Sports Writer Visits Evansville

A pioneer in womens sports journalism visited Evansville and spoke about her trials and tribulations in the business. "I love speaking to kids, especially girls, and encouraging them to follow their dreams." And thats exactly what Christine Brennan did, she followed her dreams. Those dreams are the reason she stopped in Evansville and spoke with area girls about the importance of never giving up even when it seems so easy. Brennan spent her childhood playing every sport in the book. When she was young, it was difficult being a girl, wanting to play in a mans game. "Back when I was growing up, the 60s and the 70s playing sports, I was the only tom boy in the neighborhood. Im sure people looked and said whats going on in the Brennan household because my dad was throwing baseballs and I was catching them." This love for sports eventually became a catalyst for Brennans dream of being a sports journalist. But back in the early eightys, this dream had its ups and downs. Brennan was entering a mans world, but with hard work, she got her foot in the door. "For me in some ways it was easier to break in, but having said that, once i was in the business then locker room doors were shut in my face and I had to wait outside when other reporters went in. Brennan caught her first break with the Miami Harold and became the first full-time female sports writer. She then tackled writing for the Washington Post from 1984-1996. But she didnt stop there. Brennan is now a widely respected pioneer in the world of journalism. Writing for the USA Todays sports column. And she says being in a business where there is finally equality is something to be proud of. "When I turn on the T.V. and I see one women throwing to another women, I see a woman occasionally doing a play by play on ESPN, open up a newspaper and see 3 or 4 sports bi-lines are women, its great, its fantastic, its exactly how it should be." And thats the message Brennan is passing on to young girls in Evansville and the rest of the country. "It doesnt matter if youre male or female. Its the old the glass is half full, half empty, and the glass is definitely half full." Along with many of Brennans accomplishments she also just published a new book titled Best Seat in the House.