Erica L. Ayala: Reimagining Sports Coverage
ERICA L. AYALA is a New York-based sportswriter. She has covered events such as the WNBA Draft, the Inaugural National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) Isobel Cup Finals, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinements of Sheryl Swoopes & Rebecca Lobo.
The following story comes from her blog Sports Talk With Erica L. Ayala:
"These days I spend most of my time building up my podcast network. Sports Talk with ELA is a space to build the women’s sports community. I want to reimagine the 96% of sports coverage that ignores women in sports.
Just as important as elevating women in sports is having critical conversations with women in sports. My latest project brings women’s hockey players to the table to talk about social justice in their sport.
The patreon page funds the growing podcast network. Our flagship show is the Founding 4 Podcast. The #Founding4Pod an independent women’s hockey podcast. My good friend Mike Murphy and I started the show back in 2017.
https://open.spotify.com/show/0s3FqxFXmApkHAlJ6rs0kn
Today, the show has over 100 episodes featuring amazing people in #WoHo like Megan Bozek, Blake Bolden, Anya Packer, Katie Fitzgerald, and more! We are on Transistor.fm, Spotify, and anywhere you find podcasts.
Freelance Sports Writing
When I’m not podcasting, I get write amazing women’s sports stories for some amazing places. You can find all of my writing on authory, below are some of my personal favorite stories:
Deadspin: The NWSL’s Sky Blue FC Is Falling Apart, On The Field And Off
The Athletic: ‘We have to get more diversity in those seats’: WNBA faces hiring reckoning
The Guardian: The NBA wants female head coaches. But how feasible is that goal?
ThinkProgress: From the field to the rink: How one hockey pro is bringing politics to the ice
Non-Profit Consulting
I’ve worked in the non-profit sector since my college days (Go Elon Phoenix!) and still do some consulting. Although no longer with WCA, I still host a podcast for Westchester Children’s Association.
I also facilitate monthly conversations for the Westchester County Junior Youth Council. With most community spaces closed down because of the Coronavirus pandemic, I’ve been joining virtual meetings with youth to discuss the art of podcasting. Now more than ever, we must support young people and the adults in their lives.
That’s me in a nutshell. You can subscribe to this blog, join my Patreon Page, bookmark my authory page, or follow me on social media. Thanks for reading. Cannot wait to change the landscape of sports coverage, together."