A Sports Fan Who Doesn't Like to Practice

Story and photo by Rafael Freitas

SYRACUSE, N.Y - Sports fans have the tendency to get their sports passion from their families. That is something that certainly applies for Epiphany Catling. This 23-year-old woman from Columbus, Ohio, absolutely loves sports thanks to her very big family.

Epiphany Catling, Newhouse Masters Student
Photo by Rafael Freitas  

Catling grew up with more than 30 cousins, uncles and aunts that are fascinated by sports and big supporters of one specific college program.

“We all love Ohio State. We are all Buckeyes fans," says Catling, who was born in Ohio, but has been a long-time Las Vegas resident. "That’s the one thing all my family agrees on.” 

  

Even though she didn't play any sports as an University of Nevada undergrad student and doesn’t practice the sports she usually watches, she's had previous experiences as an athlete.

In fifth grade, she used to run the 400 meter and 800 meter relays. Her impressive performances qualified her for the 400 meter Junior Olympics.

She had a huge problem, though. 

“I love track. I love the track meets. But I never wanted to go to practice, it was not for me," Catling laughs. "I just hated practicing.”

She is now at the Newhouse S.I School of Public Communications at Syracuse University pursuing a career as a sports reporter. She promises to practice very hard, something she didn’t like to do on her days as an athlete.

"I love practicing journalism and learning skills that will help me in my future career," she says.

You can hear the full interview clicking here.

The transcription of the conversation is below

Rafael Freitas: The first thing I want to ask to you is about your name. As you may know, Epiphany means something that you suddenly become conscious of, suddenly a good idea. Is that you received this name or is become it’s because the religious stuff?

Epiphany Catling: No. Actually, my mom got it from a movie, is called Angel of Heart, is like a weird cult movie. Lisa Bonet was on it and her name was Epiphany. And..  I guess my mom was kind of related… Well, not really related, she is not crazy; but she liked the movie, she said that she ever had a kid, she was going to name her Epiphany, so…

R: Ok, nice. So, tell me a little bit about yourself. Why are you in Newhouse and specifically on the Sports program.

E: I chose to come to Newhouse just because of the program. I always loved broadcasting and stuff, I always want to get in to it. Same with sports: I grew just watching sports, with my family playing sports or just doing different things. So… I don’t know; I thought about doing it, I tried in my undergrad, loved it, and decided to get my masters.

RF: Do you play or did you play any kind of sports? Or you are only a fan?

EC: Uh, well, the sports I mainly like watching I never played. Like, I love football and soccer and never played any of them.

But I did competitive cheer and like gymnastics, so like I know how to tumble. And then, I also ran in Track since I was like in 5^th grade. I stopped in my senior year of High School, didn’t really liked it, but…

RF: Were you good at it?

EC: I actually was! I made it to like, Nationals and stuff and I qualify for the Junior Olympics when I was in… I think I was it was 5^th grade for that one. So. I was pretty good, I just hated practicing.

RF: What event?

EC: 400m, 800m and Long Jump.

RF: But did you try to go to the Olympics or no?

EC: Actually, no. The whole Junior Olympic thing was actually an accident. I filled in for someone on like a relay and then they just threw me on the Long Jump. Somehow, I ended up qualifying. I don’t really know how.

I mean, I love Track I love the track meets I think mainly the social aspect of it, It’s just like, I don’t know, fun for me. But I never wanted to go to practice, it was not for me [laughs]

RF: And where did your passion about sports come from? Your family? By yourself, your dad, maybe?

EC: uh, mainly my family. I don’t know. I have like a big family.

R: How big?

E: Very…I am an only child. I am the only one that doesn’t have a sibling in her family. So like, my grandparents, on my dad side, my grandpa has 12 siblings and then my grandma has seven siblings. So it’s like: It just keeps branching out. The same on my mom side: Her mother had eight siblings and her dad had, I believe… 13 or 14, one of those... But, it’s just a very big family. And I know all of them and we are all very close.

RF: And what is the family favorite sport?

EC: Football. We always watch football together. I always spend Thanksgiving, Christmas  and Easter at home and we always watch football or basketball, whenever, it’s like Easter time.

RF: College or NFL?

EC: Both. So, that’s the one thing all my family agrees on: college sports. We  all love Ohio State. We are all Buckeyes fans. And then..

For NFL, is like half and half because, even though they live in Ohio, some of them are closer to Pennsylvania. So, they are Steelers fans. And then, there’s Browns fans. And like a BIG half of Cowboys fans. Don’t really understand it, but… I’m with them with that [laughs]

RF: You are a Cowboys fan?

EC: Yes [ laughs]

RF: Me too…

EC: [laughs]

RF: So where are you from? You are from Ohio?

EC: Originally. So, I was born in Columbus, Ohio. And then I moved to Vegas when I was five. Just me, my mom and my dad.

RF: What are you plans after graduation here?

EC: I don’t really have a plan. I would like to go back to Vegas to work just because they will be getting a NFL team soon, they just got hockey, which will be starting, I believe, in November.

And then they are working on getting like a soccer team. But, I know Reno; that is like eight hours away but it’s still Nevada, they just got a soccer team. So, I think Vegas is a good place to like, start of. But honestly, I’d go anywhere.

RF: In what area? Like an anchor? Sports reporter?

EC: Yeah, I want to be a sports reporter. 

RF: Side line no?

EC: I do want to do sideline reporter but in soccer, the is not really much. Sometimes I see side line reporters but, I don’t know, it is kind of weird.  Specially in the middle of the game, when like, no one really want to look at you and see you on the side lines if there are not commercials. So, in that one, probably an anchor.  But football, definitely, side line.

RF: Do you have an athlete that you really, really want to interview?

EC: Honestly, Allen Iverson. I know he is retired, but he is playing in Ice Cubes, I believe The Big 3 League now. But I’d love to interview him, just to pick his brain. He is one of my favorite basketball players of all time.

RF: And what were you doing before here?

EC: Before here… So, I graduated in my undergrad in December. Cause I like, started school in the spring. And then, after that, I was pretty much just getting applications. Like, applying for school… just…

RF: You were not working?

EC: No, I volunteered a bit, but I did not get a job, just because I was at home for, less than five months. And everyone wanted at least six months or a year. So, I didn’t work, but I volunteered. Luckily, my mom let me be a free loader for a bit [laughs]… and then I came here.

RF: Thank you