The Spin Chicks

The Spin Chicks continue to share behind the scenes stories about college athletics as Michelle and Erika chat with Jesse Pruitt. A Cardinal men’s basketball assistant coach at Stanford University, Jesse and Michelle worked together at Santa Clara University. Pruitt, a California native, is one of the nation’s most prominent young coaches, with head coaching aspirations of his own. Jesse brings ex...

Always curious about the inner-workings of a Division I athletic department, Jeff Mitchell gives the Spin Chicks a look inside Ball State University. Jeff also reflects on the steps it took to get him into the AD chair as he was recently appointed to lead Cardinals’ program in May 2023. From spending years on the baseball fields as a youngster, to playing ball in college, to law school at Ole Miss...

Catching up with uber-successful past colleagues and friends in the sports world has become a trademark of The Spin Chicks. This episode checks off a bucket list item for Erika as Michelle introduces her to Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson. Now the head track and field coach at North Carolina A&T, Allen reflects on his time on the playground as a child to winning the Olympic gold medal in 1...

As part of The Spin Chicks behind the scenes look at college athletics, Michelle introduces Erika to one of her long time friends, Brainard Cooper. Brainard has worked in the athletic training field at the University of South Carolina since 1983. Primarily working with the Gamecock baseball and men’s soccer teams, for years he also oversaw a slew of other teams. His humor and stories of the Nation...

Erika introduces Michelle to one of her former colleagues, Rob Carolla. A seasoned veteran in collegiate sports media relations, Rob brings an inspiring energy to every aspect of the job. Rob is highly regarded as one of the nation’s best at PR, event management and media coordination. He has shown tremendous leadership in the industry as the role of a sports information director has evolved. A de...

Michelle introduces Erika to the woman who brought her into the world, Wilma Schmitt. Michelle’s mom grew up near Chicago, but has been a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals’ fan longer than most listeners have been alive. Retired for more than 30 years, Wilma fills us in what life consists of: making cards, baking cookies and staying on top of the sports-world.

The Spin Chicks' 2nd episode latest podcast featuring Kerry Tharp, Michelle's all-time favorite boss! Kerry's remarkable skill set as a media relations expert took him from the University of South Carolina to NASCAR, where he has truly made a profound impact. In part 2, Erika and Michelle discover what life was like for Kerry behind the scenes at NASCAR, including a little shake and bake, and late...

In this episode Michelle introduces Erika to her all-time favorite boss, Kerry Tharp. Kerry was the Associate Athletic Director at the University of South Carolina when he hired Michelle for her first full time position and the two worked together for 12 years. As Michelle predicted, there’s so much to cover that this is the first of a two part podcast with Kerry. In this episode the Kentucky nati...

For the past 20 years Karin Helmstaedt has worked for DW-TV’s Culture Department in Berlin. A former Canadian National swimmer, her latest project behind and in front of the camera is titled: A Witch in the Family. This Spin Chicks podcast gives our listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of this passion project . Karin’s own ancestor was burned as a witch in 17th century Germany. The 26...

Growing up, Karin Helmstaedt swam both at the collegiate level (University of Toronto) and internationally for the Canadian National Team. Michelle and Karin crossed paths for the first time in 1995 at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships and then again at the Atlanta Olympic Games the following year. Fluent in three languages, Karin has spent the last 25 years working in Europe – a testament to...

Jennifer Rodrigues is the Director of Brand Strategy for one of the nation’s most prominent collegiate brands, the University of Alabama. She has worked in higher education for more than 30 years, including 20 in athletics media relations. Jennifer talks with Erika and Michelle about her career journey in collegiate sports, including one of her proudest moments - developing a first-ever Heisman ca...

Donna Turner is an award-winning sports media administrator, currently an Associate Athletic Director at Northern Illinois. Tackling any challenge that comes her way with poise has been the hallmark of her 30-plus year career. Donna talks with Michelle and Erika about Heisman campaigns, her vital role with Tulane Athletics during Hurricane Katrina, and what keeps her going in the industry.

Michelle and Erika reunite with Kent Brown, Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations at Illinois. A consummate pro in the business, Kent has almost seen it all when it comes to college sports. He shares some of his favorite stories from the many years with the Orange and Blue, where he started as a student. Friend to many, mentor to Erika and former colleague of Michelle, he is simply a gre...

A U.S. Olympian, national champion and former world record holder, Michelle and Erika find out Dawn Ellerbe’s personality is truly larger than life. Discover how Dawn has successfully transitioned from the Olympics Games to a high level marketing administrator in Division I college athletics. In addition to her work in collegiate athletics, Dawn is busy styling and profiling as a plus size influen...

The proud author of two fictional books based on presidential history, Dan Coonan is the President and CEO at the ECAC. Michelle introduces Erika to her former boss, Dan Coonan (Santa Clara University), as they talk about everything from signing his book for his boy-hood hero to amping up ESports on the collegiate athletic landscape. https://dancoonanauthor.com/

If you love sports and pop culture, you’re in the right place. Michelle Schmitt Young and Erika Amstadt Hirschfield have teamed up as The Spin Chicks. As seasoned pros in the sports, public relations and multimedia business, Michelle and Erika share their experiences working in sports, tackling the work-life balance and how to thrive in an ever-changing industry. They will share their behind the s...