73: Sarah Spain – A Feisty Sports Advocate From Day One

In this Episode

Sarah Spain is a self-proclaimed Feisty advocate for Women’s sports.As a lifelong athlete and sports journalist at Fox Sports, ESPN, and ESPNW for several years, she’s had to figure out how to succeed in a heavily male-dominated space.

Not surprisingly, that has come with difficult moments and plenty of trolls. She’s been sexually harassed, she’s had to wear sexy outfits with extra cleavage, and she’s been patronized and talked down to.She’s had to “play the game.”

Sarah, fortunately, is also a witness (and an unapologetic advocate) to the massive growth of women’s sports thanks, in part, to her work in the media.

Sara and Sarah discuss:

• How her interest in comedy led to her sports journalism career and how she still uses humor to her advantage
• Finding ways to keep doing her job in the midst of harassment and being treated differently than her male counterparts.
• Why we need to keep bringing more diverse perspectives and cultures to sports reporting even though much is still run by white males
• How the younger generation and the proliferation of streaming platforms are huge for growth in women’s sports
• How we can invest more heavily in women’s sports and not simply be “well-intentioned”
• The positive change of finally seeing women athletes as strong and powerful role models as opposed to just infantile girls or sex objects
• Why pushback and opposition are part of the inevitable growth process

The proof of progress is in the growing numbers and followers; however, a wave of popularity always faces pushback and opposition. Our role is to recognize that the work doesn’t stop.

As Sarah says, we must be grateful and present in the moment that we’ve earned and worked for, and still make sure that we’re continuing to be proactive.

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