The 76ers hired ANNELIE SCHMITTEL as VP/Player Development, a role in which she will "oversee programs that help players both on and off the court in their personal and professional lives," according to Sarah Todd of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Schmittel becomes the "highest-ranking female basketball operations executive in the Sixers organization." The position is a "new one, created with the intention of linking multiple departments within the franchise and implementing a more holistic approach to player development." Her job will include everything from "mental health support, financial literacy and planning, continued education, family dynamics, and any other service that the team can provide to help players." The Sixers already had people "working in most of these realms, but they weren’t necessarily linked or working in a synergistic way." The goal is to "make it seamless when a player needs help with something and have better communication between development departments" (PHILLY.com, 1/8). In a Q&A with ESPNW's Ramona Shelburne, Schmittel said what she has "learned in working with male athletes, in particular, is that you're doing them a disservice if you only surround them with the same types of people." Schmittel: "Players, in particular, benefit from different perspectives. So, I'm glad to be a part of an organization that believes in that." Schmittel on what it means to be one of the most senior female execs in the NBA said, "There is room for more at the top, and it's important for me to send that elevator back down. ... Overall, it's slowly going in the right direction" (ESPNW.com, 1/8).
