Images of Us Sports
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Blog/News Article
Can the new social media such as Facebook, Twitter or Blogs impact the way we view women sports. Well IOU Sports intern Danae Russell sought out two well known women sports social media outlets to ask questions on how they got started in this business.
Meet two women who are promoting women's sports from two unique genre's Tonja Palmer of www.womenssportstalkshow.com and Megan Hueter, Co-Founder of www.womentalksports.com.
Two amazing women whom we believe should be on the pages of Herstory Makers…
Thanks to social networking, fans of women’s sports can find one another, join forces, talk “Women” sports and promote their favorite athletes and teams.
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Tonja Palmer, WomenSportsTalkShow.com
How old are you: 44 years old
Current Job Title: President of WSTR Network Inc
What was your first job: My first job I worked at McDonalds. I was a Big Macologist
What is your education background: My original background is in computer programming however I never really liked doing it. Programming was something I took up because upon graduating from high school I was told that was the field to pursue. I have been working in marketing and as an entrepreneur for several years; recently, I decided to pursue my degree in marketing.
Where do you currently reside: Houston, Texas
Where did you grow up: Houston, Texas
Who is the person you admire the most: The person(s) I most admire are my mother and father because of the foundation they gave, teaching me the principles of faith, the power of a loving God and their commitment to being the best parents they could be. My greatest admiration for them is their ability to do so much with so little. My father instilled in me the definition of true work ethic. He only had a second grade education but in his determination to provide for the family and not be defined by his circumstances he worked the grave yard shift at a chemical plant and by day he was the proprietor of a commercial landscaping business. I never really remembered my father getting more than a few hours sleep each day. My mother instilled in me a stubborn and fierce determination to do and stay true to those things I believed in; she always said “You can do whatever you put your mind to”
Favorite movie: I like comedy, so my favorite movie is B.A.P.S.
Favorite musician: Yolanda Adams and Regina Belle
Favorite book: Running With the Giants by John Maxwell (Actually I like anything by John Maxwell)
Did you play sports? How did athletics prepare you for your career?: I only played organized sports briefly; 1-year to be exact. I played basketball in the 8th grade.
Of all the social media outlets, why internet radio? In my opinion internet radio is the best method to reach more people worldwide particularly because of the ability to podcast shows.
Who is the typical listener of the WomenSportsTalkShow.com?: Women ages 25 – 55
What trends (negative or positive) do you see evolving in youth sports?: On the positive side the athletes are more athletic and more skilled however on the other side of the coin it seems that too much emphasis is placed on winning at any cost and not enough time or emphasis is placed on the basics like sportsmanship, fundamentals and the history of women’s sports. From a historical point of view particularly in women sports not enough emphasis is placed on the contribution of the pioneers and trailblazers of women in sports.
How does social networking impact women’s sports?: I think in many ways it paves the way for leveling the playing field. Social networking allows direct connection with fans, sports organizations, supporters and athletes. It allows a fan base or following to be built with little overhead and increases the value of sweat equity.
How can someone be a part of your radio network? If they have a show idea, want to host a show or be a guest on the show just send us an email with brief explanation of their intended show contribution along with contact information and we’ll contact them.
What advice could you give other young girls and women who are pursuing a career in sports?: Dream, Believe and Never Quit; don’t pursue it for the money, pursue it because it is your passion.
What is the first word that comes to mind to the following….?
Share- Whatever you can, as much as you can, whenever you can.
Educate- Always
Empower- Yourself
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Meghan Hueter – Women Talk Sports
How old are you: 24 (shh – not too many people know that!)
Current Job Title: Senior Account Executive, Digital and Emerging Media, Catalyst Public Relations. On the side, I cofoudned WomenTalkSports.com in February of 2009.
What was your first job: Lifeguard at a swimming pool in my town
What is your education background: I got my masters of science in health and exercise science in 2007 from The College of New Jersey and am currently enrolled in a masters program for digital communications at Johns Hopkins University.
Where do you currently reside: New York city
Where did you grow up: Southern New Jersey (near philly)
Who is the person you admire the most: (too hard to answer)
Favorite movie: A League of their Own
Favorite musician: Jason Reeves
Favorite book: Tribes by Seth Godin (talks about building communities and why that’s important)
Did you play sports? How did athletics prepare you for your career?: Yes, I played varsity basketball in high school and in college. Athletics prepared me for my career in more ways than you can imagine. First, I grew to love sports, and that’s why I work full-time at a sports PR firm. Sports also taught be about teamwork, leadership, goal-setting, dedication, determination, hard work, etc. Most of all, it taught me to believe in myself.
What is your take on gender and women in sports?: Well, there’s no escaping it (no matter how you feel about this issue). It’s a reality that all girls/women will face if they want to compete on the playing field. It’s also a reality that men must (and some do) understand and help mend. More than anything, it’s a reality that marketers like myself struggle with every day.
Who is the typical reader of WomenTalkSports.com?: It fluctuates depending upon trending topics. We’re beginning to think typical readers are middle-aged women. But there are many men and younger (and older) fans of the site as well.
Why did you start a women’s sports blog? And who is the other co-founder?: WomenTalkSports is actually a community of blogs (a network). I started my personal blog, becauseiplayedsports.com, because I learned that online, people form communities around things that they’re passionate about. As a woman who very much enjoyed playing sports growing up and now understands how much it meant to me, I knew there had to be other people out there who felt the same way. So I started writing about things like Sports Illustrated for Women disappearing, and other news. That’s when I started talking with Jane Schonberger from PrettyTough.com and Ann Gaffigan from Steeplechics. The three of us got on the phone and talked about building a community. In just under two months, it was up and running. Here we are over a year later and we now have over 100 contributors and sites feeding in. It’s truly special, and something I’ll always be proud that I was a part of.
What trends (negative or positive) do you see evolving in women’s youth sports?: Women’s sports is becoming more and more popular (which is awesome, thanks to Title IX). As with anything involving women and popular culture, we need to be careful about the gray areas between objectification and empowerment. While we want a good “image” for female athletes, and we need to know where the lines are and not to cross them. We want women to grow up to be strong and powerful; we already have enough industries that cause eating disorders and long-term psychological damage. As an industry, we need to be different. And in order to create that difference, we need to start talking to each other. That’s where womentalkspots comes into play – we open a form to talk about these things.
What is your biggest challenge in keeping the blog running?: Time. We all have our own full-time jobs and do this on the side. Much credit to Ann, Jane and Lesley Higgins (a third partner who joined later) who do a majority of the day-to-day work on the site. They are certainly the “glue” that keeps this machine running.
How does social networking impact women’s sports?: Social network creates connections between people. I’m a strong believer that the biggest problem in women’s sports has everything to do with the fact that we don’t talk to each other. We need to create conversations. Those conversations happen online, in social networks, between real people.
What advice could you give other young girls and women who are pursuing a career in sports?: Get online and start talking about it. You’d be surprised how far your voice can take you. Online, you can be heard. Join us!!
What is the first word that comes to mind to the following….?
Share- partner
Educate- classroom
Empower- woman
Comments
question about interview with President of WSTR Network Inc
What is B.A.P.S.????
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