Inclusivity in Sports: Botanical Pub Partners with Her Game Too
Efforts are underway in Northwest Arkansas to create a more welcoming environment for female sports enthusiasts.
The Growing Trend of Women’s Sports Bars
Across the United States, women’s sports bars are on the rise, aiming to offer inclusive spaces for female fans. In Bentonville, Arkansas, The Botanical is at the forefront of this movement, enhancing the local pub scene with a focus on women’s sports.
Partnership with Her Game Too
The Botanical operates locations in Bentonville, Rogers, and is set to open a third location in Fayetteville. Their collaboration with Her Game Too, an organization dedicated to making sports more inclusive for women, aims to foster a culture of support and safety for female sports fans.
Mission Alignment
According to co-owner Alan Gooding, partnering with Her Game Too aligns perfectly with the pub’s mission. “We’ve partnered with Her Game Too, which is a wonderful kind of group of ladies that have got together to support women in sport in all manners — whether it’s women playing sport, women viewing sport, feeling comfortable and safe environments where they can participate in sport in any way,” he stated.
Enhancing the Viewing Experience
The Botanical has already cultivated a loyal following among women sports fans, largely due to its commitment to international sports coverage. Gooding noted their intention to expand programming related to women’s sports, stating, “…we’ll do our best to show even more sports that include women, things like the WNBA and women’s soccer here in the U.S.”. Additionally, they plan to host watch parties and events to further engage the community.
Her Game Too: A Global Initiative
Founded in 2021 in the United Kingdom, Her Game Too’s mission quickly gained traction in the U.S., with The Botanical serving as an exemplary model for their campaign. Nastasha Brand, a director for Her Game Too USA, emphasized the pub’s pivotal role in launching their partner pub initiative, which includes hosting events like the Euros watch party for women’s soccer.
Empowerment and Safety
This partnership aims not only to showcase more women’s sporting events but also to cultivate a safe atmosphere for female attendees. To promote this, all partner pubs, including The Botanical, are committed to displaying safety resources. Brand explained, “…all of our partner pubs commit to displaying the reporting poster, which is on the back of bathroom doors, so that allows someone in the bathroom to connect immediately through the QR code or the link if they feel uncomfortable.”
Inspiring Future Generations
Brand expressed the importance of inspiring younger generations, stating, “We want young girls to be able to actually see other girls and women participating in sports…we just want to let them see they have a place there.” This initiative not only fosters a sense of belonging among young girls but also encourages families to support their participation in sports.
