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FROM COURT TO CAMERA: HOW MEDIA FUELS THE GROWTH OF TMU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
OCTOBER 22, 2024
AVA PEARSON
The relationship between athletes and media has become an integral part of sports, shaping how players approach both practices and games. The recent popularity of the WNBA is representative of that, more women’s athletes are getting recognition and center stage of media coverage for professional sports. With growing popularity comes an increase in pressure for performance from these athletes. Within a University sports media-driven sports environment, athletes have an increasing presence of cameras, interviews, and spectators beyond the fans in the stands. TMU Women’s Basketball team is no outlier to this world. Recent interviews with players Callie Wright, Catrina Garvey, and Coach Clarke offer insight into how media impacts the mentality and exposure to the program.
Callie Wright, a seasoned player and current graduate student, expressed a level of comfort with media being part of the team’s routine. “I’ve had a lot of visitors at my previous schools,” Wright said, indicating that this exposure has prepared her for the constant attention.
Coach Clarke expanded on the subject, emphasizing the normalization of media presence in the sports world. “There’s always cameras around, there’s always phones around, video, filming, asking questions, so I think that has become something that’s just normalized.” Clarke explained that the team often works on managing distractions, which come in various forms, including media attention. These mental skills, she noted, are just as important as physical drills and conditioning. “We talk about managing distractions all the time,” Clarke said. “Mental skills are key to handling whatever we encounter, whether it’s media or anything else.”
Veteran player Catrina Garvey also sees the presence of media as non-disruptive. “I’m pretty locked in and focused on what we have to be doing,” she said, explaining that while the players might notice the media initially, it doesn’t affect their performance. Garvey also noted media’s broader impact, particularly in promoting women’s sports and encouraging the next generation. “Just you being here…seeing the sports is like a really big impact,” she said.
Overall these athletes encourage any promotion of the sport for future generations. “I always appreciate people asking questions and helping it reach the public,” Wright said, showing her enthusiasm for how the media can expand the sport’s reach. She knows that with more visibility comes more support, which helps the sport grow and inspires the next generation of female athletes, “supporters of the program, so that makes me really happy that people are coming and engaging with us” Write confidently added.
For these athletes and their coach, the media isn’t just a means of garnering attention for their individual achievements—it’s a platform to bring more eyes to women’s basketball. The visibility that comes with interviews, cameras, and coverage is a crucial step toward ensuring that the sport continues to thrive and that more young girls are inspired to pick up a basketball.
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