Author Archives: cmains@uoregon.edu

By: Linden Moore

The Oregon chapter of The Association for Women in Sports Media and the University of Oregon’s Women in Flight program have come together to promote opportunity for women’s athletics. The two programs partnered at the Ducks’ softball game on Friday, April 29 to promote their programs as well as give out Women in Flight posters to fans.

Women in Flight, an initiative run by Oregon Athletics helps support the Oregon’s eleven female Division I sports programs by extending funding and resources for female athletes to prosper both as students and as athletes.

On the other side is the Association for Women in Sports Media, an organization to help promote women’s involvement in sports through a media perspective has grown on campus to give women more opportunities to write and interact with sports on campus by hosting workshops speakers from the sports journalism field.

Given their missions, the partnership is ideal. Both programs aim to raise awareness for women involvement in the sports industry, for both athletes and writers while emphasizing leadership skills. While both are still growing they are looking forward to continuing to support one another as both move towards creating opportunities for women on campus.

Wednesday, April 13 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. in Allen 211 UO AWSM is hosting Lois Youngen a former catcher for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) and UO physical eduction instructor for over 30 years. Lois will be talking to us about her professional baseball experience and the growth of athletics at UO.

By Gabby Urenda

1. Be more confident. Know that you belong in a press box, post-game conference or locker room. Hold your head up high because your interview skills will become better and you will make your presence known.
2. News outlets are looking for interns with strong writing samples that go beyond just game stories. Your portfolio should show your personality and fearlessness.
3. Start creating your own brand—now. Make sure you have a strong presence on social media by linking your stories and don’t be afraid to promote yourself.
4. You have to do a little bit of everything, which includes the dirty work. This can include shooting games, editing, live tweeting and writing a story. Don’t just limit yourself to one aspect or expect someone to do it for you.
5. Don’t give people a reason to be hard on you. Though the sports media world is more inclusive, make sure you know how to dress so people don’t have a reason to single you out.

Best quote of the night: “I don’t know if I would still be in this business if it wasn’t for AWSM.”

Join UO AWSM Wednesday, Feb. 17 for a Skype Q&A with Paola Boivin. She is a sports columnist for the Arizona Republic and writes about the Arizona Cardinals, ASU and U of A, and more. She has been in the industry for over 20 years, and she is also a former president of AWSM! Come with any questions you have about sports writing, networking, resume building, etc.

Five Pieces of Advice from UO AWSM’s Coffee Hour

By: Linden Moore 

1. Don’t be afraid to start producing your own content. Starting to write your own pieces can you get experience before applying for internships.

2. Explore opportunities you are interested in. You never know what might be the right fit for you, so do your research and cast your net wide.

3. Talk with people in your field of interest. This is a great way to get advice and learn about the industry.

4. Ask questions. The more you ask, the more you learn! It is better to ask about a position or division you interested in before starting a job and learning it is different than you thought.

5. Be passionate about the field you choose to pursue. This shows you are willing to put in the time to do a good job.

Come network with UO AWSM Members and learn how to get involved in sports media on campus! We have will have represnetatives from Emerald Sports, DuckTV, UO Atheltic Communications and KWVA there to talk with you.

Chat with us, have coffee and learn how to get involved!

Four pieces of advice for a career in sports media from Preston Hiefield and Kristen Rodgers

Join the Oregon chapter of AWSM in on Wednesday, January 20 as we welcome local sports broadcasters Kristen Rodgers of KEZI and Preston Hiefield of KVAL. Learn about the world of sports broadcasting, connect with other journalism students and ask questions!

Five takeaways from our meeting with Callie Wagner

By: Linden Moore

1. Surround yourself with people who are passionate about a achieving a common goal. This is important to help make it a reality.
2. Sometimes you don’t know what your dream job is. Just put yourself out there, it will help you find it when you least expect it.
3. Networking is always a great opportunity. Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone you aspire to work for.
4. Passion is one of the greatest things one can bring to a job. It will make what you are doing not feel like work.
5. Majoring in something different than the job field you go into is OK. Having a variety of skill sets can help you be more adaptable.