also served as the sports anchor on the local newscasts and was an assignment reporter.

Prior to NBC Chicago, she was the lead sports anchor at NBC 6 Miami, where she was recognized as an Emmy® Award Winning sportscaster, having won the Suncoast Regional Emmy for best Sports Talent in 2021. Before joining NBC 6, Polinsky worked as a Sports Anchor and Reporter at WPRI in Providence, Rhode Island for three years.

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Polinsky graduated from the University of Michigan in 2015 and received a dual degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Drama. It was there that she realized she could combine her love of performance and storytelling with her love of sports. That realization led her to pursue a career in sports broadcasting.

Upon graduation, Polinsky began her on-air broadcast career at KFDX in Wichita Falls, Texas. She was a Weekend Sports Anchor and Reporter for two years before moving to WPRI. While working in New England, Polinsky was able to cover two Super Bowls, a World Series and a Stanley Cup Final, while also following two college basketball teams to the NCAA Tournament.
In 2019, Polinsky received the National Sports Media Association’s “Rhode Island Sportscaster of the Year” award. That same year, she also received a National Academy of Television Arts and Science nomination for her feature story about a 15-year-old female boxer named Sierra Martinez.

Eileen Canney Linnehan-
Despite pitching at high levels throughout her softball career, she struggled making simple overhand throws between the ages of 13-26. In college at Northwestern University, she didn’t make a single successful overhand throw that resulted in an out. She could flip the ball underhand, but when she went to make the throws, her arm would go numb, and the ball went everywhere except for my target. The root of her issue was deeply programmed from past experiences and was spiraling under the surface. Eileen constantly feared defensive plays and letting her team down. As a result, a crippling mental block emerged.

Since earning her degree in human development and psychological services from Northwestern in 2007, She has taken a professional interest in best practices to control, maintain, and (in many cases) cure the yips. Her education, first-hand experiences, and research have resulted in mentorships with dozens of affected athletes, conversations with countless coaches, and speaking engagements at national conferences. 

Situations and issues with mental blocks and the yips all vary, but my findings and solutions have been consistent. She has used these same methods for myself, and is now one of her own success cases. She believes that she effectively communicate mental tactics and exercises to those who struggle with performance anxiety, mental blocks, and the yips. In most cases, the athletes have gained the ability to manage and overcome their issue.
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She is currently on a mission to help these athletes reach their highest potential, void of an experience where mental blocks hinder their performance. She believes a personal connection and my empathy of their current state allows me to connect with the athlete at a deep level and get to the core of their issue. She is confident that she can help them begin, maintain, and finish their playing careers feeling more comfortable in their own skin and proud of their athletic accomplishments. 

She keeps each individual case confidential and respect the team and athlete’s privacy. She is willing to address any of your needs and would love to provide a resource in this much-needed area. 

Hayley Williams- 
Hayley Williams is a Hungarian-American professional ice hockey player and member of the Hungarian national team, currently playing in the European Women's Hockey League (EWHL) with HK Budapest. She previously played in the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL), the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), and the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), and is a three-time professional all-star, having been selected to the 2016 NWHL All-Star Game as well as the 2019 and 2020 ZhHL All-Star Games.

Williams represented Hungary at the IIHF Women's World Championship in 2022 and 2023. She represented the United States in the women's ice hockey tournaments at the 2013 Winter Universiade and the 2015 Winter Universiade, winning a bronze medal in 2013.

Orrin Schwarz-
Orrin Schwarz was hired at the Daily Herald May 1999 to the news copy desk, then became Tri-Cities Sports Coordinator Aug. 1999, then became DuPage County Sports Coordinator June 2003. Later to become Business Ledger/Suburban Business Editor Aug. 2020, then became the DH's Sports Editor Oct. 2023