The GIST of It

Happy almost–long weekend! In an episode near and dear to their hearts, The GIST of It co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are digging into the importance that playing youth sports has on girls’ lives…and their futures. From their own experiences competing to the barriers girls must contend with to play, El and Steph will dive into the game-changing impacts of sports. Then after the break, the ga...

Hello hello! On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz chat through former world No. 1 Simona Haleps recent doping charge and then after they break, they kick it to the world of soccer, where the sport is contending with yet another racist incident on the pitch. Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr. faced racist abuse during a match on Sunday, bringing Spain’s and the beau...

Happy WNBA season eve! In honor of tomorrow’s tip-off, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz break down everything you need to know about the upcoming WNBA season on today’s episode of The GIST of It. The gals start with the recent troubling news out of Las Vegas, where the defending champ Aces and their head coach Becky Hammon were just penalized after an investigation into former Ace Dearica Hamb...

Hello! Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? To mark the occasion, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz welcomed special guest Seattle Mariners mental skills coordinator Stephanie Hale-Burkhart for today’s episode of The GIST of It. The gals chat with Stephanie about her work with the Mariners, how the topic of mental health has become less taboo in the sports world, and everyday...

Happy Friday Jr.! Content warning: Today’s episode contains mention of sexual assault. On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are digging into two important and nuanced topics. They’ll start off with the latest women’s sports expansion news, as the NWSL announces plans to expand to 16 teams by 2026 and the WNBA leaves fans clamoring for more. El and Steph will c...

Welcome back! Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are back with everyone’s favorite type of The GIST of It episode: a WTF roundup. From controversy at the Kentucky Derby to an investigation into hostile workplace allegations in the NFL to Lionel Messi’s, well, mess, there’s sadly a whole host of WTF moments to discuss on today’s pod. Thanks for getting fired up with us. And a big thank you to Spo...

Happy May the 4th! The Force is strong with today’s episode of The GIST of It. On today’s pod, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dig into the latest from the NBA Playoffs, where injuries and rivalries abound. Then they kick it over to the soccer pitch, as FIFA President Gianni Infantino threatens a Women’s World Cup broadcast blackout in five major European countries amid lowball offers to air...

Welcome to May! Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are starting the month off with a very exciting episode: a conversation with Jennifer King, the first Black woman to coach full-time in the NFL. The gals chat about how King got her start in sports, her role as an assistant running backs coach with the Washington Commanders and the future for women in football. Thanks for tuning in! And a big th...

In honor of last weekend’s Earth Day, co-hosts Ellen and Steph dig into the relationship between climate change and sports, as well as what the sporting world is doing to combat this impending global crisis. It’s this type of intersectional analysis with sports and the world and how they impact each other that are top of mind for many recently. Thank you to our pals at SportChek for sponsoring tod...

Here’s a special episode from another podcast we’ve been enjoying and think you will, too. On Started from the Bottom, host Justin Richmond interviews people with humble origins who managed to scale the summit of success – people who weren’t part of the old boys’ network. Justin recently sat down with Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks. Cynt made NBA history when she became the first Black...

Happy Friday Eve! It may be nearly the end of the week, but today The GIST of It is going back to school. On today’s episode, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are breaking down everything you need to know about the NCAA’s transfer portal. With some big names in NCAA women’s basketball making big moves recently, the gals are digging into what the portal is, how it works, and the pros and cons o...

Hi! From the NBA playoffs to the start of the NHL postseason to the NWSL Challenge Cup kickoff, there’s no shortage of game action to discuss. On today’s episode of The GIST of It , co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz will chat through the highlights before pivoting to a major off-court conversation: the WTA’s controversial return to China. After a 16-month boycott of the country following the di...

Hello! There’s been a flurry of anti-trans nonsense in the sports world over the last week, so on today’s episode of The GIST of It , co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are sorting through all the bullsh!t. They’ll detail the anti-trans policies and proposals spanning all levels of the U.S. government, then zoom out to consider how some athletes are leading the fight against these blatant attack...

Hey there! As if Taco Tuesday wasn’t already great enough, today’s also tip-off Tuesday, marking the start of the NBA play-in tournament. After a catchup on the many long weekend happenings (the WNBA Draft, USWNT updates, the Masters), Ellen Hyslop and guest co-host Lauren Tuiskula breakdown everything you need to know about the high stakes, high-drama hoops tourney on today’s episode of The GIST...

Happy Friday Eve! The Madness may be over but the sports world keeps spinning, so on today’s episode of The GIST of It , co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are digging into two big events that kick off this week. They’ll start on the hockey ice with the IIHF Women’s Worlds, a championship tourney featuring the world’s 10 best squads, including, of course, Teams Canada and USA. Then after the bre...

Happy April! March Madness is officially in the books for 2023, so on today’s episode of The GIST of It , co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are chatting through all the highs and lows of this year’s women’s tournament. The crowning of the LSU Tigers as this season’s NCAA champs wasn’t the only thing worth celebrating — from records shattered on the court to massive viewership and attendance thr...

The Madness continues! There’s just one more sleep until the women’s March Madness Final Four tips off, then the men’s semis follow on Saturday, so of course today’s episode of The GIST of It is your primer to all of the hoops fun to come. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz go matchup by matchup breaking down the players to watch and each team’s keys to success with spots in Sunday’s and Monday’...

Hey there! Thanks for joining us for another episode of The GIST of It . The Madness isn’t limited to the court this March — there’s a lot going down across the sports world. So, today’s pod is a three-parter as co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz detail the latest attack on the trans community in sports, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s ongoing contract saga and everything you need t...

Hello hello! Hope you don’t have any plans this weekend because, along with the men’s and women’s March Madness tourneys rolling right along, the 2023 NWSL season kicks off on Saturday. On today’s episode of The GIST of It , co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz have everything you need to know about the Sweet 16 hoops matchups and the exciting soccer season ahead. Madness, managed. More on The GIS...

On today’s episode of The GIST of It , co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz chat through the exciting first two rounds of men’s and women’s March Madness, which set the stage for next weekend’s Sweet 16 matchups. Then after the break, the gals dive into yet another instance of an NHL player refusing to participate in his team’s Pride Night, which marks the fifth time in the last two months that an...

The men’s tournament officially tips off today, but today’s episode of The GIST of It is all about the real show, aka the women’s tourney. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz have your region-by-region guide to all the madness so you can fill out your bracket with ease. Happy hoopin’! Show notes: The GIST’s Bracket Challenge Ep #252: A men's March Madness preview March Madness Sunday Scroll Men's...

Grab a slice of Pi while you dig into today’s episode of The GIST of It , featuring everything you need to know about the Division I men’s March Madness tournament. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz have you covered with the top teams, the players to keep an eye on and the dark horses most likely to crash the Big Dance. No busted brackets here. Show notes: March Madness Sunday Scroll Official N...

Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz have something unique up their sleeve for today’s pod with two topics you might not expect: youth girls basketball in Alabama and international sailing. The through line? Girls and women in sports not getting their fair share. You do not want to miss this one — prepare to get fired up. Interested in more on the intersection of societal issues and sports? Check...

Cue the confetti! Why? Because it’s our 250th (!!!) episode of The GIST of It . Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are celebrating with a classic episode, featuring women’s sports labor news and a WTF roundup. The gals start off with the latest from CanWNT’s messy ongoing equal pay fight with Canada Soccer. The sides reached an interim funding agreement last week, but there’s still a lot of work...

Welcome to March! And welcome to another episode of The GIST of It . On today’s pod, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz kick things off with some infuriating updates out of Canada Soccer. Turns out, amid an ongoing labor dispute with CanWNT, the organization’s finances are way worse than we originally thought, with funding “on life support” for the women’s squad. The gals will sort through all t...