If someone had told me I’d be dabbling with creating and producing sports content, I probably would have laughed and dismissed the idea completely. I love sports and have always enjoyed viewing sports coverage and observing sideline reporters at sporting events since I was a little girl. However, I never saw myself in a similar role until the idea to start my own platform called “Simone Speaks Sports” emerged.
I’d overseen my middle school’s Girls’ Sports Broadcasting Club for two years and supported my scholars as they interviewed different coaches and athletes during our fall sports season. Our school’s student activities coordinator had been asking me for years about getting a broadcasting platform in place. I didn’t think I’d have the time to commit to it, but the opportunity turned out to be a fun one. I’ve enjoyed working with my girls, mentoring them, and watching them step outside of their comfort zones while following sports and conducting interviews.
One evening during one of our final home basketball games, our coordinator told me to record a brief video clip about the game. I was nervous, but once I did it and posted it to my social media, it garnered interest in a way I didn’t anticipate and slowly generated some buzz and positive feedback. After that moment, I was encouraged to start building a brand featuring sports content. I’ll never forget when he told me, “Treat this like a multi-million-dollar sports media brand.” I took what he said seriously and have been pacing myself while building. I started my platform mid-December and have experienced some peaks, pits, and exciting moments in the process that I want to share while reflecting on the past three months:
The Peaks
Unexpected resources.
After I posted my first clip, I wrote out a list of different local sporting events I could attend and different coaches and athletes I could interview while building my social media platforms. When my school’s coordinator noticed how seriously I was approaching this opportunity, he met with his media team, and they decided to gift me with a beginner’s camera – a Canon EOS Rebel T6 to capture content. I’d already been researching equipment I'd need, but being blessed with an unexpected resource was the best.
A professional photoshoot.
I love getting dolled up for a fun photoshoot. I knew having professional photos taken while brand building would be beneficial too. So, I researched different photographers in the area and found a great one who understood the vision for what I wanted and delivered some incredible snapshots.
Surpassing my interview goal and meeting new people.
I set a goal to land a total of ten interviews within my first year of Simone Speaks Sports and ended up losing count after surpassing this goal. So, this was a cool win to have. I’ve also met so many new people and made great connections while navigating the sports media world and landing interviews, which has been something special.
Support.
Nothing grows without support. And while I’ve only been at this for three months, the support I’ve had at in-person sporting events and seeing different followers share my content on social media has made a difference. I make it a priority to share the work others are doing in the sports community, especially the work of other women, so it’s cool to receive the same energy in return. I appreciate every coach, athlete, parent, family member, friend, and follower who has been supportive throughout this journey. It means so much.
Covering my first major sporting event.
In March, I covered my first major sporting event: The Adidas Track Nationals! I was nervous at first, but once I started meeting and talking to different athletes and parents, I was calm and secured a total of 18 interviews. It was a full and fun day and experience I’ll never forget. My social media following also grew, and experiencing the joy, excitement, and energy at the event as everyone gathered to support their loved ones was amazing.
The Pits
Not being taken seriously.
Whenever you’re starting something new, you may not receive as much support… at least not in the beginning. While I was excited to meet and talk to different coaches, athletes, and fans in the area, and did manage to secure some great interviews, I was definitely told no, ignored completely after reaching out, and ghosted when I followed up (more than once) with different people on my list. Though I was bummed at first, I’ve learned not to take any of this personally. I’m not a former athlete, I don’t have a media background, I’m not a known sports media personality, and I don’t have a huge following, so I get it. I’ve also received the cold shoulder and shade while covering different sporting events and have even had different people laugh about what I’ve been doing, but it hasn’t deterred me. Building takes time, and while there will be challenges, I know that success doesn’t happen overnight, or even within one year. So, I’ve been reminding myself to be patient.
Strange Monitoring.
I’ve heard criticism whispered about what I’ve been doing and have seen different people who don’t like me or know me, viewing and monitoring my social media accounts. It’s so strange. I try not to pay attention to any of this, but it’s odd seeing profile views and story views from different people I’ve seen and met in person, who are peeping what I’m doing, but never like, share, or comment on anything. If I’m not a fan of someone, I don't care what they’re up to. But this monitoring behavior is interesting.
I don’t know what the future hold with Simone Speaks Sports, but I intend to keep going. Stay tuned…
