Own topic (blog post 7)

I have never been one to favor or prefer an open-ended assignment. I like structure and expectations, within limits. So, I decided to write about the first thing that came to my mind. Sports. I am currently pursuing a degree in sport management (with secondary emphases in communications and integrated media arts). I am on our women’s field hockey team, I work for the school’s athletic communications department, and over the winter breaks from school, I write sports articles for the newspaper my father works at. Currently, I am in the final stages of securing a summer internship at Shippensburg University, working under the sports information director. I also recently was just nominated by Nikki Ayers, our athletic director, to represent Juniata at a career in sports forum this summer, granted I make it to the next round of approvals. With all this, this topic is heavy on my mind, and I wanted to share some thoughts I have been having and working through surrounding this area.

Something I am extremely passionate about is the world of sports. I have been surrounded by athletics my entire life, and I have fallen in love with the environment and the world of sports. I have tried nearly every sport, (soccer, basketball, field hockey, softball, track and field, baseball, gymnastics) and played year-round since middle school, traveling here and there, making countless friends through teammates, opponents, and coaches. My father, who is my idol and a mentor of sorts, works in the world of sports, as a journalist and editor. Some of my youngest memories are running around gyms or fields after games, playing catch with various coaches and administrators, just waiting for him to interview athletes. A passion for athletics runs in my blood. And now, being a collegiate athlete, I feel even more sure of my place in this sports world.

I come from a very small high school, in a very small town in southern PA. My senior year of high school was prime pandemic time, and the school board decided that it was not going to allow sports due to various safety and health reasons. When I was younger, I was never very outgoing, and I certainly was not outspoken. But the thought of having the one space where I could openly express myself, put on a different confident, competitive hat, and feel some sense of normal, being taken away from me… well that was not an option.

A switch flipped. I went to an event in Harrisburg, wearing my school’s uniform, representing all those athletes who felt like they were losing their voice, and I stood on the Capitol steps with other athletes from all around Pennsylvania. I was quoted in a sports article, I rallied a group together and we lined the streets of my town, in the pouring rain, holding signs and showing that this was not okay. I even spoke at a school board meeting, the meeting that was to finalize or withdraw this decision. Spoiler alert, I got to play my senior year.

The point of that little story is to show you where my passion and commitment stems. Having people in power, especially my athletic director, not standing up for athletes was shameful. I knew that I wanted to do what he did, but better. When I become an athletic director, I will attend my school’s sporting events, openly supporting them, not going home as soon as the last bell rings. I will listen and follow through on parental and student concerns. I will allow and expect teams and coaches to make social media accounts because we live in the 21st Century! I will be someone young athletes and their families can count on, and I will never make a player, coach, or program feel forgotten about and unimportant. And I will give young athletes a voice.

While I understand that some people aren’t athletic or competitive or care about games, my goal in saying these things is not to convince someone to try to convert someone or start a debate, it is simply to share my love and admiration. One of the most obvious positive impacts that athletics has on society, through my eyes, is the connectivity it offers communities and societies.

I have been able to physically experience and witness this through my college. Seeing the students, staff, families, alumni, and townspeople come out to support my team on a Saturday afternoon makes me feel like I am a part of something bigger than just a Division 3 team. Currently working in the athletic communications department at Juniata College, I have felt cared for and like I was an equal and important member of the team. I have developed friendships with other student workers, and I have created relationships with faculty and administrators, seamlessly.

I love that people who are different ages, with different backgrounds and experiences, who have different passions and politics find themselves under the same roof either routing or playing for one school. The reasons that individuals play sports, work in sports, or attend sports vary/differ greatly, but just for a short amount of time none of those matters. When I work as an athletic director or in an athletic communications office, I will make it my goal to foster connectivity among the fans, staff, and students. Some examples may be through sponsored theme nights, or through my genuine passion for sports and athletics. Most importantly, it will be through the creation of an environment that does not discriminate against one another for their opinions, ideas, gender, race, age, or level of capability.

As a young, female-athlete in a male-dominated world, I am looking for female representation. I am looking for an appreciative and supportive culture around gender diversity and representation. Having an equal and appropriate amount of focus on women’s and men’s athletics is very important to me. I don’t see why anyone would want to be a part of an organization or professional team where they are looked down upon, underrepresented, and not given equal opportunity. I do not stand for this sort of culture now, as an athlete, and I will not stand for it in my future career in athletics.