Sports Up

Marnie Schneider is a CEO, inspirational speaker, author, and philanthropist. She is a Philadelphia native who now lives in the Carolinas, consistently devoting her time and resources to helping others achieve their victory. Marnie thinks of this as “showing up” on life’s playing field with positivity and energy, day in and day out.

From being brought by her grandfather to football games to writing stories about each football city she went to, today's guest continues to share her passion for sports through her book series in hopes of inspiring kids to read and impart lessons on family and friendship.

According to Marnie Schneider, being a female author in the male-dominated sports scene was more of a motivation than a challenge. It inspired her to consistently perform at her best and share the joy of being a sports fan with the kids that read her books.

In this episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms is joined by Marnie Schneider to talk about her first exposure to sports and what pushed her to pursue the pastime as her career. Marnie talks about her experience being a female author of a male-dominated scene and her goal of inspiring kids to find joy in reading. She also gives advice to the young generation interested in pursuing sports.

Professor Annie Gilbert Coleman is an Associate Professor of American Studies, the Concurrent Associate Professor of History, and the Director of Sport, Media, and Culture at the University of Notre Dame. She teaches and writes about outdoor sports and American culture.

She conducts research focused on sports studies, environmental history, public lands, the American West, and 20th-century American history.

Professor Coleman earned her BA in History from Williams College and her MA and PhD in History at the University of Colorado Boulder.

When talking about outdoor sports and recreation, people don’t always think of all the factors at play — access, environmental impact, gender, and race are just a few of the crucial but underrepresented aspects of the subject.

According to Professor Annie Gilbert Coleman, understanding how these factors intersect with outdoor sports and recreation is vital to improving the overall quality of those experiences. Knowing how outdoor recreation has grown into an industry also helps people understand the structural relationships to economies and tourism and how the dynamics of gender, class, and race come into play.

In this episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms is joined by Professor Annie Gilbert Coleman to talk about the intersection between outdoor sports and recreation, race, and gender. Professor Coleman talks about how she found herself in this particular area of study and why it’s important for people to learn about and understand the topic. She also shares what she hopes to achieve in teaching on the subject and what’s next with her research.

Leigh Wojtkiewicz is the Associate Athletic Director for Data, Analytics & Strategic Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame. She is also the Co-founder of the Sports Data, Analytics & Technology Association which includes an online community platform where aspiring athletes and professionals can connect and share ideas, best practices, and sports analytics.

Notre Dame’s renowned educational and athletic programs are only part of what makes them one of the most respected and elite institutions in the US. How do you build a recipe for success at such a high-profile university without losing focus?

Leigh Wojtkiewicz is determined to foster innovation through analytics that would drive Notre Dame Athletics to a new level. Her proven business intelligence and analytics skills have helped numerous other institutions improve efficiency. Now, as part of Notre Dame Athletics, Leigh has set out to revolutionize the analytics and strategy department to achieve excellence in all aspects of sports.

In this episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms welcomes Leigh Wojtkiewicz, Associate Athletic Director at the University of Notre Dame and Co-founder of the Sports Data, Analytics & Technology Association. They talk about key aspects of working in a male-dominated industry, the way faith can elevate athletes, and what the future holds for Notre Dame Athletics.

Angel Szalonek is the President and CEO of Sports Faith, an interactive online magazine that honors the values of Christianity on and off the field, mat, and court. Additionally, Angel is the CEO of Move to Action Services, an in-house employee engagement room designed for workers to explore their creativity, engage in self-paced continuing education and career development, and where teams can form a think tank. 

Angel’s path into the sports world was unplanned. Before joining Sports Faith, Angel was an educator and professional opera singer, where she performed in operas, musicals, benefit concerts, plays, and voice-over productions. 

If you hang out in any sports locker room, you know the coaches and teams usually bow their heads in prayer before taking the court or field. But why is that?

Many say prayer calms pregame jitters and helps players to focus. It can be a way for athletes to share fellowship and form trusted bonds on and off the field. It’s also a way to strengthen relationships, explains Angel Szalonek, President and CEO of Sports Faith.

In this episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms sits down with Angel Szalonek to discuss how faith and sports intertwine. Angel discusses how that connection created a stronger bond between her and her son and the remarkable opportunities she’s experienced because of Sports Faith. Finally, she offers advice on how to stay rooted in faith.

Lauren Greenberg is currently a Deputy General Counsel at White & Case LLP, a global law firm. She co-founded the women’s varsity softball team of Dartmouth College, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology. Lauren would eventually get her Juris Doctor degree from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

Erika Beisler is the Associate Director of Market Intelligence at Harvard Business School. She was the co-captain of the softball team of Dartmouth College in 1993. Erika obtained her BA in History from Dartmouth College and an MBA with a focus on marketing and strategy at the Yale School of Management.

50 years ago, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was passed into law. Unfortunately, women student athletes still face inequality today. What can women in athletics do to continue the fight and make sure they are given equal support and opportunities?

Erika Beisler and Lauren Greenberg faced the same dilemma as freshmen women athletes in Dartmouth College more than 30 years ago. Throughout their college years, they actively voiced their concerns to the administration and eventually to the Department of Education. They knew something was wrong and did everything in their power to make sure these errors were corrected.

In this episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms sits down with Erika Beisler and Lauren Greenberg. The two talk about the discrimination and unfair treatment they received as college women athletes and how they fought to keep their college accountable. Erika and Lauren share the difficulties they faced, how they filed a formal complaint against their school, and why they never gave up fighting for equality for women in athletics.

Grace Luczak is a decorated US rower holding two world records – one current in the Women's Eight Set in 2013 and one former for the U23 Women's Pair. She is a five-time world champion and Olympian and named as one of the Top 10 Female Rowers in the World by World Rowing.

Grace’s rowing career started when her mother saw a newspaper ad offering free college education to rowing student athletes. She hopped in, joined the team, and the rest is history. Grace graduated from Stanford University where she received the Stanford Award for Excellence and won a NCAA Championship.

Competitive sports demand significant time, effort, and energy from athletes. How does one cope, maintain their passion, and not get burnout despite the mental and physical rigor?

For Grace Luczak, sports is all about discipline. Everything that you put in, you get out — which can be very rewarding, but frustrating at times. 

In this episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms is joined by Grace Luczak, a five-time world champion and Olympian US rower. Grace shares how she got into rowing and her journey from trying out for a club team to eventually taking on the world on the Olympic stage. She also discusses how she maintained her discipline and passion through the years and gives advice for aspiring young athletes.

Dr. Dana Weintraub is the Co-CEO of the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI), a Clinical Associate Professor for the Division of General Pediatrics at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, and a Board Member of the US Soccer Foundation. She has extensive experience both playing and coaching soccer and developing and evaluating after school programs.

Dr. Weintraub obtained her bachelor’s degree in History from Dartmouth College and her M.D. from University of Massachusetts Medical School. She completed her internship, residency, and chief residency in Pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and a postdoctoral fellowship in General Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Studies have shown that participating in team sports provides many social and psychological benefits for children. Yet, due to the competitive nature of sports, young girls often lack the confidence to pursue them. So, how can we empower girls to become involved in this activity? 

As an experienced coach, Dr. Dana Weintraub maintains the importance of fostering inclusion and providing support for girls on elementary school sports teams. Through her organization, she teaches girls the power of leadership, teamwork, and respect. By giving girls the opportunity to play sports at a young age, Dana encourages them to continue throughout their lives. 

In this episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms hosts Dr. Dana Weintraub of the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI), to talk about the importance of sports for youth. Dr. Weintraub shares her role as a doctor in the sports industry, BAWSI’s mission, how sports benefit children, and the importance of females having access to sports at a young age.

Dr. Courtney Boucher is a Research Assistant in the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport and an instructor for Research Methods in the Kinesiology department at the University of Minnesota. She obtained her PhD from the same university, where she studied Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport Sociology.

Hannah Silva-Breen is a Graduate Teaching Assistant at West Virginia University, where she is currently studying to get her PhD in Sport, Exercise, & Performance Psychology. She is passionate about helping others through mental healthcare, sport, exercise, and education.

Despite the rise of female sports icons in recent years, sports is still a predominantly masculine space. Aside from becoming athletes, what other career options are available for women in the sports world?

Dr. Courtney Boucher and Hannah Silva-Breen are respected researchers and educators in the sports academe. They both began as athletes before finding their passion in studying sports and eventually teaching.

In this episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms hosts Dr. Courtney Boucher and Hannah Silva-Breen. They share their journey from young hockey and basketball players to pursuing sports research and psychology. They talk about their profession and how such career paths in sports are often lesser-known options to students. Lastly, they discuss the lack of female leaders and mentors in sports and how this impacts young and aspiring female athletes.

Mina Bakhshi is a young Afghan woman who, in the summer of 2021, had just finished high school and was preparing to start university while pursuing her athletic interests in soccer and climbing. Her life was abruptly turned upside down the day Kabul fell. But with the help of Ascend Athletics, a nonprofit focusing on the empowerment of Afghan girls through climbing and leadership training, Mina was able to summon the courage to escape, start a new life for herself, and help others who remain behind.

When the Taliban took over Mina Bakhshi’s province, her dreams were crushed. But with all odds against her, Mina found a way to flee to safety and now works to empower others with similar challenges. How did Mina do it?

In the summer of 2021, Mina made a life-changing decision. With the support of Ascend Athletics, she found a way out. Mina had to pack up her belongings in just five minutes, leave her family behind, and take a bus to a Northern province. After a long and uncertain journey, Mina settled in North Carolina and now serves as a translator for other Afghan refugees. Her message to those left behind? There is light after darkness — you just have to stay strong. 

Inspired by Mina’s story of strength and perseverance, host Meredith Syms submitted this episode to The New York Times’ fifth annual podcast contest. Among submissions from over 1,600 students, Mina’s powerful story stood out, and Meredith’s episode was deemed a winner.

In this New York Times award-winning episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms sits down with Afghan refugee, Mina Bakhshi, to share her story of hope and bravery. Mina talks about the risk she took after Kabul fell, the organizations that helped her flee to safety, and her hopes for those left behind in Afghanistan.    

McCall Hall is the Director of Community Outreach for the Athletics Department at the University of Southern California. Prior to that, McCall worked on a variety of projects within the sports business and media fields.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Washington and a Masters of Business in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Southern California.

From little seeds grow mighty trees. The sports superstars that we know today were once young, aspiring athletes who trained and worked hard to reach their full potential. How do we support these young athletes and inspire them to pursue their passion?

McCall Hall currently works with 650 student athletes and hosts events and activities for them on a weekly basis. Her vision and goal has always been to plant the seed — instill the love for sports early on and inspire them to be disciplined and continue training as they grow up.

In this episode of the Sports Up Podcast, Meredith Syms sits down with McCall Hall, the Director of Community Outreach for the Athletics Department at the University of Southern California. McCall shares the story of how she got into sports, her sports media career, and how she transitioned to the sports community side. She talks about the weekly sports programs she provides for young athletes and gives a piece of advice for women who want to go down a path where females aren’t always supported.