What It's REALLY Like Being A Lady In The Locker Room

You will usually be the only woman in the majority of your work photos! 

As graduation approaches, I am doing my tour of college and high school campuses speaking to sports broadcasting, sports management or sports marketing classes about careers in the sports industry. I love visiting with young professionals and hearing their questions.

RELATED: 5 Things You Need To Get Out Of Your Sports Media Internship

Inevitably, I am always asked about being a "woman" working in sports media. The questions are generally these two:

• How do you handle the feeling of having to prove yourself working in a male-dominated business? 
• How you handle being a woman in a guy's locker room? It's not just students who ask. I get this question. All. The. Time. 

I was asked one of these questions today.

Let's pull back the curtain and discuss what too many professors, teachers, mentors and hiring managers won't:

What It's REALLY Like Being A Lady In The Locker Room.

14 Things You Need To Know If You Want A Career In Sports Media

Sometimes you WILL get handed a beer...on live TV

With graduation only a few months away, this is the time of year my inbox fills with requests from students (and parents of students) who want help, insight and guidance on landing a job or internship in sports media.

Get More Sports Media Internship Advice AND Insider Access To Cool Internships! 

Click HERE To Visit The Internship Section on Gina Miller Media.

Truth be told, it's one of the most exciting, challenging and downright fun career paths anyone can choose. You're covering games. You're interviewing All-Stars. You're traveling around the country, many times the world, to attend sporting events. You're doing things stuck-in-their-cubicle 9-to-5ers only wish they could do. Indoor sky diving with the Dallas Cowboys? Flying on a billionaire's private jet to watch his favorite football team play? Touring NBA players' mansions? Done. Done. And done.  It's the coolest of cool jobs.

But it's not all jets, games and glam. A career in sports media requires more than just a passion for your favorite team, reading ESPN and trolling Twitter. It's work. Hard work. It also takes a fair amount of resilience because you will make mistakes, you will get criticized and you will get scooped on a story.

RELATED: 5 Things You Need To Get Out Of Your Sports Media Internship

I have learned a lot during my sports media career which started in 1994 as a media services intern with the Houston Rockets and included stops in Guam, Knoxville, my hometown, Dallas and most recently Los Angeles. From truths about myself and the nature of individuals considered icons to the rhythms of a season and how to pose a question after a terrible loss, sports media is very much a business about people and relationships. To that end, there are certain things you should consider if you want a career in this industry.

Here are 14 things you need to know 
if you want a career in sports media:

What Professors Don't Tell You in School: The 7 Deadly Sins of Sports (& Media) Internships

In the minds of many, I have your dream job.  For almost two full decades (GULP), I have worked in professional sports for the Rockets & Cowboys AND covered every sport imaginable in Houston, Guam, Knoxville and, currently, in my hometown Dallas.  It's fun, exhilarating and unpredictable.

It's also nothing close to what you think it is.

I have shed some light on a day in my TV life in covering the Rangers 2013 season opener and offered tips to ensure a successful internship in my series, How to Win Your Internship and Parlay it Into a Successful Career. 

What about the Seven Deadly Sins of a Sports Internship?  Brian Clapp offers hilarious advice on succeeding in a sports internship in a blog post of the same title for the website WorkinSports.com.

Here are a few of my favorites "sins" along with my two cents:

10 Mistakes To Avoid Making During Your Internship

From jocksniffing to dawdling and donkeyjacking (the art of doing nothing when you should be doing something), I have seen interns do it all. Too often, we see interns doing things they shouldn't be. It's not solely their fault. Many times young professionals come into an internship without a solid understanding what is and isn't acceptable behavior. While we don't want to dwell on negative experiences, it bears discussing.

Whether you're a first-time intern or a seasoned, internship pro like Suzi Mellano (click HERE to read Suzi's story), here are important things to consider during your internship.

$14,000 a Year + 45-Plus Hours a Week = Your 1st TV Job!

I can always tell when graduation is upon us.  About this time of year, I receive a slew of email from soon-to-be May grads asking for advice and networking suggestions on how to break into the TV news and sports business.

The email typically has an optimistic tone.  I love it.  There is nothing like that naive enthusiasm a 22-year old who is about to "take media world by storm" has.  That enthusiasm usually turns into stone-faced sobriety when I share with said 22-year old (or the relative that is doing the work for him or her) just how brutal this business is.

Here is the advice I had for someone whose uncle emailed me more than two years asking for help breaking into the television news business.  It's disappointing his niece didn't have the initiative to get in touch.  Regardless, the  response I sent then pretty much holds true today.  There are a few things, however, I should update.

START NOW BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY TARDY FOR THE PARTY.
If you're a college senior asking about job opportunities in March with a May graduation on the horizon, you're already behind the game.   I feel, you need to have an internship in place by the first semester of your senior year.  If it's not for college credit, that's okay.  Volunteer one day a week somewhere.  You can put it on your resume.

In addition to that, you need to be submitting quality material to hiring managers that Fall.  Even if they are just "feeler submissions",  sending your work, writing the cover letters, working on that all-too-rare phone interview can only help and prepare you.  The more you do, the better you get.

BE READY TO WORK.  REALLY HARD.  AND NOT GET PAID.
I can't tell you how many aspiring TV journalists tell me "I want to be an anchor".  "I want to be a sideline reporter for ESPN."  "I want to be the next {insert network reporter/anchor here}".

You and almost everyone else wants that job.  That is an awesome goal to have and you can absolutely do it and be the best the person who has ever done that job.  I am living proof that you can have goals, reach them, create new ones and be happy doing so.  BUT, you have to work your ass off to get there.  When I tell wannabe network stars that I started out shooting, reporting, editing, producing and anchoring in two small markets, I am met with colorless, blank stares.

"You mean you shot with a camera?" they ask.
"Yes.  It IS television," I respond.
"What if you just got a manicure?" one May grad once queried.
"Girl, I couldn't afford a manicure," I deadpan.
CRICKETS.........

That really happened.

Granted, quality news cameras are much smaller and easier to work with than the 40-pound behemoths I lugged all over Guam and Knoxville in the mid-90's.  The point here is, very few talented individuals start television careers at the network level or in a top 10 market.  Sure it can be done.  I work with an incredibly talented producer who got a job at my current station following his college internship with us but he is in the minority.  You have to be ready and willing to do a variety of jobs you may not like to get the job you want.  All that experience gives you credibility and will help you later on in your career.

And, yes, the money starting out isn't good.  Flat out it's sucks.  I had a friend who was a weekend sports anchor in a small market who lived in a mobile home and qualified for food stamps.  She worked 50 hours a week and made $14,000/year.  This was in 2009.   Competition is stiff and hiring managers will be quick to tell you there is someone out there who will do your job for less money.   The truth is, they're usually right.

NETWORK.  BE NICE TO PEOPLE. 
I started my television career as an assistant sports producer at the great KHOU in Houston.  I was basically a glorified intern but I busted my ass to earn my $7 an hour.  I worked with the most awesome group of pros that I am still friends with and see in a professional capacity today.

I bring this up because television and sports journalism is a very small, big business.  Everyone knows everyone.  Really.  There is so much movement in the industry that the news assignments person that you couldn't stand could be the assistant news director or the network producer at a place where you're applying for your dream job.

I'm sure I've burned countless bridges in my career but I've tried my best to be a professional, treat people with respect and maintain relationships with former colleagues.

I bring this up because I've seen a slew of interns over the years that I wouldn't dare recommend to a hiring manager.  Sure, those interns didn't think they needed to impress me with hard work or diligence but they should have.  You never know who knows whom in this business.  We've had interns at my stations through the years who were awful yet put us as references on their resumes.  Former colleagues I've known have called me about them.  While I didn't say a disparaging word about these particular interns, I did politely suggest another candidate.

On the flip side, I've written graduate school letters of recommendation and given dozens of phone interviews for former interns who were just awesome at what they did.  They went above and beyond the call of typical intern duty at excelled at it.  They were absolute pleasures to recommend and it's thrilling to see them working and succeeding in this industry now.

DO WHAT YOU CAN. NOW. 
You might not have the job you want but that doesn't mean you can't do it in some form or fashion right now.  If you want to be a news or sports reporter/anchor, do it.  Create a blog and develop a voice and some perspective.  Request a credential for a local high school or college basketball game.  Cover the game and create a multimedia feature story on a particular player or something compelling about the squad.  Put it on your blog and offer to link that story to that school's website or paper.

Start a video blog on YouTube.  Get on there and talk about various topics: the Saints bounty controversy, Tiger's comeback, etc.  Offer your unique insight on various topics.  This will help you get used to just "talking" in front of a "camera" while trying to be succinct and coherent.  (It's tougher than it looks).

All of this enhances your body of work and gives you an edge.  If you're a senior reading this and just starting to think about this now, you're a little late.  Get going on this TODAY.  Kick some ass tomorrow.

How To Turn An Internship Into A Full-Time Job

Derek Harper, me, Cody Winstead

For some a successful internship means parlaying the experience into a full-time job. One of the best producers I have ever worked with was Cody Winstead who did exactly that.  He was a CBS11 sports intern, became a full-time (and outstanding) sports producer for CBS11 & TXA21 and is now a sports producer with Silver Chalice productions in Chicago.

How Did Cody Do It?
It sounds simple: he was smart, creative, proactive, eager to learn, kept his ego in check and was always willing to do whatever it took not just to get the job done but to kick ass while doing it.  These are all essential elements for success in not just sports media but any industry.

Unfortunately, too many interns seem to drop the ball when it comes to mastering these simple steps that seem like common sense.

Let's dive a bit further. In a guest post for CareerBliss.com, Ashley Mosley, the Community Engagement Manager for InternMatch, outlines specific things interns can do to turn their experience into a full-time job.

Here's an excerpt:

• Become irreplaceable: How do you add value to the company? It’s your duty to go above and beyond to ensure your coworkers and manager can’t imagine how things would run without you around. While you may still be at the bottom rung as an intern, there’s still a lot you can do to find your niche within the company and seize opportunities to move up.
• Network: Kickstart your networking efforts by making a point to attend all company events. Introduce yourself to coworkers at lunch, or invite some full-time employees to coffee for an informational interview during which you can learn about their professional experiences and goals.
• Take advantage of every opportunity: Standing out at your internship often means becoming a “yes” man or woman. If there’s a seminar or training opportunity available to you, adjust your schedule to make sure you’re in attendance.

Great advice for any industry. These principles work. Trust me.

Want More Internship Scoop?

For more internship advice, check out the internship section of my blog for advice on what to do, what not to do, what to wear and more.

 

Purse & Bag Policy 101: Everything You Need to Know

If you're going to a football game, sporting event or other event, like a concert, at a sports venue, chances are that there is a purse policy in place that limits what you an bring into the facility. 

The policies are pretty clear (no pun intended): unless you have a medical necessity, your bag needs to be either small or clear. 

Finding stylish and functional small or clear purses and bags that you can carry into sporting events can be a challenge. The small purses usually don't hold anything while the clear ones are cheaply made.

Purse and bag policies are here to stay. The NFL instituted a purse and bag policy at its venues in 2013 . More and more college football stadiums, soccer venues, the PGA tour and other sports properties are implementing them as well.

These exist for a variety of reason but the primary one is clear: it makes the admission process easier. It takes stadium security too much time to search through a big, dark bag. That, in turn, creates a bottleneck at entry. A small bag or clear larger one is easier and faster to check.

How To Set Goals For Your Internship

I have worked with too many interns who came into the experience without direction, objectives or focus. They didn't know what they wanted to get out of their internship. That, my friends, is a mistake.

Internships are about more than just getting college credit. They help you establish habits, learn tangible career skills in a contextual setting and create a network that can be a springboard for a successful career.

How to Use Social Media to Raise Awareness for Your Fundraiser and Organization

As more corporations realize that investing in original content and social media is a necessity rather than luxury, the same philosophy should apply to your fundraiser for your nonprofit organization.

Top Hat & Tails Dancing with the Stars 2009

Whether it's the Cattle Baron's Ball, DIFFA Dallas' Masquerade Ball, Paws in the City's Top Hat & Tails, Fort Worth's Cowtown Ball  or New York's legendary Met Gala, multimedia content and social media can be a gamechanger.

Why?  Because social media grows your nonprofit's profile not only in your community but also globally.  The right message and right campaign can resonate beyond the city in which an event takes place.  As your organization's profile grows, this can have a positive effect on your bottom line and fundraising effort.

How do you do this?  Produce content before, during and after the event and promote it to all relevant social media platforms as well as your organization's website.

Before the Event
Have a marquee auction item?  Detail how awesome it is via a blog post or Instagram video and promote it to social media platforms in the weeks leading up to the event.

Courtesy TACA-Arts.org

Take, for instance, The TACA Custom Auction Gala.  It is an amazing evening that celebrated its 48th year in September and always has wonderfully decadent auction items.  2013 was no different.

Among the items offered this year was a trip to Art Basel in Miami with a private guided tour by a famed art curator.  Following that was a trip to the Caribbean with a two-night stay at Rosewood's Little Dix Bay in British Virgin Gorda.

An experience like this is a priceless, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  In the days leading up to the event, a well-crafted blog post detailing the experience and thanking the sponsors generates buzz for the auction items and the event itself.  It also offers an additional mention to key big ticket sponsors.  That mention can be a part of your sponsorship package.

Incorporate this strategy for a number of premiere auction items to help build anticipation.  It not only raises awareness but it can potentially generate early bids online which helps your bottom line and fundraising efforts.

During the Event
People love live events.  That is why sporting events are so popular on Twitter and social media.  Games are a way for people to participate in a real-time conversation online.  The same principle applies to a fundraiser as people are rarely without their smartphones.  Incorporating Twitter and Instagram into your overall event strategy is a smart and cost-effective way to engage guests and potential supporters.

Courtesy DIFFADallas.org

Think about it.  Each year DIFFA's House of DIFFA Masquerade Ball offers some of the most over-the-top, fabulous fashions on the Dallas social calendar.  Posting photos to Instagram and Twitter of the red carpet arrivals and the runway fashions featuring the relevant fashion designer hashtags is a great way to put the event in the social media conversation.  If a designer like Marc Jacobs or Oscar de la Renta retweets or likes a photo with your organization's name in it, that is a huge boost for your nonprofit's profile.

Another example: share the story of an individual impacted by the organization.  I emceed the Nexus Westapher Kickoff in September.  I posted a photo of former Nexus patient, Toni Lambert, sharing her inspirational story to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  This was not planned and was simply something I did because I was moved by her testimonial.  It received numerous retweets on Twitter and more than 30 combined likes on Facebook and Instagram.

Why?  Because people love good news.

Social media promotion of Nexus Westapher Kickoff

Note what Charlene Taylor said on Facebook: "There is a Nexus by me on Motley across from Eastfield College and I often wonder about what that center does."

With one simple photo, promoted to three different social media platforms, we helped educate one person about the Nexus Recovery Center.  Could it make a tangible impact?  Perhaps.  The thing is that it put Nexus in the conversation as the event was happening creating multiple social media impressions.

After the Event
Many organizations do a good job wrapping up the event and announcing the amount of money it raised on their websites via a blog post.  I suggest organizations take it a step further and produce a compelling video that details how wonderful the event was, how lively the auctions got and the positive impact the gala continues to make in the community.

Video is a powerful tool that can show emotion in ways a blog post can't.

How Gina Miller and That Sports Girl Media Can Help
While organizations already incorporate content and social media into their overall fundraising and event efforts, many times, it's a secondary consideration manned by an overworked volunteer or assistant.

Gina Miller at House of DIFFA's 2013 gala

Having a focused content and social media strategy can raise awareness for your nonprofit which can ultimately have a tangible effect on its bottom line.  Having a professional implement a targeted social media and content plan can alleviate the pain of doing this and let you, your volunteers and staff members focus on their primary roles.

Gina Miller has experience hosting and emceeing multiple events.  Ranging from 5k's and panel discussions to black tie galas, Gina is passionate about engaging your guests.  By having Gina and her That Sports Girl Media team at your event, you can also benefit from their social media and original content expertise.  Gina has more than 30,000 personal followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.  That's a lot of exposure for your organization.

Contact Gina Miller and That Sports Girl Media to find out how they can take your event to the next level.

So You Want to Work in Sports? Here’s a Day in the Life of Your Dream Job

I am asked some form of the following questions almost every day:

“What’s it like being a sports anchor and reporter? “  Fun but hard.

“How did you get into this business? “  Read this.

“Have you always wanted to do this? “ Yes.  This and more.

But more and more, the individuals who want to enter the sports media world think we spend our days cheering at games, chugging champagne with owners and chest bumping athletes.  Not quite.

THIS happened!

Take Easter Sunday 2013, for example.  Photographer Bill Ellis and I left San Antonio at 10:30am, where the Rangers had just wrapped up their spring training schedule with a two-game series against the Padres.  Our final destination?  Houston for the season opener between the Rangers and Astros on Sunday night.

Bill Ellis & I heading to Minute Maid Park

Here’s a typical "day in the life" that includes everything from stale hot dogs to a drunken Astros fan bum rushing our live shot:

Rangers Dugout Reporter Emily Jones Shares Her Makeup Secrets

That brutal August heat is here. If you're heading to a Rangers game, keeping your makeup from melting is a legitimate concern (even for some guys I know). Earlier this summer, I shared my secrets for sweatproofing your makeup for Rangers games.

Emily interviewing Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish/Image via Twitter.com/Rangers

Rangers dugout reporter, Posh Play co-founder and mom to adorable Hattie and Henry, Emily Jones McCoy is a true expert. She sits in the dugout, during 100+ degree day games and manages to look camera-ready during every TV hit for Rangers games on Fox Sports Southwest. She recently shared her makeup and beauty secrets that sports-loving girl can adopt.

How To Become A Sportscaster: Work In Sports Interview

Image via WorkInSports.com

I am often asked about becoming a sportscaster. From breaking into the industry to creating a demo tape, I receive hundreds of email a month from young professionals looking to enter the business as well as mid-career professionals wanting to purse their dream careers.

This interview I did with WorkInSports.com's Brian Clapp let's you inside the virtual locker room to share what a sportscaster's career narrative is really like. In short it's fun, exhilarating, exhausting, frustrating, rewarding and challenging. It's a lot of things, rolled into one. It's also a career that requires multiple talents and an open mind.

Read the entire piece. It answers a lot of questions you may have. Also read these stories:

• "14 Things You Need To Know If You Want To Work In Sports Media"
• "What It's Really Like Being A Lady In The Locker Room"

You can also watch my Google Hangout in the box below.

YouTube.com/GinaLMiller

Want More? 

I believe in the value of internships. Unfortunately, too many young professionals don't take advantage of that experience. I am putting the finishing touches on a guide that offers advice to help you (or your kid) do just that: maximize the internship experience. It features advice like this: "10 Mistakes To Avoid Making During Your Internship".

Want to be the first to know about the book launch AND cool internships, like these? Sign up for my internship newsletter. I'll send you career advice, amazing internships opportunities and details on my upcoming internship book.

Have a question about anything mentioned in this story? Leave a note in the comments section. Know someone who could use this? Please pass it along.

Send me awesome internships.

How to Bring a Breaking News Approach to Your Business

Launching a new product or service?  Calling a press conference to announce a new corporate initiative?  Have a celebrity in town to promote your company?  Is your industry convention introducing groundbreaking innovations?

All of that is news.  As a part of your overall event marketing strategy you need to treat it like a breaking news situation on relevant social media platforms to raise awareness for your brand.  Live-Tweet the details of the innovation.  Post photos to Instagram of the celebrity talking to the media and demonstrating your product.

This gets your company, product or service in the cultural conversation which raises awareness for your brand and will ultimately have a positive impact on your bottom line.

In Action 
Let's launch a hypothetical product: a new iPad case, that has a built-in stylus which prevents you from losing the pesky pen.  Here's a crash course in treating it as a breaking news situation with your original content.

Courtesy Target.com

Before the Event
A few days before the release, write a blog post "teasing" a new product launch.  Emphasize that it will solve one of mobile computing's biggest pains.  Share promotional posts with links back to the blog on all of your social media platforms.  This builds anticipation.

Your Facebook page will promote the news of the launch.  Your Twitter and Instagram feeds will ask "What's in this box and why will it change your iPad game?"  Both feeds will feature a photo with just a portion of the case, "teasing" your followers of what's to come.

At the Event
Twitter is the best vehicle during a breaking news situation and you should take advantage of that during your company's events.

Live-Tweet the news of the launch.  As it relates to our iPad case/stylus, you would Tweet the inspiration behind the product.  "54% of customers, including our CMO Gina Miller, complain of losing their stylus. #SaveYourStylus"  Tweet why this product will prevent that.  

Create a Twitter hashtag for your event incorporating the product name.  In this hypothetical case, #SaveYourStylus might work.  Create a giveaway offering the new case to a follower who uses #SaveYourStylus creatively in their Tweets.

Post gorgeous product photos to Instagram incorporating appropriate hashtags during the event.

After the Event
Produce a blog post, in the same vein as a news story detailing the Who, What, When, Where, Why & How of the event.  Include pictures.  Again, post to all the appropriate social media platforms.

The Takeaway
Social media is, more and more, becoming your first line of communication with new and existing customers.  You need an engaging content plan.  The thing is that it's not easy and it should not receive secondary treatment.

If you have a receptionist or busy account executive manning your Twitter feed or updating your company blog, your content plan won't receive the proper attention it deserves and will suffer in the process.

That Sports Girl Media is focused solely on raising your company's profile through original content.  We connect you with your core consumers, engage them in ways other content creators can't and share information with them that resonates and strengthens your brand.

We're news professionals. We know how to talk to people.  We also know how to use the news to help your business.  Contact That Sports Girl Media today to find out how we can ease your communication pain so you can focus on your business.

People Your Age Are on Instagram?!?!? Yes, We Are.

"People your age are on Instagram?!?!?!" asked the 13-year in front of me.

"How old do you think I am?" I asked a bit too aggressively, fighting my reporter's urge to raise me voice another decibel.

"I'm just kidding," I awkwardly said trying to soften the exchange.

She couldn't imagine someone my age (ugh) taking selfies.  I would argue that my approach to Instagram goes beyond the selfie or picture of my latest manicure but a recent review of my profile might prove otherwise.

I digress.

People my age ARE on Instagram

I was speaking to a group of smart 8th graders at a local middle school for Career Day.  My focus was TV/Print/Radio/Web and the opportunities that the evolving media industry presents.

Some of the entrepreneurial teens were already making a career for themselves blogging, posting videos on YouTube and earning advertising revenue for their efforts.

Even more interesting was their social media habits. I asked the approximately 90 students about their social media consumption.  Across the board, they were on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

When I asked them about Facebook.  Crickets.

A small sample size, yes, but my informal poll reiterates what experts are finding in much more scientific studies. Twitter is a young person's game and Facebook is for people, um, my age.  

Facebook acknowledged as much in their recent earnings report that it was seeing a "decrease in daily users, specifically among teens."

A recent study from comScore illustrates this.

The numbers are even more interesting when you look at the mobile usage numbers. 

Twitter has a larger share of younger users up to the age of about 24.

Teens and young people are also going messenger app crazy.  Platforms like WhatsApp, KakaoTalk and WeChat are gaining ground.

Scared yet?

Why Should You and Your Business Care? 
You know you need to be in the social media game, right?  You know you need to be Tweeting about product launches, sharing news germane to your industry and more, right?  You understand that your social media efforts are, many times, the first line of communication with your target customer, yes?

Well now you gotta really be in the game to connect with those tweens, teens and young professionals.

Scared now?

Don't be.  First and foremost you need to be where your customers are.  What demographic does your business focus on and appeal to?  That needs to be your main focus.

Does your business cater to women 35 and older, then Facebook and LinkedIn might be better suited for your content marketing campaign.  Trying to connect with kids?  Get on Twitter.

Confused by where to go to reach your target audience?  Don't be.  The team at That Sports Girl Media can help. We know how to talk to people, we know where they hang out and we know how to create a message that resonates with them.

We also won't waste your time or money creating a campaign on a platform that your key consumer isn't using.

Contact That Sports Girl Media to find out how we can ease your communication pain so you can focus on your business.

Father's Day Gift Guide For The Traditional Dad

Okay, say your dad actually wants a tie for Father's Day.  That's cool.  Just don't get him a lame one.  Here is a selection of "traditional" Father's Day gifts that will make your favorite Dad smile.

Skull and Bones Cufflinks | Taetossian Pen | Burberry Watch | Burberry Tie | Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Eau de Parfum  | Personalized Oak Whiskey Barrel | Nordstrom Wrinkle-Free Dress Shirt | Jack Black Starter Set | Personalized Money Clip

Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus have some great Father's Day gift ideas.

Scroll Through to Shop Fabulous Father's Day Gifts

Still stumped?  After years of working with guys, That Sports Girl knows what they want and has got you covered. We have Father's Day gift guides for the sports loving dad, foodie dad and techie dad.

Putting The 7-Minute Workout Into Action

So Monday was all about getting caught up in the buzz of the"7-minute workout".

Guilty.

But I did more than blog about this new fitness discovery.  I actually did my own version at the gym. 

Here was my Monday plan:

• Thirty minutes on the stepmill.  I love it because I can read and work up a good sweat.  I have to do so much homework for my "day job" that if I can multitask and do my Rangers/Cowboys/Mavs/Colonial/Nelson/Whatever homework while exercising, I am a step ahead. 

• Following that, I did (most of) the exercises suggested by the American College of Sports Medicine in their sample workout: 

Photo: American College of Sports Medicine

1. Jumping jacks Total body

2. Wall sit Lower body

3. Push-up Upper body

4. Abdominal crunch Core

5. Step-up onto chair Total body

6. Squat Lower body

7. Triceps dip on chair Upper body

8. Plank Core

9. High knees/running in place Total body

10. Lunge Lower body

11. Push-up and rotation Upper body

12. Side plank Core

• I followed their practice of performing each exercise for 30 seconds followed by a 10 second transition time to the next exercise.  It totaled, yes, about seven minutes per circuit.
• I did not have a chair, so in place of Step Ups (#5), I did reverse side angle lunges.  In place of the Triceps Dips on a Chair (#7), I did simple floor dips with bent legs.
• I performed this routine twice. 

You know what, I feel like I got a workout.  As I write this at 9am Tuesday morning, I'm a little sore, especially in my upper body.  I attribute that to the push-ups (#3) and push-ups with a twist (#11). 

The thing is, those 12 exercises are not the end-all/be-all.  You can do a variety of exercises for a quality full body workout.  Any health and fitness magazine can suggest some great exercises for you to do. 

The key was the intensity and the speed at which I did the work.  There was no dawdling.  The workout was quick, intense and challenging.   It's a good option but, like I reiterated Monday, not the only way to go when it comes to getting in shape.

The 7-Minute Workout. Really?

Is this the workout of your dreams?  In your own home?  No gym required?

Perhaps.

 
The latest research from the American College of Sports Medicine's Health and Fitness Journal indicates all you need is a high intensity, seven-minute workout for fitness.  Again, we're not talking about professional athletes or people who need to look a certain way for their jobs.  This is about the average person.  The key is you have to WORK for those seven minutes.  Don't donkeyjack. 

The study is pretty intensive in its scientific jargon.  Sunday's New York Times Magazine does a good job putting the results in layman's terms.

Secrets to 12-Hour Makeup

Heading out after a full day at the office and want to keep your makeup from looking tired and faded?  You can, it's relatively easy and you don't need to reapply a full face.

I'm the queen of 12-hour makeup.  I do it almost daily because my days start mid-morning and I need to be in high hair in makeup for various TV shoots.  Take a look at my schedule this past Thursday and you'll see why I need long-lasting spackle.

• 11am shoot at Cowboys stadium
• 12:30 shoot at North Dallas high school 
• Anchor the Fan Sports Show from 6:30-7:30 
• Anchor sports for 10pm news on CBS

I applied my makeup at 9:30am and reapplied throughout the day with the last touch-up coming around 10:15pm. 

You don't need to add more product or color, just freshen up what you already have on your face.  More color, like eye shadow or concealer, simply looks layered-on and cakey.  By adopting the less is more philosophy, you can look fresh-faced 12-hours later.  (In the ensuing video, I applied more eye shadow because I was preparing for harsh TV lights.  In the non-HD universe, you don't need to do that).

Here are a few more tips:

• Start with a good eyeshadow primer to keep your eyeshadow from creasing.  I use Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion.  Game Changer!  It's $20 from Sephora.  It's the bomb.  It totally prevents your eyeshadow from getting stuck in those eyelid creases. 
• Work those lashes!  Re-curl your eye lashes to open your eyes.  Top off those curled lashes with a coat of mascara.  If your lashes look clumpy, use an eyelash brush to separate them.
• Highlight your hotness by dabbing a little highlighter on your face.  The bow in your upper lip, your cheekbones or the tip of your nose.  This simply adds a little pop that makes a difference.
• Use lipgloss and a lip pencil instead of lipstick.  Your face can look old lady-ish if you're reapplying lipstick every hour.  Think color bleeding into those lip lines.  Using lipgloss and a pencil keeps your lips looking younger, fresher and less cakey.

 The video below illustrates those suggestions (and more) right before I head to the studio.

The Story Behind Where Is Pidge?

Click here to learn more about Where Is Pidge? 

Any parent understands the turn of events that happened right before I snapped this grainy photo. My three year-old was in toddler purgatory: tired and cranky yet too tired to settle down and go to bed. Jordan had one of those days in which she had been blowing and going since 8am: school, an after-school visit to the grandparents house (which is usually filled with too many sweets) and a late dinner.

I told her we were going to relax and read a book. She stopped her fussy/cranky/tired crying and picked up Where Is Pidge?, the story of middle child Pidge Hoobler who feels lonely, somewhat overlooked and decides to run away but gets stuck in her family's laundry chute.

As soon as Jordan opened the book, she settled. She studied the first few pages and simply said, "Mommy, read this book."

Done. It was the calm after the storm.

Since then it has become a book we revisit three to four times a week. Out of the blue, Jordan will ask "Where is Pidge?", "Why was Pidge crying?" or even better "Pidge is happy?".

Ultimately Pidge realizes she's not forgotten, instead she is loved and appreciated by her family. A message that resonates not only with my daughter but with just about anyone.

I Lived on Guam for Six Months and Lived to Tell About It....Barely

"Hafa Adai, Guam!" 

That was how I started my sportscasts at 6pm and 10pm at KUAM Island News for six months in 1996 as the Sports Director of the tiny NBC affiliate.  It's the typical greeting for Guam residents and natives, called Chamorros.

When I tell people that my first, full-time on-air job right out of college was on the U.S. territory located below Asia and above Australia there is always an immediate double take followed by questions.

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