The Polar Park Ambassador Sisterhood

Here at Polar Park, we are so lucky to have such a strong team of Ambassadors, many of whom are women! To celebrate Women’s History Month this March, we wanted to share their stories and their advice for women pursuing a career in sports.

Delaney Colson

Delaney Colson is a member of the Inaugural team of Ambassadors. Her favorite part of the job is making people happy!

“The best part of this workplace is that everyone who visits the park is planning to have a great day at the ballgame. We just get to be the people who make their days extra special!”

Delaney chose to become an Ambassador because of her and her family’s love of baseball. She and her family had been following the move to Worcester since 2018, and she knew that as soon as applications opened up, the ballpark was where she wanted to be. Growing up, her mom was her biggest female role model.

“She is the one who always took my brother and I to games at Fenway and explained the rules of baseball. She was also the one who encouraged me to apply for the ambassador position, and since then she has always helped me explore this career field and loves to say she lives vicariously through all of my baseball experiences.”

Delaney’s advice for women wanting to pursue a career in sports is “Don’t give up! It can be a really difficult field to break into, but as long as you continue to trust in your abilities, you’re going to be able to go so far. And don’t be afraid to ask for help, many of the women in the field now have faced the same challenges you are, and we want to help you! ”

Delaney spent most of the 2023 season interning in the education department at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. In addition to her responsibilities as an Ambassador, she now writes stories for WooSox.com.

Erin Donahue

Erin Donahue joined the Ambassador team for the 2023 season. Though she is originally from Connecticut, Erin is currently a sophomore at the College of the Holy Cross, which allows her to live out her childhood dream of working in baseball for the Red Sox organization. A lifelong and die-hard Red Sox fan, Erin became an Ambassador to provide outstanding experiences to people who are just as excited as she is to see the next big Red Sox stars in action. She believes that “you never know what somebody is going through or what kind of day they’ve had, and working in this type of environment provides you with countless opportunities to make a difference in people’s days, weeks, or even lives. It’s truly a superpower that we have here.”

Erin has so many memories from her first season with the WooSox. Some include Ryan Fitzgerald surprising her tour with a chance to play catch on the field, being able to bring the grandmother of an opposing team’s starting pitcher down to the field after the game to surprise him, and handing Oil Can Boyd a ball to throw out his Ceremonial First Pitch. Erin talks about her role models, saying that “Kim Ng being hired as the Marlins’ General Manager, making her the first female to hold such a position, lets me know that the glass ceiling is officially shattered. I feel extremely fortunate that I will not have to face as many challenges due to my gender, which is all thanks to people like Kim Ng who fought battles for countless generations of women to come.”

Erin’s advice to girls wishing to work in sports was given to her by her dad when he dropped her off for college. He said to “do one thing that makes you uncomfortable every week,” and Erin says “before I knew it, I felt empowered to go outside my comfort zone and I became a confident person ready to tackle my goals.”

Jill Twigg

Jill Twigg began working with the WooSox in their Inaugural Season as an Ambassador. Prior to becoming an Ambassador, Jill had been a Programs Director, choreographer, and stage manager. She chose to become an Ambassador because she loved baseball, she loved people, and she loved working on the tech side of things. Jill has earned the YES Award twice at Polar Park for her exceptional contributions as an Ambassador.

When asked about her favorite memory of working here, she said, “They are all my favorite. Keith Foulke handed me the 2004 World Series trophy on opening day during pregame, my grandparents were huge Red Sox fans (used to dismiss us from school to attend games as kids). My nana didn’t get to see them win a World Series, so holding that trophy was bittersweet. I thought of her the whole time. It felt wonderful.”

Growing up, Jill’s role model was her Nana. “She had such a love for family, making people happy, and sports. She taught me the importance of being kind, even when you don’t feel like it.”

Jill’s advice to any women wanting to advance their career in sports is “A younger version of yourself is going to look at you one day and realize that they can do anything they want because you followed your dream as a woman in sports. Be that role model.”

Denise Allain

Denise Allain (pictured to the far right in the above photo) has been a member of the Ambassador team since the 2022 season. Denise had previously served as a high school social studies teacher, assistant principal for 2 years, and principal for 10 years. Following her retirement from schools, she became interested in this Ambassador position. She loved the idea of giving tours of our brand-new ballpark and interacting with fans on game days. She said one of her favorite memories of her time working here was, “Touring the park with one of [the] steel workers who built the park, [I was] fascinated by his ability to weave the story of how the park evolved.”

Growing up, her mother, Mary Elizabeth, was her biggest role model. She was a naval officer’s wife who had a quiet elegance, was diplomatic, and extremely strong. Denise's advice to women wanting to pursue a career in the sports industry is to “look for women who have come before you and achieved what you aspire to.” Denise is also a recipient of our YES award and has been published in history research journals as an undergrad and a grad student.

Zoe Picard

Zoe Picard was noted as the youngest Ambassador hired in organization history for the Inaugural Season. Zoe is currently a junior Sociology and Anthropology student at Wofford College. However, she spent her freshman year at Clark University here in Worcester and was a member of the women’s basketball team.

When asked why she chose to be an Ambassador, Zoe said “the role allowed me to build a community around America's pastime, a sport that has notoriously brought joy to so many, including myself.”

Entering her fourth season as an Ambassador for the Worcester Red Sox, Zoe has many great memories. Specifically, she highlights “the countless hours I've spent learning from the many incredible leaders of this organization. Dr. Charles, Steve Oliveira, Jackie Wilks, Marianna Colantuono, and so many more have been pivotal both in my professional and personal growth.”

In addition to these leaders within the organization, Zoe discusses other role models who have contributed to her accomplishments: “My senior year of high school, Kim Ng became the first female GM in Major League Baseball. It was at that moment that I realized baseball is a space for everyone and that little me who had dreams of working in professional baseball might actually have the opportunity to do so. My mother, aunts, and cousins also served as role models to me growing up, always encouraging me to follow my dreams.”

Zoe shares a favorite quote, which doubles as her advice to women who wish to pursue a career in sports. Sarah Jakes Roberts says, "The best version of me does not subscribe to the notion that this is exclusively a man's world, but every industry has room for a woman who is confident that she belongs wherever God sends her."

Holly Irvine

Holly Irvine is another member of the Inaugural team of Ambassadors from the Worcester Red Sox’ 2021 season. In addition to being an integral part of the team, Holly has worked as a program manager and senior consultant for various corporations in the Greater Boston area. In discussing why she chose to become an Ambassador, Holly says “my love for baseball has grown by seeing the sport through my boys' eyes as they love and play this sport." Her family is very important to her, so much so that Holly considers one of her biggest achievements to be “balancing being a Mom with work in a way that served [herself] and [her] boys.”

Holly also emphasizes all the necessary collaboration amongst the Ambassadors “in the spirit of doing right by the fans,” citing this aspect as a general favorite memory. Specifically, though, she recalls a time when a young fan asked for her autograph. Her reaction was “Are you sure? You want my autograph?” In addition to her mom, who “overcame many obstacles and just made things happen” being a role model for Holly, she also says that sports were a great role model for her: “I loved the teamwork, leadership, discipline to get better every day was a part of me that had not been discovered yet. I played volleyball and tennis in high school. Played volleyball in college being captain for 3 of my 4 years there. It helped me come out of my shell and gain confidence.”

Beginning her career in sports at New Balance, and now having the opportunity to be involved in sports again here with the WooSox, is a full-circle moment for Holly. Her advice to girls who would like to work in sports? “Never underestimate your contributions and worth.”

Elizabeth Burnes

Elizabeth Burnes has been an Ambassador for the WooSox since their Inaugural Season. In addition to her duties at the ballpark, Liz works as an Assistant Principal in the Worcester Public Schools System. When asked why she decided to become an Ambassador, Liz said that “knowing the indelible mark the WooSox would make on the community, especially the children of Worcester, I wanted to be a part of that.”

Liz mentions that some of her greatest achievements are “raising her three independent, adventurous daughters and one patient, fun-loving son,” as well as “teaching and caring for the children of Worcester Public Schools” and being “recognized as a WooSox Ambassador.” Liz is such a bright light on the Ambassador team and never fails to give fans, especially young ones, an amazing experience at the ballpark. However, as rewarding as this is for the fans, Liz thinks that being able to facilitate certain moments of connection is incredibly fulfilling.

“I would have to say the most joyous part of the job is seeing the excitement on a child’s face when they run onto the field to become part of the magic of baseball. When a parent thanks you and you realize you helped make a memory for a family, that will last a lifetime.”

Like many girls, Liz points to her mom as her role model growing up. Liz provides insightful advice to girls wishing to work in sports, which is to not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, “put your energy where it matters, and surround yourself with good people.”