About

About the Blog:

Sport is a $213 billion industry* and in the top 20 largest industries in the nation. So, why is it that so many women are disinterested or unconcerned? In an era where women are striving to bridge the gap between male dominated industries and female success, it is a wonder that so many women gripe when their husbands turn the game on. Sit down, watch, learn. Sport is weaved into the fabric of Americana, promoting the ideals of teamwork, perseverance, hard work, and sportsmanship. That is what this blog is all about. To show women that they can not only enjoy sport, but learn from it or even find opportunity in it. So pull out your pink cleats and take a moment to read, laugh, and discover.

*Industry worth varies from source to source depending on what sport sub-categories are included. Some include apparel, some do not. Some include fitness, gaming, or stadium construction, while others don’t. This statistic came from Street & Smith’s Sport Business Journal. Please see their website to see what factions of sport are included.

About PinkCleats:

As someone who grew up in a college town, my love for sports started early on. Our city lived and died with the local university’s successes and failures. True to any southern town, football took top billing. My childhood heroes were not pop stars or Disney Channel favorites, but rather the Heisman winning quarterback, the All-American linebacker, and the freshman phenom running back.

A dancer early in life, I somehow found myself recruited to the world of cheerleading. Cheerleading is unlike any other sport in the world, and yes I think it is a sport. It is the only activity beyond youth sports that allows both females and males to participate together. It is the only sport that does not have an off-season. And it is the only athletic endeavor that allows you to be both a participant and spectator all at once.

The last mentioned fueled my love for sports even more. When cheering on the sidelines, I felt like I was a part of the team, but at the same time I was as powerless over the win as the general fan in the stands. You could often find me creeping closer to the sidelines for a better view rather than paying attention to my crowd leading responsibilities. I received the dirty eye from Coach more than once for throwing my pom-pons on the ground after a bad call. I wasn’t childish, I was invested! It was a wonder I ever became the captain, but at the end of the day no one wanted what was best for our team more than I did. Some cheerleaders join a squad so that they can compete and win a national title of their own. I always tried out for the team for one thing and one thing only…the games.

Naturally my college major was Sport Management. It was during these years that sports went beyond the game for me and got my mind reeling about some deep seeded issues. Why do fans say “we” when their team wins and “they” when their team loses? Why is there a disproportionate number of African Americans in coaching in comparison to the numbers on the field? Why are female athletes assumed to be gay and male athletes assumed to be straight? Is there a relationship between success in academics and success on the field? Do stadium aesthetics affect game attendance? I couldn’t get enough! To learn more I had to stay in school for a Master’s degree.

Throughout my undergraduate and graduate years I wanted to experience everything. I completed internships in three different units of our university athletic department. My ultimate dream was to work in upper administration in collegiate athletics. To do this, my theory was to gain experience in all possible areas in order to better understand how an athletic department functions holistically. Wrong. I became a jack of all trades, but a master of none. This didn’t prove to be an asset in the job market. Everyone wanted someone who knew marketing, knew fundraising, or knew student services inside and out.  (HEY PinkCleats actually works in sports now, but isn’t it still neat to know where the blog came from?!)

Well, a jack of all trades may not be right for the job market, but it is perfect for a blogger. It is through my range of experience from childhood fascinations, cheering on the sidelines, classroom debates, and college internships that this blog will come to life. My husband often brags that I have more experience with sports and more sport knowledge than the average guy. I don’t know why I take that as a compliment when I should know more than the average person. After all, this was my area of expertise and a subject matter I devoted not only my undergraduate years to, but something I pursued a Master’s in as well. But, somehow I can’t help but feel oddly flattered when he tells one of his know-it-all friends (you know the armchair quarterback type with the “what does a girl know anyway?” attitude), “My wife knows more about sports than all of us combined. She could school you man.” I hope my passion for sports becomes contagious to other women and I want the world to know that while I am no master in any one sub category, when it comes to sports I’ve always got a little something to say.