So How'd We Get Here?
Before I was even alive, a career in sports was written in the stars for me. My parents met on a baseball field- the same field I would later work at later in life. My first word was "ball," and for my 3rd birthday, I invited ONLY my dad's baseball team. Growing up in that environment, people assumed I would be an absolute stud of an athlete. Well, sorry to disappoint- I was an average athlete. Despite being known as the baseball coach's daughter with the worst batting average on the softball team, I always knew what I was talking about. I would tell the football players to watch their HUDL hours, I'd tell the pitchers to work on their release, and I would be the first person to give a recap of College Gameday and was convinced I was the next Sam Ponder.
My brother got the athletic genes in the family. I didn't really have a choice in going to his games, since my dad was the coach and my mom provided the moral support..aka snacks. All of our family "vacations" revolved around baseball. Ever vacationed in a small random town in the middle of Mississippi? Well, I HAVE!
To pass the time at these weekend long tournaments, I would be scrolling through my phone a lot. My dad eventually started telling me to video my brother pitching, then hitting, then video another kid making a play at shortstop. Oh, and then take a picture of the whole team after the game. It became a routine. Then I started posting it to my own social media.. for #clout. Then my dad started posting it, then my brother, and what do you know? He's a household name. Just kidding, but in my mind he was.
And then I just never really stopped. I expanded my knowledge of baseball/football and learned more about basketball, golf, tennis, soccer, and even bowling as a Media Relations Student Assistant for Arkansas State Athletics. I transferred that knowledge over to a different area in sports, working in Partnership Services for Learfield IMG College. Need a logo on your graphic? I'm your girl! And now working in JUCO, I've had the unique opportunity to grow a brand and showcase 2-year programs.
I don't ever really plan to put my phone down at a game- I'd like to think I'm living in the moment and bringing that moment to the people who follow us. Content is everything and social media is everywhere. From the parents of the players, to the kid who is being recruited, to the alumni who support the program, people love a good story/picture, and I'm here to WIN them over!
And I think a young Maddie Hector would be really happy to know she didn't have to hit a home run every game to be "good" at sports- all she really had to do was open the Twitter app.
My brother got the athletic genes in the family. I didn't really have a choice in going to his games, since my dad was the coach and my mom provided the moral support..aka snacks. All of our family "vacations" revolved around baseball. Ever vacationed in a small random town in the middle of Mississippi? Well, I HAVE!
To pass the time at these weekend long tournaments, I would be scrolling through my phone a lot. My dad eventually started telling me to video my brother pitching, then hitting, then video another kid making a play at shortstop. Oh, and then take a picture of the whole team after the game. It became a routine. Then I started posting it to my own social media.. for #clout. Then my dad started posting it, then my brother, and what do you know? He's a household name. Just kidding, but in my mind he was.
And then I just never really stopped. I expanded my knowledge of baseball/football and learned more about basketball, golf, tennis, soccer, and even bowling as a Media Relations Student Assistant for Arkansas State Athletics. I transferred that knowledge over to a different area in sports, working in Partnership Services for Learfield IMG College. Need a logo on your graphic? I'm your girl! And now working in JUCO, I've had the unique opportunity to grow a brand and showcase 2-year programs.
I don't ever really plan to put my phone down at a game- I'd like to think I'm living in the moment and bringing that moment to the people who follow us. Content is everything and social media is everywhere. From the parents of the players, to the kid who is being recruited, to the alumni who support the program, people love a good story/picture, and I'm here to WIN them over!
And I think a young Maddie Hector would be really happy to know she didn't have to hit a home run every game to be "good" at sports- all she really had to do was open the Twitter app.