Title IX played a big part in Laura Ricketts’ life. ‘The impact that it has is immeasurable,’ the Chicago Cubs co-owner and MLB groundbreaker says.
On a scorching June afternoon, historic Wrigley Field served as a fitting backdrop.
“It’s hard to overstate how it’s impacted my life — and it made me who I am today, honestly,” Ricketts said of sports. “Sports teaches you about being a teammate, it teaches you to put yourself out there, it teaches you to work really hard, it teaches you about resiliency, it teaches you that there’s no shame in failing as long as you try hard or try something new.Ricketts also has the distinction of being Major League Baseball’s first openly gay owner.
Portrait of siblings Pete Ricketts, Todd Ricketts, Laura Ricketts and Tom Ricketts by the Cubs dugout at Wrigley Field on Oct. 13, 2009. The academy will feature sports fields, including at least one indoor infield, and a community center. It is expected to be built in an area of Chicago that needs investment but will draw youths from across the city.
Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts gives an interview to the Tribune's Meghan Montemurro at the offices next to Wrigley Field on June 14, 2022.A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Behind the scenes, Ricketts has been trying to affect change. When the Cubs were searching for a new play-by-play voice for Marquee Sports Network last year, Ricketts nudged the higher-ups at the network to talk to women for the position.