Speak Up Sports

On this week's podcast episode, I am joined with the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Josh Rawitch. After working in baseball for multiple decades, Josh became the HOF President last fall. Today, we will be discussing how Josh got into baseball, his career journey, his work at the Hall of Fame, and much more!

This week on the podcast, I am joined with Title IX trailblazer and founder of "Let Noor Run," Noor Abukaram. Noor's life changed after one race when she was disqualified for wearing a hijab. Since then, she has impacted high school sports by testifying in court to create a bill so that this kind of racial inequality would never happen again! Her story was featured in ESPN's fifty/50 shorts. Today...

On this week's episode, I am joined with volleyball Olympian and sports commentator, Ci Michel. Ci competed for Great Britain in the 2012 London Olympics, and is now a part of the broadcast team at Athletes Unlimited. We will be talking about her athletic journey, career after playing, and more!

This week on the Speak Up Sports Podcast, I am joined with the Co-Founder of Athletes Unlimited, Jon Patricof. Athletes Unlimited is a unique network of professional women's sports leagues, including softball, lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball. Today, we will be talking about how AU came to be, the point system, athlete resources, and so much more!

This week on the podcast, I am joined with ESPN Senior NFL Insider, Adam Schefter. Adam has been working with ESPN since 2009, and oftentimes, breaks the news about anything in the NFL. Adam and I will be talking about his career, this NFL offseason, his predictions for the 2022 season, and much more!

On this week's podcast episode, I am joined with former Oklahoma Sooners softball pitcher and National Champion, Hope Trautwein. Hope transferred to OU after playing for UNT, and recently finished her first professional season with WPF (Women's Professional Fastpitch). Today, we will be talking about her softball journey, collegiate career, and lots more!

This week on the Speak Up Sports Podcast, I am joined with former NFL player and co-host of American Ninja Warrior, Akbar Gbajabiamila. We will be talking about his football career, journey into commentating, Season 14 of ANW, and so much more!

On this week's special episode of the Speak Up Sports Podcast, I will be sharing interview highlights that I had from covering this year's MLB Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. From talking with 2022 Hall of Fame Inductees Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat to speaking with Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President, Bob Kendrick, everything about covering this year's ceremony was exciting! Tu...

This week on the podcast, I am joined with 3x All American, 4x AAC Pitcher of Year, and NFCA 2022 Pitcher of the Year, Georgina Corrick. A USF alum, Georgina not only broke dozens of records in college, but she just recently finished her first professional softball season with AUX. Today, we will be talking about why she chose USF, her collegiate career, her first professional softball experience,...

On this week's podcast episode, I am not only joined with one guest, but with three! Elizabeth Kollrack, Madyson Roach, and Olivia Dunn, all former high school softball players, together with their coach sued Grant High School, when they were not given a new softball field like they had been promised. They were not able to play home games because the pitcher’s mound didn’t line up with home plate....

Welcome to Season 4 of the Speak Up Sports Podcast! Thank you to everyone who has listened to the first three seasons! I can't wait for you all to hear the guests on this season. Today, I am talking with 2x Olympic Track and Field Medalist, Kendall Ellis. Kendall was a 4x Florida state high school champion in track and former USC athlete. We will be talking about how she got into running, her firs...

On the Season 3 finale of the Speak Up Sports Podcast, I am joined with softball Olympic bronze medalist and ESPN broadcaster, Danielle Lawrie. A softball pitcher from the University of Washington, Danielle helped lead Team Canada to a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. Today, we are going to be talking about how she got into pitching, her Olympic experiences, her commentating career, and so much...

On this week's episode, I am joined with Ashley Caldwell, a 4x Olympian who recently competed in the Beijing Olympics. She not only is the only female to land "The Daddy" (quadruple-twisting triple back flip), but she also won Olympic Gold in the first ever mixed gender team Aerials event at the most recent Winter Games. Today, we will be talking about how she got interested in freestyle skiing, h...

This week on the podcast, I am joined with Jennifer King, the first African American woman to be a full time coach in the NFL. She is currently the running backs' assistant coach for the Washington Commanders. Today, we will be talking about how she got into coaching, her journey into the NFL, and much more!

On this week's podcast episode, Anna is joined with the first full time female official in NFL history, Sarah Thomas. She made HERSTORY when she became the first woman to officiate in Super Bowl LV. Today, we will be talking about her journey into officiating, her experience as a Super Bowl referee, and so much more!

This week on the Speak Up Sports Podcast, I am joined with 2x softball Olympic medalist, Natasha Watley. A 4x All-American, 5x Japan softball league champion, 2003 NCAA National Champion, and 3x NPF champion, Natasha has done it all! She was a 2014 UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee, and not only serves as an MLB ambassador, but also has her own foundation, the Natasha Watley Foundation. Today,...

On this week's episode, I am joined with 11x National Champion and Hall of Fame softball coach, Sue Enquist. She was UCLA softball's first All-American, and she is one of only two former softball players to win a National Championship as both a player and a coach. Today, we will be talking about her journey from player to coach, lessons she taught her players, her Hall of Fame career, and so much...

This week on the podcast, I am joined with Kim Ng, the General Manager of the Miami Marlins. After three decades of experience in baseball, Kim made history when she was hired in November of 2020 as the first woman to ever be the GM of a major North American men's professional sports team! Today, we will be talking about how she got into baseball, what it's like being in baseball's front office, h...

On this week's podcast episode, I am joined with 2x Softball Olympic Medalist, Monica Abbott. A 3x SEC Pitcher of the Year for Tennessee and 4x First Team Louisville Slugger, Abbott has thrown 6 perfect games and 23 no-hitters among her many accomplishments in college. Now, she has been a professional softball player for many years, competing in Japan and for Team U.S.A. Today, we will be talking...

This week on the Speak Up Sports Podcast, I am joined by Summer and soon to be Winter Paralympian, Dani Aravich. Dani has had to overcome great obstacles since she was born without her left hand and forearm. Today, we will be talking about how Dani has overcome adversity, how she got into Paralympic sports, and so much more! Don't forget to watch Dani compete in the Beijing Paralympics next month...

On this week's episode of the podcast, Anna is joined with softball Olympic Silver Medalist, Ali Aguilar. A former University of Washington softball player, she earned NFCA Second & Third team All-American honors in college. Now, she is an infielder for Team U.S.A. Today, we will be talking about what made her get into softball, how she trained during COVID, her Tokyo Olympic experience, and m...

This week on the podcast, I am joined by ESPN Senior Director of Communications, Ben Cafardo. He has been in the sports PR world for over a decade, and knows the ins and outs of it. Today, we will be talking about sports in his family, his journey on the PR side of professional sports, and much more!

This week on the Speak Up Sports Podcast, host Anna Laible is joined with ESPN Reporter, Jalyn Johnson. Not only did Jalyn earn her Master's Degree in 2021, but she started working for ESPN only a few weeks after graduating! She reported on both the Women's College World Series and the college football season. Today, we are talking about Jalyn's journey into sports reporting, her experiences at ES...

On this week's episode of the Speak Up Sports Podcast, Anna is joined with Matt Iseman, who is a comedian, Olympic commentator, and co-host of the 4x Emmy nominated TV show, American Ninja Warrior. We will be talking about how he went from becoming a physician (yes, he was a Dr!) to a comedian to TV show host to Olympic commentator and so much more!!

This week on the podcast, I am joined with 2x gymnastics Olympic Medalist, Laurie Hernandez. Laurie earned Team Gold and an individual Silver Medal on the balance beam at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Now, she has transitioned into a variety of different sports commentating roles, including commentating at the most recent Olympic Games in Tokyo. Today, we are talking about her gymnastics career journey,...