How Athletes & Tech Are Coming Together
How All-American Ainsley McCallister’s Ambition Led to Entrepreneurial Success
“Women in Tech,” a common phrase heard today, and a distinction to indicate the rarity of female leadership and positions held in the technology industry. Enter Ainsley McCallister - an All-American field hockey athlete, multi-year captain of the University of Michigan, professional athlete, and the founder of sports-tech company Uru Sports. After three years of coaching and playing professional field hockey for teams worldwide, she identified a problem that needed to be solved.
“Field hockey was ultimately creating an experience where I could compete at a high level, travel the world, make close friends, while doing meaningful work mentoring young athletes, and learning a lot about myself in the process. Yet, it wasn’t without its constant unknowns, challenges and hurdles.”
McCallister described how four out of seven of her global experiences weren’t how it was sold to her, and has heard horror stories from other athletes as well: “There is a lack of transparency in the recruiting and placement process, often safety issues, cultural misunderstandings, and more that can prevent a talented athlete from accepting what could be a life-changing opportunity.”
After seeing the disconnect in the global sports world, she decided to start Uru Sports, a platform that creates a community, shares information, and connects athletes, coaches, and teams worldwide. Members register online, can track their athletic journey, follow star athletes, learn about hockey in particular regions of the world, and even get connected with a new team. “My goal is for Uru Sports to be a resource of advice and insight based on the collective voice of athletes from across the world. I want to create a way for athletes to continue receiving helpful information and track their own experiences about international playing to share to the sports community.”
It is this goal and ambition that has turned into a reality. “It was shocking that there were no resources for sports specific information or opportunities for elite athletes internationally,” explained McCallister, “There wasn’t a way to create open conversation about global sports opportunities. I was ready to change that.” Since its inception, Uru has helped nearly 300 members find positions worldwide at collegiate and professional levels operating under the tagline “No Borders. Just Sports.” Through McCallister’s motivation, the platform has collected over 3,000 elite athletes including Olympians and national team players.
Like many athletes, McCallister has translated discipline, focus, and hard work off the pitch and into her professional life. Over the past three years, she has been focused on growing the company, promoting No Borders. Just Sports. has received accolades like “Start-Up to Watch in 2020,” and has expanded the team significantly, including over 15 global brand ambassadors of professional athletes to help cultivate the online sports community. McCallister mentioned: “Our team is ready to take this community to the next level, expanding into more sports to help empower athletes & teams to reach their full potential.” This “woman in tech,” and even further, sports-tech, has impacted the sports community through ambition and innovation, and she’s just getting started.
To learn more and get involved, reach out to info@urusports.com.
