Kayla Chadwick Interview by Will Slattery

Kayla Chadwick has always stood out. She was the one with the two mothers that taught Phys Ed. She was the one who snuck books into math class to read. She was the one who was forced to stop playing sports after 3 consecutive groin injuries. Now she is the one who is pursuing a career in sports broadcasting.

And although she is trying to break into a traditionally male dominated field, Kayla feels her upbringing helps her see past the gender roles of the past.

"In our house there wasn't a man's job and a woman's job because there were just 4 women in the house. The same person that fixed the car also cooked dinner and played sports so it was definitely helpful for me in pursuing a career in sports media." Kayla said.

If her parents were the ones who planted the seed of sports in Kayla, then she certainly tended the garden as fanatically as any landscaper. Basketball, field hockey, skiing, and softball were just a few of the sports she played as a youth under the tutelage of her mothers.

Kayla is a native of North Conway, New Hampshire and graduated from Trinity College where she commentated on sports.Her dream job is to be the radio voice of the Boston Red Sox but Kayla is both realistic and determined when it comes to her future career. While her dreams may be lofty, she would be happy covering sports anywhere that she was given an opportunity.

“I'd be happy covering sports in Boston, New York, LA, Chicago, Tampa, Kansas City; I don't even care I'll go to Europe or Asia, wherever sports broadcast takes me. I grew up in a very rural place so I would love to work in a major media market.”

Here is the full audio interview or you can find it at the link here.

Q/A transcript:

So Kayla, tell me about your background and how sports was a part of your formative years?

I was raised by two moms that were both Phys Ed teachers so my family was all about sports. One of my mom's played on the US field hockey team and they both coached and refereed field hockey for years and years. I basically played every sport that you are allowed to play as a child. I played soccer, field hockey, softball, T ball, basketball and I learned to ski when I was three years old.  It's a family thing and my sister is the same way.

Do you think that exposure to so many sports has helped you in pursuing a career in sports journalism?

I think it definitely did in a roundabout way. I always liked to write. My best subject was always English probably because I was sneaking books and reading them during math class and that sort of then transitioned to writing. In high school I always got really good grades in English and I wrote for the school paper. My love of sports and my love of writing just came together. But somehow I found myself here in BDJ because I wanted to branch out a little more.

Would broadcast journalism be your favored route or do you have time for print?

There are really awesome things you get in broadcast that you don't get in print and vice versa. I really enjoy doing both and even now in BDJ I have my own blog where I write about baseball and the Boston Red Sox every day. Ideally I will get a job in broadcast when I leave but I think I could work in print if that didn't work out.

It can be hard sometimes for woman to break into sports media, do you think being raised by two women who were big into sports has given you a better grounding in how to do that?

It was definitely helpful. In our house there wasn't a man's job and a woman's job because there were just 4 women in the house. The same person that fixed the car also cooked dinner and played sports. I grew up watching them play summer league softball. I was always aware that sports media is a male dominated profession especially on tv in the United States.

What did you take from Beth Mowins talk in terms of being a female sports journalist trying to break into the business?

She brought home things that I already thought like that you have to be super prepared. If you are prepared and do your homework you will earn the respect of people that might be sceptical of you. She said "don't fool yourselves ladies what you look like does matter" and that is something I have always been aware of. When you see the woman that work as sideline reporter they usually look like Barbie dolls and that can be a little intimidating but hopefully that is something I can work past. 

Where would you like to work when you leave Newhouse?

I don't hold any delusions that this is possible but my absolute dream job would be to be the radio voice of the Boston Red Sox. But I just love being in cities because most major media markets are in big cities and I grew up in a super rural place. I'd be happy covering sports in Boston, New York, LA, Chicago, Tampa, Kansas City; I don't even care I'll go to Europe or Asia, wherever sports broadcast takes me.