40 Years On: Reflections of Four Decades of Locker Room Access

The first time I entered a team’s locker room I was on assignment covering the NFL number one draft pick of 1996, Keyshawn Johnson. So, no pressure. I was at a game at the old Meadowlands Arena and, not knowing exactly what I was supposed to do, after the game I just followed the crowd through the tunnels under the stadium. Inside I remember immediately looking up to read the names printed on the lockers and not down so I’d avoid football players in their post-game nakedness. 

Fortunately, because everyone wanted to talk to the rookie wide receiver, within minutes I heard a pr person shout that Johnson was going to be giving interviews in a separate meeting room, and not in front of his locker. My clubhouse interviewing debut went well. Looking back now, I cannot imagine how my story would have turned out if I had had to wait for quotes to be handed to me instead of being able to ask the questions myself. Not only did I take being in the locker room for granted, but at the time, I was not even aware of who I should have been thanking for having access in the first place.

Forty years ago, Melissa Ludtke, following her passion for baseball, stood up for all women when Sports Illustrated, the magazine she wrote for, sued Major League Baseball to allow women equal access to clubhouses. She simply asked, ‘Why not?’, when she was told no, and changed the playing field forever. As you can imagine, being the first, Ludtke faced backlash from other sportswriters as well as the athletes she was covering. But she toughed it out and proved the impossible wasn’t. And it paved the way for the next generation of women in sports, myself included. 

My sports journalism career has been an amazing adventure, filled with fun, and excitement and a few firsts of my own. And yes, I’ve faced my share of adversity. On one job I was told, politely, that I wasn’t expected to know as much about baseball as my male counterparts because I hadn’t played little league like them. At another, I was, politely, encouraged to cover a women’s event while my male counterparts were assigned a men’s game. And in one arena’s press room, I kid you not, the women’s bathroom had just one stall. I never expected there wouldn’t be bumps along the way. But thanks to Melissa Ludtke, my path was made smoother.

Women have made some tremendous advances in sports media in the past 40 years. There are writers Christine Brennan and Jemele Hill, commentators Doris Burke and Jessica Mendoza, and anchors Rebecca Lowe and Kate Abdo, to name a few. But while the numbers have gone up for women participating in sports and in media positions, men continue to hold the majority of the decision making positions. Back when I covered the NBA I remember being able to count less than a dozen women sportswriters working the pro basketball beat. More than a decade later that number hasn’t gone up much. I don’t blame women for not wanting to deal with the male dominance thing, or for getting out if seems like you can’t win. But it does make me sad. 

In U.S. sports media, women barely exceed 10 percent of editorial jobs in print — 90 percent of sports editors are men, 85 percent of reporters and 83.4 percent of columnist — and about 5 percent in broadcast. * But on the bright side, without the 1978 lawsuit, these numbers would be at 100 percent. The barriers are becoming easier to breakdown as I hope we are becoming a more inclusive world. 

Having weathered some tests in this industry, I can comment on what has worked for me. I have always worked to be prepared for when an opportunity does come up. I have also learned to resist the urge to ask for permission. I did not wait for anyone to tell me whether it was okay to publish a newsletter covering the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, and to work toward becoming a historian of the team. 

Finally I share my successes and failures. Any day I can encourage young women to pursue their dreams in the male-dominated sports industry is a good day. Maybe they’ll reflect on and be inspired by my courage, and later be as grateful to me as I am for Melissa Ludtke.

* 2018 AP Sports Editors Racial and Gender Report Card

Tracey Savell Reavis is the CEO of The Savell Group, a Digital Sports Strategy agency that delivers creative content solutions. In her posts she shares lessons from her experience creating sports brands. Help yourself to the tips and tools you can use. Follow @tsavellreavis to share the branding journey. #BuildYourBrand