Cityline: Women leading in Boston sports

I’M KAREN HOLMES WARD. WELCOME TO CITYLINE. LATER IN THE PROGRAM, THE PLANS TO BRING WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER TO ROXBURY. WELL, THE CELTICS ARE GEARING UP FOR GAME TWO OF THE NBA FINALS LOOKING TO RAISE ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP BANNER IN THE GARDEN. OFF THE COURT, THE TEAM’S COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY IS ONE THAT DOESN’T EARN AS MANY ACCOLADES, BUT IS NO LESS IMPORTANT. THEY WERE DISCUSSED. ALISON FEASTER SITS ALONGSIDE THE NBA’S BIGGEST STARS, ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY. AS VICE PRESIDENT OF TEAM OPERATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH FOR THE BOSTON CELTICS, SHE’S PART OF UPHOLDING THE LEGACY OF THE TEAM ON AND OFF THE COURT. I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT BRAD CALLS ME A JACK OF ALL TRADES. I HAVE THE GREAT FORTUNE TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY IN OUR BASKETBALL OPERATIONS GROUP, AND ALSO HAVE A LOT OF CROSSOVER WITH OUR BUSINESS OPS. FOR ME, THE ROLE IS REALLY ABOUT ABOUT CULTURE, ABOUT YOU KNOW, HELPING US IDENTIFY WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN BE BETTER AS AN ORGANIZATION. BEFORE JOINING THE CELTICS ORGANIZATION, FEASTER WAS A STANDOUT BASKETBALL PLAYER FOR HARVARD UNIVERSITY, THE WNBA, AS WELL AS PLAYING ON VARIOUS TEAMS OVERSEAS. SHE WAS INDUCTED IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA HALL OF FAME LAST MONTH. FEASTER IS ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF WOMEN OF COLOR AT HER LEVEL OF LEADERSHIP IN THE NBA, SOMETHING SHE’S PROUD OF BUT DOESN’T DWELL ON. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO JUST BE PRESENT AND BE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS WHO AREN’T EVEN AWARE THAT THEY COULD WORK FOR A PROFESSIONAL, YOU KNOW, NBA TEAM OR WHO DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THAT THERE SPACE FOR FOR THEM HERE. LIKE THERE IS SPACE FOR ME AND OTHERS. JUST THIS YEAR FEASTER HAS GONE FROM ADVOCATING FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AT THE STATE HOUSE TO CUTTING THE GOVERNOR’S HAIR TO RAISE MONEY FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER. I THINK THAT’S THE LEGACY OF WHAT IT IS TO BE A CELTIC. I THINK WE WE SHOW UP, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE MOMENTS WHEN NO ONE’S LOOKING, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, PUTTING UP SHOTS. BUT WE’RE ALSO GREAT STEWARDS OF, OF OF THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER TO THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SHE’S POURED ENERGY INTO ADVOCATING FOR BLACK AND BROWN LIVES IN THE AREA OF MATERNAL HEALTH, WITH THE CURBSIDE CARE PROGRAM, A HEALTH EQUITY INITIATIVE AT BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER. IT’S STAGGERING WHEN YOU PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS PROGRAM CURBSIDE CARE COULD POTENTIALLY MEAN FOR MOTHERS WHO DON’T FEEL SAFE, WHO ARE SKEPTICAL OF THE OF THE MEDICAL, YOU KNOW, SYSTEM, WHO DON’T GO BACK FOR FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS ONCE THEIR BABIES ARE BORN, WHO DON’T GET THE PROPER CARE FROM A PHYSICIAN BECAUSE OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, WHO DON’T HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE ACCESS TO QUALITY FACILITIES. THIS THIS CURBSIDE CARE IS REALLY A GAME CHANGER FOR THEM. WE’RE HUMBLE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. WE’RE ALSO HUMBLE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR OUR MAIN BUSINESS IS WE’RE A SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY, BUT WE’RE ALSO SUPER SERIOUS ABOUT USING THE PLATFORM TO HELP ILLUMINATE, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU HEAR THE COMMENTARY OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE, FOCUS ON THE GAME. THAT’S REALLY NOT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN. WE COME, WE SHOW UP AS PEOPLE, LIKE WE SHOW UP TO THIS ORGANIZATION AS PEOPLE. THOSE BANNERS UP THERE REPRESENT MUCH MORE THAN JUST WINNING THE TITLE THIS FALL. ALLISON IS NO DOUBT GOING TO BE MAKING MANY TRIPS TO CONNECTICUT, WHERE HER DAUGHTER, SARAH STRONG, HAS COMMITTED TO PLAY BASKETBALL FOR THE UCONN HUSKIES AS THE NUMBER ONE RECRUIT FOR THE CLASS OF 2024. AND YOU CAN CATCH GAME TWO OF THE CELTICS IN THE NBA FINALS AND OUR PREGAME COVERAGE TONIGHT RIGHT HERE ON CHANNEL FIVE. TIP OFF IS AT EIGHT AT THE GARDEN NOW ACROSS TOWN AT FENWAY PARK. ANOTHER BOSTON POWER PLAYER. BUT SHE’S NOT A FAN OF THE SPOTLIGHT. ELAINE WEDDINGTON STEWARD IS ONE OF THE LONGEST TENURED MEMBERS OF THE BOSTON RED SOX FRONT OFFICE AND IS NOW IN THE TEAM’S HALL OF FAME. AYER MARIA STEPHANOS WITH THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF THE BOSTON RED SOX AS SHE RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR HER BARRIER BREAKING ACHIEVEMENTS BEFORE YOU HEAR ABOUT HER TRAILBLAZING JOURNEY IN BASEBALL, YOU NEED TO KNOW ELAINE WEDDINGTON. STEWARD IS NOT A FAN OF THE SPOTLIGHT. YOU’RE A NON-PLAYER BEING INDUCTED INTO THE RED SOX HALL OF FAME FOR SO MANY REASONS IS ARE YOU MAD AT YOUR YOUR HUSBAND FOR TELLING ME ABOUT THIS? MAYBE A LITTLE BIT. I FOUND OUT ABOUT ELAINE GETTING INDUCTED WHEN I SAW HER HUSBAND IN LINE CHECKING OUT AT A GROCERY STORE. HE WAS SO PROUD. AND HE SHOULD BE. YOU WERE THE FIRST ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER FOR FEMALE? YES. WOMAN OF COLOR? YES. EVER IN HISTORY? YES. ELAINE. THAT’S INCREDIBLE. A QUIET FORCE WHO FELL DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH BASEBALL WHEN SHE WAS A KID, GROWING UP IN QUEENS, A METS PLAYER, FELIX MILAN, MOVED IN NEXT DOOR, AND WE HEARD THAT ONE OF THE NEW YORK METS PLAYERS WAS MOVING INTO THE BUILDING. SO WE ALL GOT EXCITED AND THIS GIRL, YOU KNOW, WENT UPSTAIRS AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND I SAID, CAN I HELP? THE ANSWER WAS YES. ELAINE STARTED BABYSITTING FOR HIS KIDS. THEY ALL WATCHED FELIX. ELAINE WAS HOOKED AND I FOUND THAT I REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH WATCHING BASEBALL. AND IT CAME TO LIFE FOR ELAINE AT SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY, WHERE SHE RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP FROM THE JACKIE ROBINSON FOUNDATION, GOT HER DEGREE TO PRACTICE LAW, INTERN FOR THE METS, AND THEN THE RED SOX HAD REACHED OUT AND WANTED TO KNOW IF I WANTED TO FINISH MY INTERNSHIP IN BOSTON AND THAT’S WHEN ELAINE REACHED OUT TO JACKIE ROBINSON’S WIFE, RACHEL. SHE BECAME ELAINE’S MENTOR. I HAD HEARD SOME THINGS, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP IN NEW YORK, THAT BOSTON MAY NOT BE THE MOST WELCOMING TO PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I WAS REALLY THINKING, IS THIS WHAT I WANT TO DO? I TALKED WITH MRS. ROBINSON, AND YOU KNOW THAT MEANT A LOT. SHE ACTUALLY CALLED AND SPOKE TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE AT THE RED SOX, AND THEN SHE SAID TO ME, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS. AND SHE DID. THE YEAR WAS 1988. AND ALL THESE YEARS LATER IS STILL WITH THE RED SOX NOW AS SENIOR VP AND ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL. THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE. YOU KNOW, TO WORK. I WORKED WITH LOU GORMAN WHO SAID, YOU’RE BRILLIANT AND LOVED YOU AND BELIEVED IN YOU AND KNEW THAT YOU WERE SOMEONE SPECIAL. ENTER DAN DUQUETTE. YES. AND AND HE HAS BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING THAT AGENTS DO NOT LIKE TO TALK WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE TOUGH. I’VE HEARD THAT FROM PEOPLE. BUT YOU’RE THIS QUIET FORCE WHO HAS TRAILBLAZED THROUGH THROUGH, UM, AN INDUSTRY THAT HASN’T SEEN A LOT OF YOU. ELAINE. IT IS PART OF THE JOB. BUT WHEN I HAVE A TASK TO DO YOU, I’M JUST LIKE, HEAD DOWN, YOU KNOW, GET IT DONE. A DREAM JOB, BUT ELAINE’S DEEPEST SUCCESS ISN’T AT FENWAY. IT’S AT HOME. MY FAMILY IS EVERYTHING TO ME. REALLY. AND I LOVE MY JOB. I LOVE MY CAREER. YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN WONDERFUL. BUT, YOU KNOW, MY FAMILY IS MY HEART REALLY CONGRATULATE. AND STEWART WAS HONORED AT A