Sportly

In this episode of Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson breaks down the moment that changed American soccer forever: Paul Caligiuri's "Shot Heard' Round the World." This iconic goal, which ended the U.S. men's soccer team's forty-year World Cup drought, highlights a much larger story—the powerful influence of immigrant players and their families on American soccer. From their unique skills and global experience to their resilience and passion, foreign-born players have been the backbone of the sport's rise in the U.S. Kavitha explores what makes America's soccer scene so appealing to immigrant athletes, the cultural impact they bring, and how they've shaped the game we know today.

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Jonathan Hazel, Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! 

Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at [email protected]

Follow us on X @immigrantly_pod.

IG @immigrantlymedia

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the WNBA season wraps up, the league's remarkable growth is impossible to ignore—TV viewership has tripled, and social media is buzzing with highlights that have captured the attention of both longtime fans and newcomers. Join Kavitha Davidson as she dives into the history of the WNBA, examining its highs and lows while highlighting efforts to expand viewership, enhance marketing strategies, and leverage star power. There's much more to this story than just the "Caitlin Clark Effect"!

Hosts: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Jonathan Hazel, Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! 

Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at [email protected]

Follow us on X @immigrantly_pod.

IG @immigrantlymedia

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson dives into the delicious overlap of food and sports culture centered around the iconic stadium hot dog. Kavitha, a self-proclaimed foodie and die-hard sports fan, shares her personal experiences, including highlights from the MLB Food Fest, where unique dishes like the Yankees’ adobo pork belly bun and the Oakland A’s Belgian waffle Monte Cristo made a big impression. But let’s be honest—at a baseball game, there’s still nothing quite like a classic hot dog. So, why is that? How did this simple street food become such an integral part of America’s favorite pastime? Kavitha talks about this and a lot more!

Hosts: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Jonathan Hazel, Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! 

Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

Follow us on X @immigrantly_pod.

IG @immigrantlymedia

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, host Kavitha Davidson explores the dynamic world of Formula 1 by revisiting the electrifying 1984 Monaco Grand Prix—a dramatic showcase of the sport's inherent danger and unpredictability. But F1 is more than speed; it's a fusion of technology, design, and strategy, embodied by legends like Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton. These icons transformed the track and ignited crucial conversations on diversity and inclusion in sports.

As F1’s popularity surges in the United States, thanks in part to the Netflix show Drive to Survive, we explore how this global sport reshapes American engagement with race cars. With the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, looming, we ask: Can Red Bull maintain its dominance, or is change on the horizon? Should Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari team up to create the next great F1 dynasty? Tune in as Kavitha guides us through the thrilling past, present, and future of Formula 1.

Hosts: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Jonathan Hazel, Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! 

Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

Follow us on X @immigrantly_pod.

IG @immigrantlymedia

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Kavitha sits down with Nicole Teeny—a queer Lebanese-American filmmaker, ultramarathon runner, and the host of the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast series GIRL v. HORSE. Nicole sets an audacious goal in this four-part series: to race a horse in a 50-mile ultramarathon. But it’s not just about the finish line—this journey represents a deeply personal quest to reclaim her body and redefine resilience after an epilepsy diagnosis.

Kavitha and Nicole discuss what it takes to train for such an unconventional race, the emotional ups and downs, and feeling connected to Horses. The conversation is as much about grit as it is about healing. Expect laughs, raw moments, and a powerful reminder that pushing boundaries—whether in sports or life—is often the greatest victory of all.

Hosts: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! 

Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

Follow us on X @immigrantly_pod.

IG @immigrantlymedia

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Sportly, Kavitha Davidson continues the captivating two-part series on the rise of the NFL. After exploring the league’s humble beginnings in Part I, this episode dives into how the NFL evolved into a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut.

From landmark television deals that brought the game into homes across America to the development of the Super Bowl as the country’s biggest sports spectacle, Kavitha traces the key moments that fueled the NFL’s meteoric growth. Discover how the league attracted millions of fans, secured its dominance in American sports culture, and became the most valuable sports organization in the U.S. today.

Hosts: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Michaela Strauther, Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound

Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! 

Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With football season kicking off in full swing, it's the perfect time to dive into the NFL's rich history. From its humble beginnings as the underdog to becoming a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse, we break it down.

In this first part of our two-part series, we will rewind the clock and explore the league's early history—the founding of its original teams (many of which are no longer around) and how the NFL fought for survival in a country dominated by college football. We'll also discuss the league's financial struggles and how it went from being an afterthought to a significant part of American culture.

Join our host, Kavitha Davidson, as she uncovers the grit behind the gridiron in the NFL's formative years, setting the stage for the juggernaut it is today. And make sure to tune in next week for part two, where we'll cover the NFL's rise to the top.

Hosts: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Michaela Strauther, Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound

Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! 

Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson welcomes Dr. Nefertiti Walker, a former NCAA Division I basketball star and renowned organizational culture and equity scholar. Dr. Walker shares her journey from her early basketball days to her collegiate success at Georgia Tech and Stetson University and how she transitioned from player to scholar, now shaping inclusive environments at the University of Massachusetts.

In addition to discussing her new book, Slaying the Trolls!, Dr. Walker tackles pressing issues in women’s sports, including the evolving landscape of the WNBA. As rising stars like Caitlin Clark prepare to join the league, Dr. Walker offers her perspective on how the WNBA can embrace diversity and grow its influence while supporting athletes from marginalized identities.

Join them for a compelling conversation about sports, scholarship, and the future of women’s basketball.

___

Hosts: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you get when two friends, a wiffle ball, and a summer day collide? The answer is pickleball—a sport born from a moment of boredom in 1965 that’s now taking the world by storm. In this episode of Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson dives into the quirky origins of pickleball, exploring how this simple backyard game invented by Joel Pritchard has become America’s fastest-growing sport. From its humble beginnings on Bainbridge Island to celebrity-filled tournaments and public park controversies, Kavitha uncovers the story behind the paddle and how a game meant to pass the time is now passing records. Whether you're a seasoned pickler or just pickle-curious, this episode will undoubtedly offer some fascinating insights. Get ready to volley with history!

___

Hosts: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Michaela Strauther, Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson welcomes our first interview guest, acclaimed sports journalist and author Jessica W. Luther. Known for her work at the intersection of sports, gender, race, and ethics, Jessica provides valuable insights into today’s pressing sports issues.

Kavitha and Jessica discuss recent controversies involving Olympic athletes Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, the rise of the WNBA, and Dearica Hamby’s recent lawsuit. They also explore the complex dynamics of sex and gender in sports, what fans often overlook, and the challenges of covering stories that blend sports and other pressing issues such as gender parity.

Don’t miss this honest conversation between two passionate sports fans who openly discuss their love for the game and the flaws within major sports institutions.

___

Hosts: Kavitha A. Davison | Producers: Saadia Khan & Shei Yu I Content Writers: Shei Yu & Kavitha A. Davidson I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices