May 27, 2025 • 49 mins
This week, we’re going de arriba hasta abajo with flag football champion and ESPN commentator Rebeca Landa. She talks about her historic gold medal win with the Mexican Women’s National Flag Football team, the work it took to get there and the future of her professional career. Rebeca also shares with Cami and Meli how she ended up at ESPN, her outlook on the future of women’s sports and why she considers female athletes “super women”.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:15):
Everybody, welcome to the show. This is Astajo, y'all.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I am so excited to talk to our guest today.
She is a flag football gold medalist.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Well get it up for a gold medalist.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Commie always likes to emphasize titles on the show, so
we are definitely excited to have not only a gold
medalist and a broadcaster. You're multifaceted. But I mean the
title speaks for itself, I think. But everybody, welcome to
the show. Rebecca Landa Okay, she serves as a lead
commentator for variety.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, she serves as a.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Lead commentator for variety of sports, including ESPN Deportes telecast
on Monday Night Football. And now we're talking about the
American football.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
That the football that I play.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
And she is the very first woman on ESPN Deportes
to be a play by play commentator.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Let's go queen.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
And now on every episode we start with some talk
and some cafecito and since we can, yes, she's joining
us up on the catch up and the chief met
You are living in Mexico City, right, Yes, I.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Live in Sila, Mexico. I'm not from here, but ESPN
offices are here. So this is where I live with
my husband. He's from Argentina. So yeah, when we talk
about soccer in this house, we're normally talking about Messi
or football.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
Sorry, okay, we love to see it.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Now. I know that you're not from there, But what
is a perfect night in Mexico City look like for you?
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:49):
So okay, I'm an athlete, so mostly I'm not out
at night.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Wait, but she says mostly that means there's a lot.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
That one percent it is important.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, So I live in a place that's called the Gondesa.
I don't know if you guys heard of it, but
it's like super popular now. A lot of Americans are
moving in to Mexico City, especially in this area, just
because there are so many like little bars and cafes
and restaurants that are super cool. So what I would
do if it was like a night out I'm gonna
sound really boring, but it might be like a walk
(02:24):
with my husband to a great restaurant that we both love,
have like a great dinner, and then walk back home.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
What's your favorite like culinary moment.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Right right now?
Speaker 4 (02:34):
I'm so into Asian food, so anything that has to
do with like sushi, or Ramen or like Rice. I'm
into all of that right now. I'm like sleeping it
all the time.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Same and it's okay, it's like all the.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Time exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Wait, was so, what city are you from?
Speaker 5 (02:55):
So?
Speaker 4 (02:55):
I was born in Poela, which is like two hours
south of Mexico City. Okay, but my parents are both
from Monterrey, and culturally they're so different that I feel
more like from Monterrey than from Puela.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
So I say that I'm like from everywhere and nowhere
at the same time.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Love that.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Did you also support the team, like the soccer team
for what is your team or monter No.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
I honestly don't have a team for any sport anymore.
I just love watching sports in general. So I've been
to a couple of like legue I, Maki, Speminil in
Mexico and it's just me rooting for women killing it
at their sport.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
I just let you know, supporting every everybody.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
There are teams that I feel a little bit more
empathy towards maybe, and others that I'm like, I'm never
rooting for you guys, but in general, I just support anybody.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Wait, I also have a very important question because you
said you were from Pola.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Did come from there? Oaka?
Speaker 5 (03:55):
I think it comes from Waka. I can say that.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
But there's two types of mollets, so we can say
that there's and just to keep it cool.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Okay, okay, what do you think.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I'm not I'm not invested in that debate debate. I
might have some more opinions on the mate debate. I
have more opinions, but.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
I'll to you since you're the professional.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Well, I do have investment in the casarilla debate. So
in Mexico City, they don't put cheese in their casaliyas,
and for me, it's like the wordesia because of the cao, right.
But in Mexico City you have to say caesaria gone geso.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
If not, it's just like a tortilla taco with some
other thing. It's just weird. Really invested in that one.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Yeah, So if you come to Mexico City, you have
to say casqueso please.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
If not, you're just getting a taco.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
If you go anywhere else in the world where people
know what is then you'll just order a.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Normal chi on your very interesting. We have already learned
something just in our intro.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Alone very important. Okay, all right, so RecA do people
call what do you like?
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Both, but is like for friends, So you guys can
call me.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Let's go. We've made it. We've made a covey. We're
in the friends. Yes, I mean girlfriend like you fit?
You are fit? Okay, Like I said, I'm an athlete.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
First off, Yeah, I don't go out mostly I don't
like I feel that I'm right with you. But do
you still like what is your training day like? Or
how do you keep in shape or inform since you
don't play sport professionally anymore?
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Yeah? Well wow, first of all, how do you guys
know that? And is that research?
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Is that cheese man?
Speaker 5 (05:56):
That is cheeseman? That is breaking?
Speaker 4 (06:00):
So yes, yes, I haven't publicly said like I'm not
playing in the national flag football team anymore.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
It's just something that I have kind of kept at
a secret.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Close people know, of course, like my teammates, the Federation knows,
other close people to me. But normally people are texting,
like dming me on Instagram like why are you not
on the list or why are you not playing flag
football anymore? And I just like answer right there. But
I haven't like made it public yet, just because I
don't know how long it's gonna last.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
I'm taking like a normal break. But when we go.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Back to sports and being fit, I am loving trying
other stuff.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
So I've been playing flag football for.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
The last maybe seventeen eighteen years, and my mind and
my body.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
Needed a break.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
So it's just been really fun to keep you know,
fit and healthy but doing other stuff. So my husband
is a triathlete e LA, So I got on the
bike for like an hour the other day and then
I'm running a half a marathon in June with Nike.
Uh with It's it's like this girls owning the streets
(07:12):
at night something?
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Oh that after dark thing. Yeah, yes, that's so fun.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Yeah. So I'm super excited to run that with my friends.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I'm not really a runner, so I'm trying to like
train to not suffer as much just because I don't
enjoy running, just because you know, well, we're into sports
and you're accustomed to running behind a ball. When you're
running behind nobody or nothing, I need to pause.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
I need a pause for a moment, because both you
and Milly say that, right, because your guys like sprint,
consider you don't consider sprinting being a runner, like when
you when you speak out loud when you say it,
but I'm in my head, I watch you guys. You're
sprinting from side to side the entire like these girly
pops are runners, and now you come on here you
(07:58):
have the audacity to say not a runner.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
So okay, So my position is like running, right, because
I'm a rusher, So I'm always running running sprinting like
you say, but it has like this mental load in
a different way where you're running with your focus on
a flag or a football or a soccer ball, but
when you're just running, like where does the mental focus
(08:23):
go to, Oh.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
My knees hurt. Oh I'm so bored exactly exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
So that's the part of running that we don't like,
where you're like.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
You know what, you know what, you know what.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I realized because like when I first retired from soccer,
like the same I'm like, oh, hey, you're running, like
hate it.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
There's not a soccer ball or a ball involved in it.
Like I'm not there.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
But then when I started realizing, like why do I
have this like against running? It's because for us, like
we were always taught like running was part of fitness tests,
you know, like we had one twenties they were called
where you have to sprint across the field and then
jog back and sprint across the field and drop back.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
There there was another running test called literally suicides. Okay, yeah, yeah,
so back and forth, back and back and forth right
touch the line, and it's there's always like a negative
kind of like those ill but okay, there's.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Always like literally, whoa.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
There, we really know the dark side of coming.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
And so like I'm like the pancakes suicides give it
to me literally and so through a lot of shit, okay.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
And so so so for some people like coming that ramone,
they like that ship, but for some other people, there's
like a negative connotation to running, right. And so I
realized over time and now that I'm all of a
sudden a two time half marathoner and a two time
full marathon her that like you guys, let's go yeah, no,
(10:07):
thank you, okay, but no, it is it is hard.
And like now instead of like trying to catch up
to a ball, I'm trying to catch up to Kami,
who's like running like a fucking I don't know, seven
minute mile in front of me.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
And I'm like, oh yeah, but no.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
And then I also use music as my as like
my like I don't know something to entertain me, just
like keep me, keep me going.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
Yes, yeah, you know what. I don't like music because
it doesn't require my attention.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
So when I'm running, my mind still goes to those
dark places that I don't like. But I found that
if I'm listening to an interesting podcast, then my mind
is listening to, oh, this interesting story or I like
that reflection, or I'm just listening to like a tennis
podcast that helps with work, and I'm just focusing on that.
And then the other thing that I discovered is that
(10:59):
I realize that in my sport, when I sprint, I
hold my breath because it's just like three or four seconds.
So then when I have to do like long distance run,
I don't know how to breathe. So then I'm like
you knows, and I can't really like breathe.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
I'm just like struggling with both work.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
The other day, I was like, Okay, I'm gonna go
running and she's like yes, And I don't want to
do like the soccer thing, you know, where they're like
doing this thing with their nose and you know, their
snots are flying everywhere, Like I don't want to do
any of that stuff, so I'm just like struggling. But
the other day I went running and I was like, Okay,
(11:41):
I'm gonna like run as my breath allows me to,
and I'm just gonna throw my nose and out of
my nose and if I'm going like super slow, doesn't matter.
And then after that I was like, Okay, now this
was a little bit more enjoyable for me. So I
hope to keep getting better at just like breathing so
I can enjoy running. I reading.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
It's a little important for sure.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah, I have a question for you, what what like
podcasts are you listening to? Like what are the things
that you're actually listening to when you go running?
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Like yeah, so yeah, sure it depends.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
So for example, I love listening to the Tennis podcast,
and but they come with they have like one episode
a week, so if I already went running or I've
been in the car for long enough, then I'm done
with that. There's another podcast that I like. It's called
We Can Do Hard Things. I'm pretty sure Melissa, maybe
you've heard it. Yeah, it's really good. And then there's
(12:33):
another one from Mexican Girls there. It's called Sulas and
I might just find like an interesting conversation from the past.
I don't like go weekly on them, just like interesting
topics that I find. So those are like my basse podcasts.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
And now, yeah, now.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
I can tell that you guys laugh a lot.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
I don't know if that's gonna help me out while
I'm running, because when you're.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
Running and laughing and can't breathe.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And you're like choking on your own saliva, laughing is
not a.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Good equation to add to that.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
I think you will.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
You'll be okay.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
I think that within the next couple of runs, we're
going to figure out your saliva situation for the better. Now,
I do have to say that this was some really
hot chasement, like piping hot tea and cheese Mad was
galliente because not only did we hear that you were
kind of stepping away for a moment, but also more importantly,
(13:33):
that you might go back. So yeah, thank you for
joining us. For Gefacito and chieese Man. We're going to
talk it to a break real quick when we come back.
We're talking about the physical preparation it takes to become
a flag football gold medalist. That's after the break with Rebga.
(13:55):
Welcome back to the show. Everybody here with our guests Regalanda,
let's dive into it.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
So RecA was part of the Mexican women's national flag
football team and in twenty twenty two, she made history
along with her team by clinching the gold medal in
the World's Games, becoming the first women's flag football gold
medalist in the event's history. So Recca history, history, her story, history,
(14:22):
her story. So first off, I mean congratulations, Like those
accomplishments not only live in that moment, but live forever.
And I want you to take us back to that
exact time, which was only a few short years ago.
But what was that moment, like like winning that gold medal.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Yeah, it was amazing just because of the whole process
of it. There's this video of me like receiving the
gold medal and like kissing in and crying and everybody's crying,
and the person that's giving the gold medal to me
saying like, please don't cry, You're gonna make me cry.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
And I was crying just because I was thinking of like.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
All those years that it's you to win a gold medal,
Like it's never that week, it's never that game.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
It's always like.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
A super long process, right, So it was just beautiful
to remember like all the people that were part of
my process, were part of my friends and my teammates process,
all the dreams that we had, and also kind of
like excited about what was coming in the future because
so the reason why we were at the World Games
(15:27):
was because our sport was kind of like starting to
sound for La.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Twenty twenty eight, and this was kind of like a
trial run, right.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
So yeah, it was just like overwhelmed with positive emotions.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
My family was there.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
I started living on my own when I was nineteen,
and you know, like Latinos, we love being with our family.
It was in like my ideal plan to not live
with my parents and be far away from them, so
also for them to be there, for my husband to
be there. It was just such a really moment to
share with everybody, and then with Mexico as well, because
(16:03):
like Mexico, we have a lot of bad news. Sometimes
we have some really great news at times, but this
was like, hey, women can change history, Mexican women can
work together what happens when we think of gold, which
was like our slogan, like the ensign NOTO. So yeah,
it was just like super beautifully overwhelming moments in my career.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
I bet wait, you said LA twenty twenty eight. Does
that mean something that I missed?
Speaker 5 (16:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:31):
So now flag football is part of the Olympic program
and it's going to debut in LA twenty twenty eight.
But the process kind of started in the World Games,
so we were kind of like starting to have conversations
with the Olympic Committee and doing interviews and just seeing.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
How it would broadcast. All that stuff that took us
to LA twenty twenty eight.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
At that moment, okay, I was just like, oh, she's
mentioned LA twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Does that mean that she has a plan?
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Well, that's when I was I don't.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Is that also something while you're like trying to figure
out because I mean to play.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Yeah, that would be amazing, right I am.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
So part of the reason why I kind of stepped
out a little bit right now was because I knew
that if I wanted to pursue the Olympics, that I
needed like a mental break and physical break and like
an opportunity to do other things kind of like.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
When it gets when.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Sports get like super super serious, then it's hard, right,
And when you have another job because la mental Lemnpe,
we don't get paid for playing flag football, so all
of us have another job, and it's sometimes a lot
to handle, right. So being like a professional athlete in
a way or acting like it and then having a
(17:52):
professional job in mind that requires like so much time
and travel and effort, it just gets a little bit
overwhelming as well. So I felt like I needed to
fall in love with my sport again in that pure
sense of the word. So yeah, I was like, Okay,
if I want to get to the Olympics, then this
is something that I need to do now, so then
(18:14):
I have time to prepare and stuff. But I'm still
kind of trying to figure it out because I got married.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
A year ago.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
I don't know like how soon we want to have
a family, if it's going to be like in between
or after.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
So I just know that a lot of things can
happen in three or four years.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
So it is part of the plan. But I'm not
like super it's not super locked in. I know that
many things can change in the process.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yeah, that's very true, and to be honest with you,
like right right, I lived something so similar as well,
which when one was not getting paid a dime for
playing soccer for my federation, like the lack of support,
but really like playing soccer and wanting to represent the
(18:59):
school just by passion, like that was really it.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
It was just like I love the.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Game, passionate about the game, but then passionate about representing
my country. Right, But then you do get to a point,
like a reflection point where you realize, at least in
my in my scenario, which like is it all really
worth it?
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Right?
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Or am I being valued as a woman, as a
professional athlete, et cetera. The list goes on, especially when
other opportunities are coming. So I lived something super similar
which I could relate to. But I love for you
to expand more on the pay or lack of thereof,
because since we traveled like sometimes having to by our
(19:40):
own flights if necessary, but more so like we didn't
get any you know, salary, any guarantees, any bonuses, like nothing,
where like in the meantime we were playing in the Olympics,
playing in the World Cup. List goes on, but like,
what is it like for you all as female athletes,
professional athletes having to deal with that. You mentioned jobs,
so you're having to do second, like second or third jobs.
(20:02):
But what do you have to also pay for in
order to support that type of professional lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Yeah, I think in a way in comparison to other sports,
I would say like we're kind of lucky. Of course,
it's not ideal, and we should get to that point
where athletes are being paid.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
But this is not like a gender thing.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
It's like men that play flag football aren't getting paid either,
just because flag football is kind of like new in
the space of.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Like sports or like world sports.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
I don't know how to say, because in Mexico we've
been playing flag football for like fifty years, but it
wasn't seen as a professional sport. It wasn't seen as
an Olympic sport, right, It was more like a recreational sport.
But our federations does a good job and making sure
that we don't have to pay for anything when we
go on competitions. So my first World championship was in Banaman,
(20:53):
it was in twenty eighteen, and we didn't pay for anything,
so like flights, uniforms, food, any of that. But even
for example, when we won the gold medal, like there,
we don't get anything, Like we don't get money, we
don't get a bonus, we don't get none of that,
just because our federation doesn't have the money to support it.
(21:14):
And Cornaleo, which is the structure that kind of holds
the federations together in Mexico and is the one that
hands out the money, they didn't see flag football as
part of their program either because we're not really representing
in Olympics or any of that stuff, right, so there
was really nowhere to get the money from. Where we
(21:35):
really struggle is where athletes that don't live in Mexico
City have to travel a poor practice. So they have
to make it like an investment every time they come, right,
so they stay maybe out of our houses, or they
have to buy their flags or their ubers, their food
of course. But now with this Olympic process, the federation
has gotten a lot more support and now the athletes
(21:58):
only have to pay for their flight. So now they're
staying in Sanata, which is part of like the government's
facilities for sport.
Speaker 5 (22:07):
They're getting food there, they're getting picked up.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
At the airport, so things are getting a little bit
better in regards to other stuff, like as an athlete,
you have to pay for it's like your personal trainer.
You're a nutritionists maybe if the federation doesn't give you one.
Now we have a psychologist as well as an attritionist,
but before we didn't, so psychologists, sports psychologists. If you
were interested in one, the gym, you know, you have
(22:32):
to pay for that stuff, your clothes, your practice gear.
So yeah, there comes an investment with that. And most
of us have jobs, right, there's some that are still
like in school there and well what you guys would
call NC double A so they have scholarships and stuff
(22:53):
like that, and they have most of their gear from
their universities. But friends of mine would have to have
like one or two jobs. Some of them are also mothers,
so they kind of have to worry.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
About their kids. So yeah, it's a struggle. Honestly.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
You can't just worry about being an athlete. You have
to think about so many other things. And it was
just curious to me, like what would have happened if
I would have landed in flag football fifty years from now,
Like maybe I wouldn't have to decide ESPN over flag
football because ESPN pipe pays my bills. Even though I
love my job, I would have had the chance to
(23:27):
also say, like, Okay, if I'm stressing out about this,
I'm just gonna leave this other job and be a
full time athlete. But it's not somewhere where we're at
right now. We're definitely towards working towards that.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I think one of the things that you did mention earlier,
which I want to highlight too, is all of the
additional work and support that athletes do need to be
successful at their jobs and to position themselves that like
we sometimes have to take on our own plate, like
the physical therapy, the therapy, the nutrition, the massages, like
all those things that we need to show up the
(24:00):
way that we show up. Do you feel like because
of the budget restrictions that there are some athletes that
do have a greater advantage because they do have access
to these services from their own personal like money or
funds versus others.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Yes, yes, I do.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
In my case for example, like I'm super blessed, and
I would get like sponsors for physical therapy and sponsors
for like pressure boots or sponsors for shoes, Like I'm
a Nike athlete, I get clothes with Nike, you know,
and there's people that maybe don't have like good cleats
because they can't buy them, and you don't know how
(24:36):
that can develop later because that could mean an injury,
like a really hard injury that could like derail your
athletic career.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
There's people that wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
Go to like physical therapy because it's expensive. But we've
seen also, like I have to say this, the national
team and the Federation have really worked towards having these
people available to us and making sure that there's like
if you leave in Tijuana, we can find somebody.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
That will treat you, that will support you. And we've
also found that there's a lot of people that want
to help out.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Like maybe you don't have one hundred and twenty nine
thousand Instagram followers, but you're part of the national team,
so yeah, of course I will give you therapy free.
Like you know, there's people that just want to support
us because they know that what we're doing matters.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
So speaking about the Instagram followers, y'all, your your content
is popping off.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
I love, love love your content.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Do you are like who give us the space? Give
us the quick run down? Do you like you know,
pre produce, shoe, edit post or like, how.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Is this flow going? We need to know the deeds.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
So normally what happens is that I'm like on Instagram
like everybody else, and I'm just seeing stuff that I
like and then I will save it into this little
folder that I have with a company that helps me.
She's a friend of mine, and it's about like ideas, whateca.
So I put them stuff there that I think that
I like that it kind of goes with my vibe
(26:06):
that's funny or not so funny, but I could do,
you know, whenever. So Victoria, she like kind of helps
me build a calendar depending on how my week is looking,
and get organized.
Speaker 5 (26:21):
Yes, yes, now I am what's your birthday?
Speaker 1 (26:25):
What's your sign?
Speaker 5 (26:27):
So I'm July nineteenth and I'm a cancer Okay, okay,
I don't know what that means. I don't know what
that means.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
So now Victoria, she's kind enough, and every week we
go through my next week's schedule and she like posts
some ideas. But like if during the week I find
something that I like or hey, this is something that
we could do, we just kind of improvise.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
Normally, I'm the one that records it.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
It's everything, and I just kind of send it to
them and say like, hey, do you think this is good?
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Is it too long? Should we make it shorter? Whatever?
Speaker 4 (26:57):
And they kind of help me with that. But in general,
I'm the one that's like on her phone for hours.
I'm a perfectionist. So like a video that anybody would
you know, edit in thirty seconds, I take like an.
Speaker 5 (27:08):
Hour and a half. So that's why I need help.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
I know. That's why I have like a team that
helps me out because if not, it would take too long.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
I think Milli is really good at coming up with
concepts too, and I'm like the faster person that edits.
We did like our whole like we had so much
content from the marathon that we ran together in Miami,
and I was like, don't worry, or I got you
with the edit.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
So I spent like.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Literally it's me like like an hour and a half
to edit, which I think you probably would have taken many.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Like eight hours. Oh don't here, just put the captions
on here please?
Speaker 2 (27:38):
NOA it was forty minute video, like forty minutes full
of content, forty.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
Minutes, Like how do you even cut it out? It's impossible, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
I think it's something really nice to see, like your
personality really shine, Like you're both of you guys obviously
like were pro athletes and I have now transitioned to broadcasting.
I want to hear about your journey to broadcasting and
how it came about for you, even though to me,
especially now after like meeting you one on one or
two on one and like getting to know you better,
(28:11):
and like obviously seeing your social media, like your personality
is so bright and you have so much amazing energy to.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Share with the world. But how did you end up
where you're at now at ESPN?
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Yeah, so I started doing play by play for my
college football team when I was in college university.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
I don't know, you guys have like this different lan
see them there is another word. So yeah, I was
in sports my whole life.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
I didn't really think that I could really make a
living out of it, so I started studying arts, and
then in between I was like, I'm not a good artist,
Like I am not going to be able to make
a living out of this either.
Speaker 5 (28:51):
So you know, my university had a lot of projects and.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
I just went looking and I found one where they
had like a TV station that broadcast a lot of
the things around the university, and some of those things
were the guys' football games.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
So I went to a casting.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
They did like this knowledge test, and I had been
playing flag football for a while now and watching football
even further further along, so when they did this test,
apparently I was like really good at knowing football and
strategy and like stuff from the university team, which I
had been supporting since I was like thirteen.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
So they said like, hey, whatever, do you want to
be our analyst? And I was like WHOA.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
I wasn't really at all expecting that. I was a
little afraid just because I didn't know what I was
supposed to really be doing, and there weren't a lot
of women that I could like turn around and look
up to and ask or email or like Hey, what
am I supposed to do?
Speaker 5 (29:49):
So that's kind of how it started.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
And then the next year they were like, we want
you to start doing play by play. I was like sure,
So I did play by play for the next two years,
and I started realizing like this is really cool, really
like doing this and like being close to sports.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
I think I'm good at it.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
And then also there came this little like purpose thing
on the side where I was getting a lot of
messages on Instagram and Facebook and whatever that was going
on I don't know, like ten twelve years ago, and
a lot of people were like texting like girls don't
do don't call games that'res.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
And I was like, cannot you know exactly what I know?
Speaker 1 (30:34):
You know what the head is, do that movehead.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Exactly, exactly exactly. So I was like, Okay, there's something
we need to change around here. And I like what
I'm doing. I think I'm good at it and it
gives me a purpose. So I was like, okay, all
in and my dad was kind enough to support me
(30:59):
to go to Miami and get like a broadcasting course
and stuff, and from there it was just kind of
like really struggling, you know, to find like what I
wanted to do where I could really do it. But
my dream was always to get to ESPN. So like
maybe six years after I started doing broadcasting for my college,
I got into ESPN and I was a presenter kind
(31:23):
of like a host but not really And then a
couple of years later ESPN was like, well I was
kind of pushing, like, hey, guys, I know more football
than this, like, please take advantage of what I can do.
And so ESPN Deportes called me after three years and
they were like, we want to hire you, but now we.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
Want you to do play by play.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
So before I was in ESPN Mexico, and then I
moved into ESPN Deportes, which is a little bit more
global and we call games for like all of Latin
America or now that I'm calling games for Latinos in
the US. So yeah, but like in my my storyline,
flag football always came along with broadcasting careers. So when
(32:05):
I moved to Mexico City because I was starting to
work at ESPN, that's when I hired a personal trainer
to get into the national team.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
So until this year.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
My flag football career and my broadcasting career have been together.
I'm kind of like trying to figure it out how
it looks now without one of them.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
I love that, and I love the way that in
your story you've you've pivoted so many times you were like,
oh this is this is never really working for me,
or like I'm gonna try this, but if I don't
like it, I don't know. Yeah, no, pay the bills
like I'm gonna pivot, I'm gonna try something new while
still maintaining your passions. I feel like that's something very
inspiring because sometimes people see success as like being the
(32:50):
best and like sustaining. You know that like one thing
or just like you're creating, having your passion be your
lifestyle is not sustainable for every single person in the world. However,
there always is an opportunity to take your passion with
you in your lifestyle wherever you go. So you're a
(33:11):
great inspiration when it comes to that.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
For sure. One of the main questions that we ask.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
All of our guests is when you think about your
life story that asta, what do you think was the
main factor that contributed to your success.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Oh my god, I think it's gonna I hope it
doesn't sound weird, but I would say, like authenticity not
weird enough you said, because of what you said, Like
gam you when when you're like trying to reach your
goal that you really love, there's so many people that
are going to tell you like no, or they're going
(33:49):
to tell you like yes, but not this way that way.
And I think it's really important what you just said.
You know, like you need to be able to pivot.
But also there are things that are non nego and
I think that's where my success kind of came from.
And my non negotiable was my authentic self. So if
I would go to a casting and they would say like, oh, yes.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
But can you dress a little bit more younger? You
know what? You know what that means? I would be
like no, because what does that mean.
Speaker 4 (34:18):
It means, Oh, it means like be sexier or show
a little bit more skin.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
By younger, you mean sluttier. That's weird y.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
Yes, that's a lot of problem, but just a few,
just a few issues with that person. A lot of
fishes with that, A lot of fishes with that.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Misogyny is dense in a lot of areas, right, So
that would be like my non negotiable, Like, no, this
is not who I am. And then I got my
I lost myself for a little bit, I must say,
but I was like, no, this is not who I am.
I'm not going to dumb myself down for you to
be able to hire me.
Speaker 5 (34:55):
Like, this isn't non negotiable.
Speaker 4 (34:57):
I am here to break a standard of what women
can't and can't do. And if I want to break
that standard, this is who I need to be and
this is what I represent.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
So I think part of that is a success.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Like you need to make sure that when you're pivoting
into this idea of how you can adapt your passion
to your career and make a living out of it,
there are things that you will not change because then
you will be like everybody else. And that's not where
success comes from my point of view. It comes from
adding something different, proposing something that's not seen being you,
(35:35):
and the world needs a little bit more of that.
So it's not this one thing like or this one
moment in my storyline. I think it's that consistency of
me saying this is who I am, this is what
I represent, and if I'm not getting the job because
this is who I am, then that's okay, this is
not where I'm supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
I love that, Erica, like honestly, and big props to
also realizing that, because when you're in it, you're in
it and you get so like just involved and devolved
by those those societal pressures right and also getting your
job and expectations and keeping people happy and your executives
happy and bosses happy, but like like mad respect for
(36:16):
you to realize that and be true to you, but
also like setting that that type of inspiration for other
girls and women to see that you don't need to
go by societal quote unquote what they call standards, because
that's not the standards, that's what has been set by
you know, white men previous to that. Right, So like,
(36:36):
massive props to you for honestly like standing up for
yourself and being you. And we're back, y'all. And first
and foremost, we got to talk about the growth of
women's sports. It's absolutely exploding and it makes us so incredibly,
(37:01):
incredibly proud to live in this era, to live in
this moment, especially with so much appreciation to those pioneers
who have helped build this growth to this day in
age and the growth we've seen it, of course more
specifically in North America and Europe, but we've also seen
it grow past that, whether it's in South America, Central America, Africa, Asia,
(37:25):
et cetera. So I want to ask you RecA, of course,
with you know your experience in flag football, but also
you've mentioned that you go to women's soccer games in Mexico,
which has been a huge success. What have your thoughts
been on the growth of women's sports, specifically in your
region in Mexico.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
It's been so beautiful. I think we still have a
long way to go, definitely. I also watch a lot
of softball. So one of my friends she plays in
the softball professional league. She's in the finals right now,
so I went like a week ago to the stadium
to see her and support the team, and I was
just so overwhelmed with the stadium, the site that they
(38:08):
opened for the women's leek to be packed and for
the fans to be like super invested in the woman
and knowing that they are getting paid, not as much
as we would like them to get paid, but also
that they are getting paid, that they are getting like
equal treatment, that they are being held like in hotels
the same way the men would be held in hotels,
(38:31):
That they are getting the same sponsors, that they are
on ESPN, like all those things. A couple of years ago,
like maybe five seven years ago, you would say that
to me and I was like, there is no way,
like hopefully, but it was even hard to imagine, just
because there was so much like maybe resistance or we
couldn't see the future evolving as it has right now.
(38:53):
So yeah, I was talking to my husband yesterday like, hey, like,
do are you even realizing, Like this is only the
second season of La Liga Mexicana and softball and we're
already seeing them like on Sports Center in ESPN, with
the full stadium, with like SABA and sponsors everywhere, people
(39:14):
getting involved, you know, parents flying out, people flying out
to see them, fan bases that are going crazy that
they are buying their jerseys and like their collection cards.
Speaker 5 (39:24):
All of this has just been amazing to me. If
I think about it too much, I cry all and
then you are also the cancer. That's the cancer. Yes, yes,
I'd love to see.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
ESPN getting more involved into women's sports, and I've been
part of some of the projects that they have, like
presented to sponsors like hey, we have so many of
these leagues are women leagues, and we need you to
get involved. We need to push this forward. There are
so many people that are getting involved. I just can
think of so many stories. Like a week ago or
(40:00):
two weeks ago, I did an interview from a documentary
that ESPN is launching or launched this week. Las a
Masona is a Yeah Shuna and it's this woman from
a community in Yukatan that used baseball and softball to
transform their culture and fight misogyny. And that's something that's
(40:21):
out there on TV and everybody can go and watch
it and get inspired.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
So yeah, I'm super happy where we are at now.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
And also all the interests that I'm seeing from like
private companies, you know, private money, let's call it, to
support and get involved.
Speaker 5 (40:40):
I feel super blessed to be able to see.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
It, and I feel super blessed that if I ever
have a girl and a kid that wants to do sports,
they have this huge world of opportunities that I never
got to have. And I say it in the most
proudful way, like I'm so proud to see the change
and so proud to be able to be thankful and
(41:02):
have that contrast of the change, you know where I'm
gonna be like, hey, you must really be grateful for this, Like.
Speaker 5 (41:08):
This is not something that used to happen before.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
We can't take it for granted, and we really need
to keep on moving this forward and using those platforms
and creating even more platforms because I'm just amazed about
women that do sports, like I honestly see us and
I'm like we are like superwoman, like how on our
period pregnant?
Speaker 3 (41:30):
Literally literally there's so much there's something.
Speaker 5 (41:34):
Family together, like don't I don't know, but we.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
Do it all that while still like going above and beyond,
because not only are you playing sport and not only
are you like doing all the things that you know
male athletes are doing, but also like there's a like
a requirement to push the culture and to push for
change that that you know a lot of athletes, female
(41:58):
athletes are doing. So not only are you, you know,
just an athlete that's like focused on your family, that's
focused on your sport, but you're also focused on fighting
to get paid not only for yourself but for future
women to come your cultural icons and agents for change.
One of the things that you mentioned too that interests
me a lot is like about having a girl and
having a One of the things that we were talking
(42:19):
about with medi too is that girls that are that
do sport or that are athletes are most likely to
be like C suite executives or become these like.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Leaders in the future.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Yeah, have you seen a lot of programs to help
support girls getting into sport and do you have any
recommendations potentially for somebody who's listening to this that may
not have like the feel like they have the most
resources to get their girls involved in sport, but want to.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
Yeah, I've seen it a little bit more, I need
to be honest, Not really, I think like people are
getting involved where there's a lot of like already people
seeing that, like professional sports or like the sports that
are already on TV.
Speaker 5 (43:02):
But there have been a few companies that I've talked.
Speaker 4 (43:05):
To that are like, Okay, we want to reach girls
because that's really where we need to start investing, not
when they're already made, right, Like we need to allow
them to get into this area.
Speaker 5 (43:16):
First for them to start dreaming.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
So yeah, not as much as I would like to,
but it's starting to get there. And then also in
regards to people that you know, first of all, I
would say, like let them choose whatever they want back
because sometimes it happens like oh, she's doing gymnastics, but
she's not going to be good enough, so we should
(43:40):
think about something else, like bro just let her be
Like a lot of the girls when they get to
high school, they're going to drop off sports if you
don't like just let them do something they enjoy because
there's so many other things that we have to worry about,
like our body and people shaming us or calling us
mari matchas because we're into sports. Like, it's so easy
(44:00):
to drop out of sports, So don't make it harder
for them.
Speaker 5 (44:03):
Just let them do what they want. That that would
be like my first thing.
Speaker 4 (44:10):
That people that want to involve more women, make sure
you're communicating that. Like, if there's a flyer that you're
putting out there, make sure there's a woman in that flyer.
If in Mexico we even have issues, like of course
we have like amazing facilities, but there are also facilities
where like you don't want to go to that field
because there's not a decent place for you to change
(44:32):
or where you feel safe to be around. Right, Like,
even those little basic things are what makes women kind
of drop out of sports. So make sure that the
area that you have, what you're communicating is inviting women.
Make sure that if there's like a staff of ten coaches,
make sure that two minimum are women, that they have
(44:53):
someone to talk to that they don't feel like they're.
Speaker 5 (44:55):
There on their own. Yeah, and parents just let their
girls be I don't know in Mexico. I think we.
Speaker 4 (45:03):
Don't put so much pressure on people in sports or
kids in sports as maybe in the US, but even
for people in the US that are listening to us, Like,
if you put too much pressure on your kids, at
some point, they're gonna end up not enjoying it, kind
of like what happens to professional athletes at times. And
that's not the time to put pressure on them. They're
supposed to be learning about all of these values that
(45:24):
are gonna give them those physitions that might change the
world where they're making decisions that affect others in a positive.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Yeah, totally, all right, Coami, what are we going for
right now? I'm it's time.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
If you have not heard of our my Famosa segment,
it's just essentially where I hook you up. I give
you an assist on the music side, and then Meli's
gonna hook you up on the sports side, the women's
sports side, the football side, and now we have RecA
so she might hook you up too.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
I'm gonna go.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
I'm gonna go first the way a Famosa. We're talking
to Rebecca from Mexico.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
I off the top of.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
My head this year, I went to Cali Bash and
I had the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (46:05):
To see sav live.
Speaker 3 (46:08):
You might know him from La Diabo, La La Wiktima
like those are his most popular songs. He's a twenty
year old from Mexico and the energy that he has
on stage is absolutely iconic. So if you're looking for
a new artist, a rising artist, make sure.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
That you check him out.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
What about you, Mediaamfamosa?
Speaker 1 (46:24):
All right, y'all.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
So a lot of this conversation was, of course, geared
around the growth of women's sports, and I got to
share with you all that this latest article that came.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
Out check this.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
Advertisers spent two hundred and forty four million dollars on
women's sports in twenty twenty four, making an one hundred
and thirty nine percent year over year increase, meaning like
this ad yes, Sleigh, the ad dollar boom aligns with
a spike in women's sports viewership. Of course, we've seen
a huge growth in watching all women's sports basketball, soccer, volleyball,
(46:57):
flag football, like the list goes on. But for example,
and more specifically, over two million viewers tuned into Game
five of the w NBA Champion Chip Series, which made
it the most few w NBA game in twenty five years,
y'all so amazing growth in women's in women's sports, like
the stats have shown it improve it for for itself.
(47:17):
Twenty twenty two, six hundred and ninety two million dollars
was the total revenue. Fast forward to just three years later,
twenty twenty five, it's expected to reach two point three
five billion dollars in total revenue. So check out that growth.
That's what we're here for. That's what we women are
here for.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
So we're here for now.
Speaker 5 (47:38):
My turn.
Speaker 1 (47:40):
No pressure, reck, no pressure, no, no, no, okay wait
wait wait wait.
Speaker 3 (47:43):
The first off is like, at some point you have
to listen to like some music. Do you have, like
what's your favorite workout song if you had to pick one,
or like your walkout song that makes you feel the
most powerful, like La Mara.
Speaker 4 (47:57):
Yeah, she's like, man, this podcast.
Speaker 5 (48:01):
No, I'm so mad with the names. Give me a
second because this is an Argentinian. Uh, it's not give
me a second dance script.
Speaker 3 (48:16):
I love I can wrap it up.
Speaker 4 (48:26):
I love Rhino, but I get I get like really
excited about listening to him anytime.
Speaker 5 (48:32):
So anything.
Speaker 4 (48:34):
There's this thing that I posted on Instagram where I
was like I'm rapping to the song before I call
a game.
Speaker 5 (48:39):
On Monday night football, Like this is my vocal work. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
Right so yeah, not even for not only for workouts,
but I also use and dance script for like getting
hyped up before Monday night football game.
Speaker 1 (48:55):
Love Love Love.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
That's your watch your walk out song. All right, guys,
thank you, Thank you all so much. Rebecca, thank you
so much for your time today. Honestly, this has been
such a fantastic society rag set.
Speaker 1 (49:09):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
For your time and for everybody listening to check out Reka. Recca,
shout out your Instagram handle.
Speaker 5 (49:16):
Yeah so it's La Reveka Land with just one see.
Speaker 4 (49:19):
In Mexico we spell our Reveka's with just one sea everywhere.
Speaker 5 (49:24):
Thank you guys so much.
Speaker 4 (49:25):
It was so much fun getting to know you, and
now you can count on me listening to you every
time I go running. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Of course, we love to see I.
Speaker 3 (49:32):
Thank you so much everybody for joining us. And this
is a is an iHeart women's sports production and partnership
with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
For more podcasts, listen to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,
Everybody, welcome to the show. This is Astajo, y'all.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I am so excited to talk to our guest today.
She is a flag football gold medalist.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Well get it up for a gold medalist.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Commie always likes to emphasize titles on the show, so
we are definitely excited to have not only a gold
medalist and a broadcaster. You're multifaceted. But I mean the
title speaks for itself, I think. But everybody, welcome to
the show. Rebecca Landa Okay, she serves as a lead
commentator for variety.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, she serves as a.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Lead commentator for variety of sports, including ESPN Deportes telecast
on Monday Night Football. And now we're talking about the
American football.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
That the football that I play.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
And she is the very first woman on ESPN Deportes
to be a play by play commentator.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Let's go queen.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
And now on every episode we start with some talk
and some cafecito and since we can, yes, she's joining
us up on the catch up and the chief met
You are living in Mexico City, right, Yes, I.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Live in Sila, Mexico. I'm not from here, but ESPN
offices are here. So this is where I live with
my husband. He's from Argentina. So yeah, when we talk
about soccer in this house, we're normally talking about Messi
or football.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
Sorry, okay, we love to see it.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Now. I know that you're not from there, But what
is a perfect night in Mexico City look like for you?
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:49):
So okay, I'm an athlete, so mostly I'm not out
at night.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Wait, but she says mostly that means there's a lot.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
That one percent it is important.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, So I live in a place that's called the Gondesa.
I don't know if you guys heard of it, but
it's like super popular now. A lot of Americans are
moving in to Mexico City, especially in this area, just
because there are so many like little bars and cafes
and restaurants that are super cool. So what I would
do if it was like a night out I'm gonna
sound really boring, but it might be like a walk
(02:24):
with my husband to a great restaurant that we both love,
have like a great dinner, and then walk back home.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
What's your favorite like culinary moment.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Right right now?
Speaker 4 (02:34):
I'm so into Asian food, so anything that has to
do with like sushi, or Ramen or like Rice. I'm
into all of that right now. I'm like sleeping it
all the time.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Same and it's okay, it's like all the.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Time exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Wait, was so, what city are you from?
Speaker 5 (02:55):
So?
Speaker 4 (02:55):
I was born in Poela, which is like two hours
south of Mexico City. Okay, but my parents are both
from Monterrey, and culturally they're so different that I feel
more like from Monterrey than from Puela.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
So I say that I'm like from everywhere and nowhere
at the same time.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Love that.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Did you also support the team, like the soccer team
for what is your team or monter No.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
I honestly don't have a team for any sport anymore.
I just love watching sports in general. So I've been
to a couple of like legue I, Maki, Speminil in
Mexico and it's just me rooting for women killing it
at their sport.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
I just let you know, supporting every everybody.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
There are teams that I feel a little bit more
empathy towards maybe, and others that I'm like, I'm never
rooting for you guys, but in general, I just support anybody.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Wait, I also have a very important question because you
said you were from Pola.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Did come from there? Oaka?
Speaker 5 (03:55):
I think it comes from Waka. I can say that.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
But there's two types of mollets, so we can say
that there's and just to keep it cool.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Okay, okay, what do you think.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I'm not I'm not invested in that debate debate. I
might have some more opinions on the mate debate. I
have more opinions, but.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
I'll to you since you're the professional.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Well, I do have investment in the casarilla debate. So
in Mexico City, they don't put cheese in their casaliyas,
and for me, it's like the wordesia because of the cao, right.
But in Mexico City you have to say caesaria gone geso.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
If not, it's just like a tortilla taco with some
other thing. It's just weird. Really invested in that one.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Yeah, So if you come to Mexico City, you have
to say casqueso please.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
If not, you're just getting a taco.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
If you go anywhere else in the world where people
know what is then you'll just order a.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Normal chi on your very interesting. We have already learned
something just in our intro.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Alone very important. Okay, all right, so RecA do people
call what do you like?
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Both, but is like for friends, So you guys can
call me.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Let's go. We've made it. We've made a covey. We're
in the friends. Yes, I mean girlfriend like you fit?
You are fit? Okay, Like I said, I'm an athlete.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
First off, Yeah, I don't go out mostly I don't
like I feel that I'm right with you. But do
you still like what is your training day like? Or
how do you keep in shape or inform since you
don't play sport professionally anymore?
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Yeah? Well wow, first of all, how do you guys
know that? And is that research?
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Is that cheese man?
Speaker 5 (05:56):
That is cheeseman? That is breaking?
Speaker 4 (06:00):
So yes, yes, I haven't publicly said like I'm not
playing in the national flag football team anymore.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
It's just something that I have kind of kept at
a secret.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Close people know, of course, like my teammates, the Federation knows,
other close people to me. But normally people are texting,
like dming me on Instagram like why are you not
on the list or why are you not playing flag
football anymore? And I just like answer right there. But
I haven't like made it public yet, just because I
don't know how long it's gonna last.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
I'm taking like a normal break. But when we go.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Back to sports and being fit, I am loving trying
other stuff.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
So I've been playing flag football for.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
The last maybe seventeen eighteen years, and my mind and
my body.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
Needed a break.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
So it's just been really fun to keep you know,
fit and healthy but doing other stuff. So my husband
is a triathlete e LA, So I got on the
bike for like an hour the other day and then
I'm running a half a marathon in June with Nike.
Uh with It's it's like this girls owning the streets
(07:12):
at night something?
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Oh that after dark thing. Yeah, yes, that's so fun.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Yeah. So I'm super excited to run that with my friends.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I'm not really a runner, so I'm trying to like
train to not suffer as much just because I don't
enjoy running, just because you know, well, we're into sports
and you're accustomed to running behind a ball. When you're
running behind nobody or nothing, I need to pause.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
I need a pause for a moment, because both you
and Milly say that, right, because your guys like sprint,
consider you don't consider sprinting being a runner, like when
you when you speak out loud when you say it,
but I'm in my head, I watch you guys. You're
sprinting from side to side the entire like these girly
pops are runners, and now you come on here you
(07:58):
have the audacity to say not a runner.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
So okay, So my position is like running, right, because
I'm a rusher, So I'm always running running sprinting like
you say, but it has like this mental load in
a different way where you're running with your focus on
a flag or a football or a soccer ball, but
when you're just running, like where does the mental focus
(08:23):
go to, Oh.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
My knees hurt. Oh I'm so bored exactly exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
So that's the part of running that we don't like,
where you're like.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
You know what, you know what, you know what.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I realized because like when I first retired from soccer,
like the same I'm like, oh, hey, you're running, like
hate it.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
There's not a soccer ball or a ball involved in it.
Like I'm not there.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
But then when I started realizing, like why do I
have this like against running? It's because for us, like
we were always taught like running was part of fitness tests,
you know, like we had one twenties they were called
where you have to sprint across the field and then
jog back and sprint across the field and drop back.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
There there was another running test called literally suicides. Okay, yeah, yeah,
so back and forth, back and back and forth right
touch the line, and it's there's always like a negative
kind of like those ill but okay, there's.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Always like literally, whoa.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
There, we really know the dark side of coming.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
And so like I'm like the pancakes suicides give it
to me literally and so through a lot of shit, okay.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
And so so so for some people like coming that ramone,
they like that ship, but for some other people, there's
like a negative connotation to running, right. And so I
realized over time and now that I'm all of a
sudden a two time half marathoner and a two time
full marathon her that like you guys, let's go yeah, no,
(10:07):
thank you, okay, but no, it is it is hard.
And like now instead of like trying to catch up
to a ball, I'm trying to catch up to Kami,
who's like running like a fucking I don't know, seven
minute mile in front of me.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
And I'm like, oh yeah, but no.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
And then I also use music as my as like
my like I don't know something to entertain me, just
like keep me, keep me going.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
Yes, yeah, you know what. I don't like music because
it doesn't require my attention.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
So when I'm running, my mind still goes to those
dark places that I don't like. But I found that
if I'm listening to an interesting podcast, then my mind
is listening to, oh, this interesting story or I like
that reflection, or I'm just listening to like a tennis
podcast that helps with work, and I'm just focusing on that.
And then the other thing that I discovered is that
(10:59):
I realize that in my sport, when I sprint, I
hold my breath because it's just like three or four seconds.
So then when I have to do like long distance run,
I don't know how to breathe. So then I'm like
you knows, and I can't really like breathe.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
I'm just like struggling with both work.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
The other day, I was like, Okay, I'm gonna go
running and she's like yes, And I don't want to
do like the soccer thing, you know, where they're like
doing this thing with their nose and you know, their
snots are flying everywhere, Like I don't want to do
any of that stuff, so I'm just like struggling. But
the other day I went running and I was like, Okay,
(11:41):
I'm gonna like run as my breath allows me to,
and I'm just gonna throw my nose and out of
my nose and if I'm going like super slow, doesn't matter.
And then after that I was like, Okay, now this
was a little bit more enjoyable for me. So I
hope to keep getting better at just like breathing so
I can enjoy running. I reading.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
It's a little important for sure.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah, I have a question for you, what what like
podcasts are you listening to? Like what are the things
that you're actually listening to when you go running?
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Like yeah, so yeah, sure it depends.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
So for example, I love listening to the Tennis podcast,
and but they come with they have like one episode
a week, so if I already went running or I've
been in the car for long enough, then I'm done
with that. There's another podcast that I like. It's called
We Can Do Hard Things. I'm pretty sure Melissa, maybe
you've heard it. Yeah, it's really good. And then there's
(12:33):
another one from Mexican Girls there. It's called Sulas and
I might just find like an interesting conversation from the past.
I don't like go weekly on them, just like interesting
topics that I find. So those are like my basse podcasts.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
And now, yeah, now.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
I can tell that you guys laugh a lot.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
I don't know if that's gonna help me out while
I'm running, because when you're.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
Running and laughing and can't breathe.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And you're like choking on your own saliva, laughing is
not a.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Good equation to add to that.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
I think you will.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
You'll be okay.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
I think that within the next couple of runs, we're
going to figure out your saliva situation for the better. Now,
I do have to say that this was some really
hot chasement, like piping hot tea and cheese Mad was
galliente because not only did we hear that you were
kind of stepping away for a moment, but also more importantly,
(13:33):
that you might go back. So yeah, thank you for
joining us. For Gefacito and chieese Man. We're going to
talk it to a break real quick when we come back.
We're talking about the physical preparation it takes to become
a flag football gold medalist. That's after the break with Rebga.
(13:55):
Welcome back to the show. Everybody here with our guests Regalanda,
let's dive into it.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
So RecA was part of the Mexican women's national flag
football team and in twenty twenty two, she made history
along with her team by clinching the gold medal in
the World's Games, becoming the first women's flag football gold
medalist in the event's history. So Recca history, history, her story, history,
(14:22):
her story. So first off, I mean congratulations, Like those
accomplishments not only live in that moment, but live forever.
And I want you to take us back to that
exact time, which was only a few short years ago.
But what was that moment, like like winning that gold medal.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Yeah, it was amazing just because of the whole process
of it. There's this video of me like receiving the
gold medal and like kissing in and crying and everybody's crying,
and the person that's giving the gold medal to me
saying like, please don't cry, You're gonna make me cry.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
And I was crying just because I was thinking of like.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
All those years that it's you to win a gold medal,
Like it's never that week, it's never that game.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
It's always like.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
A super long process, right, So it was just beautiful
to remember like all the people that were part of
my process, were part of my friends and my teammates process,
all the dreams that we had, and also kind of
like excited about what was coming in the future because
so the reason why we were at the World Games
(15:27):
was because our sport was kind of like starting to
sound for La.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Twenty twenty eight, and this was kind of like a
trial run, right.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
So yeah, it was just like overwhelmed with positive emotions.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
My family was there.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
I started living on my own when I was nineteen,
and you know, like Latinos, we love being with our family.
It was in like my ideal plan to not live
with my parents and be far away from them, so
also for them to be there, for my husband to
be there. It was just such a really moment to
share with everybody, and then with Mexico as well, because
(16:03):
like Mexico, we have a lot of bad news. Sometimes
we have some really great news at times, but this
was like, hey, women can change history, Mexican women can
work together what happens when we think of gold, which
was like our slogan, like the ensign NOTO. So yeah,
it was just like super beautifully overwhelming moments in my career.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
I bet wait, you said LA twenty twenty eight. Does
that mean something that I missed?
Speaker 5 (16:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:31):
So now flag football is part of the Olympic program
and it's going to debut in LA twenty twenty eight.
But the process kind of started in the World Games,
so we were kind of like starting to have conversations
with the Olympic Committee and doing interviews and just seeing.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
How it would broadcast. All that stuff that took us
to LA twenty twenty eight.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
At that moment, okay, I was just like, oh, she's
mentioned LA twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Does that mean that she has a plan?
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Well, that's when I was I don't.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Is that also something while you're like trying to figure
out because I mean to play.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Yeah, that would be amazing, right I am.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
So part of the reason why I kind of stepped
out a little bit right now was because I knew
that if I wanted to pursue the Olympics, that I
needed like a mental break and physical break and like
an opportunity to do other things kind of like.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
When it gets when.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Sports get like super super serious, then it's hard, right,
And when you have another job because la mental Lemnpe,
we don't get paid for playing flag football, so all
of us have another job, and it's sometimes a lot
to handle, right. So being like a professional athlete in
a way or acting like it and then having a
(17:52):
professional job in mind that requires like so much time
and travel and effort, it just gets a little bit
overwhelming as well. So I felt like I needed to
fall in love with my sport again in that pure
sense of the word. So yeah, I was like, Okay,
if I want to get to the Olympics, then this
is something that I need to do now, so then
(18:14):
I have time to prepare and stuff. But I'm still
kind of trying to figure it out because I got married.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
A year ago.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
I don't know like how soon we want to have
a family, if it's going to be like in between
or after.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
So I just know that a lot of things can
happen in three or four years.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
So it is part of the plan. But I'm not
like super it's not super locked in. I know that
many things can change in the process.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yeah, that's very true, and to be honest with you,
like right right, I lived something so similar as well,
which when one was not getting paid a dime for
playing soccer for my federation, like the lack of support,
but really like playing soccer and wanting to represent the
(18:59):
school just by passion, like that was really it.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
It was just like I love the.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Game, passionate about the game, but then passionate about representing
my country. Right, But then you do get to a point,
like a reflection point where you realize, at least in
my in my scenario, which like is it all really
worth it?
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Right?
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Or am I being valued as a woman, as a
professional athlete, et cetera. The list goes on, especially when
other opportunities are coming. So I lived something super similar
which I could relate to. But I love for you
to expand more on the pay or lack of thereof,
because since we traveled like sometimes having to by our
(19:40):
own flights if necessary, but more so like we didn't
get any you know, salary, any guarantees, any bonuses, like nothing,
where like in the meantime we were playing in the Olympics,
playing in the World Cup. List goes on, but like,
what is it like for you all as female athletes,
professional athletes having to deal with that. You mentioned jobs,
so you're having to do second, like second or third jobs.
(20:02):
But what do you have to also pay for in
order to support that type of professional lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Yeah, I think in a way in comparison to other sports,
I would say like we're kind of lucky. Of course,
it's not ideal, and we should get to that point
where athletes are being paid.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
But this is not like a gender thing.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
It's like men that play flag football aren't getting paid either,
just because flag football is kind of like new in
the space of.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Like sports or like world sports.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
I don't know how to say, because in Mexico we've
been playing flag football for like fifty years, but it
wasn't seen as a professional sport. It wasn't seen as
an Olympic sport, right, It was more like a recreational sport.
But our federations does a good job and making sure
that we don't have to pay for anything when we
go on competitions. So my first World championship was in Banaman,
(20:53):
it was in twenty eighteen, and we didn't pay for anything,
so like flights, uniforms, food, any of that. But even
for example, when we won the gold medal, like there,
we don't get anything, Like we don't get money, we
don't get a bonus, we don't get none of that,
just because our federation doesn't have the money to support it.
(21:14):
And Cornaleo, which is the structure that kind of holds
the federations together in Mexico and is the one that
hands out the money, they didn't see flag football as
part of their program either because we're not really representing
in Olympics or any of that stuff, right, so there
was really nowhere to get the money from. Where we
(21:35):
really struggle is where athletes that don't live in Mexico
City have to travel a poor practice. So they have
to make it like an investment every time they come, right,
so they stay maybe out of our houses, or they
have to buy their flags or their ubers, their food
of course. But now with this Olympic process, the federation
has gotten a lot more support and now the athletes
(21:58):
only have to pay for their flight. So now they're
staying in Sanata, which is part of like the government's
facilities for sport.
Speaker 5 (22:07):
They're getting food there, they're getting picked up.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
At the airport, so things are getting a little bit
better in regards to other stuff, like as an athlete,
you have to pay for it's like your personal trainer.
You're a nutritionists maybe if the federation doesn't give you one.
Now we have a psychologist as well as an attritionist,
but before we didn't, so psychologists, sports psychologists. If you
were interested in one, the gym, you know, you have
(22:32):
to pay for that stuff, your clothes, your practice gear.
So yeah, there comes an investment with that. And most
of us have jobs, right, there's some that are still
like in school there and well what you guys would
call NC double A so they have scholarships and stuff
(22:53):
like that, and they have most of their gear from
their universities. But friends of mine would have to have
like one or two jobs. Some of them are also mothers,
so they kind of have to worry.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
About their kids. So yeah, it's a struggle. Honestly.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
You can't just worry about being an athlete. You have
to think about so many other things. And it was
just curious to me, like what would have happened if
I would have landed in flag football fifty years from now,
Like maybe I wouldn't have to decide ESPN over flag
football because ESPN pipe pays my bills. Even though I
love my job, I would have had the chance to
(23:27):
also say, like, Okay, if I'm stressing out about this,
I'm just gonna leave this other job and be a
full time athlete. But it's not somewhere where we're at
right now. We're definitely towards working towards that.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I think one of the things that you did mention earlier,
which I want to highlight too, is all of the
additional work and support that athletes do need to be
successful at their jobs and to position themselves that like
we sometimes have to take on our own plate, like
the physical therapy, the therapy, the nutrition, the massages, like
all those things that we need to show up the
(24:00):
way that we show up. Do you feel like because
of the budget restrictions that there are some athletes that
do have a greater advantage because they do have access
to these services from their own personal like money or
funds versus others.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Yes, yes, I do.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
In my case for example, like I'm super blessed, and
I would get like sponsors for physical therapy and sponsors
for like pressure boots or sponsors for shoes, Like I'm
a Nike athlete, I get clothes with Nike, you know,
and there's people that maybe don't have like good cleats
because they can't buy them, and you don't know how
(24:36):
that can develop later because that could mean an injury,
like a really hard injury that could like derail your
athletic career.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
There's people that wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
Go to like physical therapy because it's expensive. But we've
seen also, like I have to say this, the national
team and the Federation have really worked towards having these
people available to us and making sure that there's like
if you leave in Tijuana, we can find somebody.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
That will treat you, that will support you. And we've
also found that there's a lot of people that want
to help out.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Like maybe you don't have one hundred and twenty nine
thousand Instagram followers, but you're part of the national team,
so yeah, of course I will give you therapy free.
Like you know, there's people that just want to support
us because they know that what we're doing matters.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
So speaking about the Instagram followers, y'all, your your content
is popping off.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
I love, love love your content.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Do you are like who give us the space? Give
us the quick run down? Do you like you know,
pre produce, shoe, edit post or like, how.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Is this flow going? We need to know the deeds.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
So normally what happens is that I'm like on Instagram
like everybody else, and I'm just seeing stuff that I
like and then I will save it into this little
folder that I have with a company that helps me.
She's a friend of mine, and it's about like ideas, whateca.
So I put them stuff there that I think that
I like that it kind of goes with my vibe
(26:06):
that's funny or not so funny, but I could do,
you know, whenever. So Victoria, she like kind of helps
me build a calendar depending on how my week is looking,
and get organized.
Speaker 5 (26:21):
Yes, yes, now I am what's your birthday?
Speaker 1 (26:25):
What's your sign?
Speaker 5 (26:27):
So I'm July nineteenth and I'm a cancer Okay, okay,
I don't know what that means. I don't know what
that means.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
So now Victoria, she's kind enough, and every week we
go through my next week's schedule and she like posts
some ideas. But like if during the week I find
something that I like or hey, this is something that
we could do, we just kind of improvise.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
Normally, I'm the one that records it.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
It's everything, and I just kind of send it to
them and say like, hey, do you think this is good?
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Is it too long? Should we make it shorter? Whatever?
Speaker 4 (26:57):
And they kind of help me with that. But in general,
I'm the one that's like on her phone for hours.
I'm a perfectionist. So like a video that anybody would
you know, edit in thirty seconds, I take like an.
Speaker 5 (27:08):
Hour and a half. So that's why I need help.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
I know. That's why I have like a team that
helps me out because if not, it would take too long.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
I think Milli is really good at coming up with
concepts too, and I'm like the faster person that edits.
We did like our whole like we had so much
content from the marathon that we ran together in Miami,
and I was like, don't worry, or I got you
with the edit.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
So I spent like.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Literally it's me like like an hour and a half
to edit, which I think you probably would have taken many.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Like eight hours. Oh don't here, just put the captions
on here please?
Speaker 2 (27:38):
NOA it was forty minute video, like forty minutes full
of content, forty.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
Minutes, Like how do you even cut it out? It's impossible, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
I think it's something really nice to see, like your
personality really shine, Like you're both of you guys obviously
like were pro athletes and I have now transitioned to broadcasting.
I want to hear about your journey to broadcasting and
how it came about for you, even though to me,
especially now after like meeting you one on one or
two on one and like getting to know you better,
(28:11):
and like obviously seeing your social media, like your personality
is so bright and you have so much amazing energy to.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Share with the world. But how did you end up
where you're at now at ESPN?
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Yeah, so I started doing play by play for my
college football team when I was in college university.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
I don't know, you guys have like this different lan
see them there is another word. So yeah, I was
in sports my whole life.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
I didn't really think that I could really make a
living out of it, so I started studying arts, and
then in between I was like, I'm not a good artist,
Like I am not going to be able to make
a living out of this either.
Speaker 5 (28:51):
So you know, my university had a lot of projects and.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
I just went looking and I found one where they
had like a TV station that broadcast a lot of
the things around the university, and some of those things
were the guys' football games.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
So I went to a casting.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
They did like this knowledge test, and I had been
playing flag football for a while now and watching football
even further further along, so when they did this test,
apparently I was like really good at knowing football and
strategy and like stuff from the university team, which I
had been supporting since I was like thirteen.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
So they said like, hey, whatever, do you want to
be our analyst? And I was like WHOA.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
I wasn't really at all expecting that. I was a
little afraid just because I didn't know what I was
supposed to really be doing, and there weren't a lot
of women that I could like turn around and look
up to and ask or email or like Hey, what
am I supposed to do?
Speaker 5 (29:49):
So that's kind of how it started.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
And then the next year they were like, we want
you to start doing play by play. I was like sure,
So I did play by play for the next two years,
and I started realizing like this is really cool, really
like doing this and like being close to sports.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
I think I'm good at it.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
And then also there came this little like purpose thing
on the side where I was getting a lot of
messages on Instagram and Facebook and whatever that was going
on I don't know, like ten twelve years ago, and
a lot of people were like texting like girls don't
do don't call games that'res.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
And I was like, cannot you know exactly what I know?
Speaker 1 (30:34):
You know what the head is, do that movehead.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Exactly, exactly exactly. So I was like, Okay, there's something
we need to change around here. And I like what
I'm doing. I think I'm good at it and it
gives me a purpose. So I was like, okay, all
in and my dad was kind enough to support me
(30:59):
to go to Miami and get like a broadcasting course
and stuff, and from there it was just kind of
like really struggling, you know, to find like what I
wanted to do where I could really do it. But
my dream was always to get to ESPN. So like
maybe six years after I started doing broadcasting for my college,
I got into ESPN and I was a presenter kind
(31:23):
of like a host but not really And then a
couple of years later ESPN was like, well I was
kind of pushing, like, hey, guys, I know more football
than this, like, please take advantage of what I can do.
And so ESPN Deportes called me after three years and
they were like, we want to hire you, but now we.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
Want you to do play by play.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
So before I was in ESPN Mexico, and then I
moved into ESPN Deportes, which is a little bit more
global and we call games for like all of Latin
America or now that I'm calling games for Latinos in
the US. So yeah, but like in my my storyline,
flag football always came along with broadcasting careers. So when
(32:05):
I moved to Mexico City because I was starting to
work at ESPN, that's when I hired a personal trainer
to get into the national team.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
So until this year.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
My flag football career and my broadcasting career have been together.
I'm kind of like trying to figure it out how
it looks now without one of them.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
I love that, and I love the way that in
your story you've you've pivoted so many times you were like,
oh this is this is never really working for me,
or like I'm gonna try this, but if I don't
like it, I don't know. Yeah, no, pay the bills
like I'm gonna pivot, I'm gonna try something new while
still maintaining your passions. I feel like that's something very
inspiring because sometimes people see success as like being the
(32:50):
best and like sustaining. You know that like one thing
or just like you're creating, having your passion be your
lifestyle is not sustainable for every single person in the world. However,
there always is an opportunity to take your passion with
you in your lifestyle wherever you go. So you're a
(33:11):
great inspiration when it comes to that.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
For sure. One of the main questions that we ask.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
All of our guests is when you think about your
life story that asta, what do you think was the
main factor that contributed to your success.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Oh my god, I think it's gonna I hope it
doesn't sound weird, but I would say, like authenticity not
weird enough you said, because of what you said, Like
gam you when when you're like trying to reach your
goal that you really love, there's so many people that
are going to tell you like no, or they're going
(33:49):
to tell you like yes, but not this way that way.
And I think it's really important what you just said.
You know, like you need to be able to pivot.
But also there are things that are non nego and
I think that's where my success kind of came from.
And my non negotiable was my authentic self. So if
I would go to a casting and they would say like, oh, yes.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
But can you dress a little bit more younger? You
know what? You know what that means? I would be
like no, because what does that mean.
Speaker 4 (34:18):
It means, Oh, it means like be sexier or show
a little bit more skin.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
By younger, you mean sluttier. That's weird y.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
Yes, that's a lot of problem, but just a few,
just a few issues with that person. A lot of
fishes with that, A lot of fishes with that.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Misogyny is dense in a lot of areas, right, So
that would be like my non negotiable, Like, no, this
is not who I am. And then I got my
I lost myself for a little bit, I must say,
but I was like, no, this is not who I am.
I'm not going to dumb myself down for you to
be able to hire me.
Speaker 5 (34:55):
Like, this isn't non negotiable.
Speaker 4 (34:57):
I am here to break a standard of what women
can't and can't do. And if I want to break
that standard, this is who I need to be and
this is what I represent.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
So I think part of that is a success.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Like you need to make sure that when you're pivoting
into this idea of how you can adapt your passion
to your career and make a living out of it,
there are things that you will not change because then
you will be like everybody else. And that's not where
success comes from my point of view. It comes from
adding something different, proposing something that's not seen being you,
(35:35):
and the world needs a little bit more of that.
So it's not this one thing like or this one
moment in my storyline. I think it's that consistency of
me saying this is who I am, this is what
I represent, and if I'm not getting the job because
this is who I am, then that's okay, this is
not where I'm supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
I love that, Erica, like honestly, and big props to
also realizing that, because when you're in it, you're in
it and you get so like just involved and devolved
by those those societal pressures right and also getting your
job and expectations and keeping people happy and your executives
happy and bosses happy, but like like mad respect for
(36:16):
you to realize that and be true to you, but
also like setting that that type of inspiration for other
girls and women to see that you don't need to
go by societal quote unquote what they call standards, because
that's not the standards, that's what has been set by
you know, white men previous to that. Right, So like,
(36:36):
massive props to you for honestly like standing up for
yourself and being you. And we're back, y'all. And first
and foremost, we got to talk about the growth of
women's sports. It's absolutely exploding and it makes us so incredibly,
(37:01):
incredibly proud to live in this era, to live in
this moment, especially with so much appreciation to those pioneers
who have helped build this growth to this day in
age and the growth we've seen it, of course more
specifically in North America and Europe, but we've also seen
it grow past that, whether it's in South America, Central America, Africa, Asia,
(37:25):
et cetera. So I want to ask you RecA, of course,
with you know your experience in flag football, but also
you've mentioned that you go to women's soccer games in Mexico,
which has been a huge success. What have your thoughts
been on the growth of women's sports, specifically in your
region in Mexico.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
It's been so beautiful. I think we still have a
long way to go, definitely. I also watch a lot
of softball. So one of my friends she plays in
the softball professional league. She's in the finals right now,
so I went like a week ago to the stadium
to see her and support the team, and I was
just so overwhelmed with the stadium, the site that they
(38:08):
opened for the women's leek to be packed and for
the fans to be like super invested in the woman
and knowing that they are getting paid, not as much
as we would like them to get paid, but also
that they are getting paid, that they are getting like
equal treatment, that they are being held like in hotels
the same way the men would be held in hotels,
(38:31):
That they are getting the same sponsors, that they are
on ESPN, like all those things. A couple of years ago,
like maybe five seven years ago, you would say that
to me and I was like, there is no way,
like hopefully, but it was even hard to imagine, just
because there was so much like maybe resistance or we
couldn't see the future evolving as it has right now.
(38:53):
So yeah, I was talking to my husband yesterday like, hey, like,
do are you even realizing, Like this is only the
second season of La Liga Mexicana and softball and we're
already seeing them like on Sports Center in ESPN, with
the full stadium, with like SABA and sponsors everywhere, people
(39:14):
getting involved, you know, parents flying out, people flying out
to see them, fan bases that are going crazy that
they are buying their jerseys and like their collection cards.
Speaker 5 (39:24):
All of this has just been amazing to me. If
I think about it too much, I cry all and
then you are also the cancer. That's the cancer. Yes, yes,
I'd love to see.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
ESPN getting more involved into women's sports, and I've been
part of some of the projects that they have, like
presented to sponsors like hey, we have so many of
these leagues are women leagues, and we need you to
get involved. We need to push this forward. There are
so many people that are getting involved. I just can
think of so many stories. Like a week ago or
(40:00):
two weeks ago, I did an interview from a documentary
that ESPN is launching or launched this week. Las a
Masona is a Yeah Shuna and it's this woman from
a community in Yukatan that used baseball and softball to
transform their culture and fight misogyny. And that's something that's
(40:21):
out there on TV and everybody can go and watch
it and get inspired.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
So yeah, I'm super happy where we are at now.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
And also all the interests that I'm seeing from like
private companies, you know, private money, let's call it, to
support and get involved.
Speaker 5 (40:40):
I feel super blessed to be able to see.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
It, and I feel super blessed that if I ever
have a girl and a kid that wants to do sports,
they have this huge world of opportunities that I never
got to have. And I say it in the most
proudful way, like I'm so proud to see the change
and so proud to be able to be thankful and
(41:02):
have that contrast of the change, you know where I'm
gonna be like, hey, you must really be grateful for this, Like.
Speaker 5 (41:08):
This is not something that used to happen before.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
We can't take it for granted, and we really need
to keep on moving this forward and using those platforms
and creating even more platforms because I'm just amazed about
women that do sports, like I honestly see us and
I'm like we are like superwoman, like how on our
period pregnant?
Speaker 3 (41:30):
Literally literally there's so much there's something.
Speaker 5 (41:34):
Family together, like don't I don't know, but we.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
Do it all that while still like going above and beyond,
because not only are you playing sport and not only
are you like doing all the things that you know
male athletes are doing, but also like there's a like
a requirement to push the culture and to push for
change that that you know a lot of athletes, female
(41:58):
athletes are doing. So not only are you, you know,
just an athlete that's like focused on your family, that's
focused on your sport, but you're also focused on fighting
to get paid not only for yourself but for future
women to come your cultural icons and agents for change.
One of the things that you mentioned too that interests
me a lot is like about having a girl and
having a One of the things that we were talking
(42:19):
about with medi too is that girls that are that
do sport or that are athletes are most likely to
be like C suite executives or become these like.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Leaders in the future.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Yeah, have you seen a lot of programs to help
support girls getting into sport and do you have any
recommendations potentially for somebody who's listening to this that may
not have like the feel like they have the most
resources to get their girls involved in sport, but want to.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
Yeah, I've seen it a little bit more, I need
to be honest, Not really, I think like people are
getting involved where there's a lot of like already people
seeing that, like professional sports or like the sports that
are already on TV.
Speaker 5 (43:02):
But there have been a few companies that I've talked.
Speaker 4 (43:05):
To that are like, Okay, we want to reach girls
because that's really where we need to start investing, not
when they're already made, right, Like we need to allow
them to get into this area.
Speaker 5 (43:16):
First for them to start dreaming.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
So yeah, not as much as I would like to,
but it's starting to get there. And then also in
regards to people that you know, first of all, I
would say, like let them choose whatever they want back
because sometimes it happens like oh, she's doing gymnastics, but
she's not going to be good enough, so we should
(43:40):
think about something else, like bro just let her be
Like a lot of the girls when they get to
high school, they're going to drop off sports if you
don't like just let them do something they enjoy because
there's so many other things that we have to worry about,
like our body and people shaming us or calling us
mari matchas because we're into sports. Like, it's so easy
(44:00):
to drop out of sports, So don't make it harder
for them.
Speaker 5 (44:03):
Just let them do what they want. That that would
be like my first thing.
Speaker 4 (44:10):
That people that want to involve more women, make sure
you're communicating that. Like, if there's a flyer that you're
putting out there, make sure there's a woman in that flyer.
If in Mexico we even have issues, like of course
we have like amazing facilities, but there are also facilities
where like you don't want to go to that field
because there's not a decent place for you to change
(44:32):
or where you feel safe to be around. Right, Like,
even those little basic things are what makes women kind
of drop out of sports. So make sure that the
area that you have, what you're communicating is inviting women.
Make sure that if there's like a staff of ten coaches,
make sure that two minimum are women, that they have
(44:53):
someone to talk to that they don't feel like they're.
Speaker 5 (44:55):
There on their own. Yeah, and parents just let their
girls be I don't know in Mexico. I think we.
Speaker 4 (45:03):
Don't put so much pressure on people in sports or
kids in sports as maybe in the US, but even
for people in the US that are listening to us, Like,
if you put too much pressure on your kids, at
some point, they're gonna end up not enjoying it, kind
of like what happens to professional athletes at times. And
that's not the time to put pressure on them. They're
supposed to be learning about all of these values that
(45:24):
are gonna give them those physitions that might change the
world where they're making decisions that affect others in a positive.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Yeah, totally, all right, Coami, what are we going for
right now? I'm it's time.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
If you have not heard of our my Famosa segment,
it's just essentially where I hook you up. I give
you an assist on the music side, and then Meli's
gonna hook you up on the sports side, the women's
sports side, the football side, and now we have RecA
so she might hook you up too.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
I'm gonna go.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
I'm gonna go first the way a Famosa. We're talking
to Rebecca from Mexico.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
I off the top of.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
My head this year, I went to Cali Bash and
I had the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (46:05):
To see sav live.
Speaker 3 (46:08):
You might know him from La Diabo, La La Wiktima
like those are his most popular songs. He's a twenty
year old from Mexico and the energy that he has
on stage is absolutely iconic. So if you're looking for
a new artist, a rising artist, make sure.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
That you check him out.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
What about you, Mediaamfamosa?
Speaker 1 (46:24):
All right, y'all.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
So a lot of this conversation was, of course, geared
around the growth of women's sports, and I got to
share with you all that this latest article that came.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
Out check this.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
Advertisers spent two hundred and forty four million dollars on
women's sports in twenty twenty four, making an one hundred
and thirty nine percent year over year increase, meaning like
this ad yes, Sleigh, the ad dollar boom aligns with
a spike in women's sports viewership. Of course, we've seen
a huge growth in watching all women's sports basketball, soccer, volleyball,
(46:57):
flag football, like the list goes on. But for example,
and more specifically, over two million viewers tuned into Game
five of the w NBA Champion Chip Series, which made
it the most few w NBA game in twenty five years,
y'all so amazing growth in women's in women's sports, like
the stats have shown it improve it for for itself.
(47:17):
Twenty twenty two, six hundred and ninety two million dollars
was the total revenue. Fast forward to just three years later,
twenty twenty five, it's expected to reach two point three
five billion dollars in total revenue. So check out that growth.
That's what we're here for. That's what we women are
here for.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
So we're here for now.
Speaker 5 (47:38):
My turn.
Speaker 1 (47:40):
No pressure, reck, no pressure, no, no, no, okay wait
wait wait wait.
Speaker 3 (47:43):
The first off is like, at some point you have
to listen to like some music. Do you have, like
what's your favorite workout song if you had to pick one,
or like your walkout song that makes you feel the
most powerful, like La Mara.
Speaker 4 (47:57):
Yeah, she's like, man, this podcast.
Speaker 5 (48:01):
No, I'm so mad with the names. Give me a
second because this is an Argentinian. Uh, it's not give
me a second dance script.
Speaker 3 (48:16):
I love I can wrap it up.
Speaker 4 (48:26):
I love Rhino, but I get I get like really
excited about listening to him anytime.
Speaker 5 (48:32):
So anything.
Speaker 4 (48:34):
There's this thing that I posted on Instagram where I
was like I'm rapping to the song before I call
a game.
Speaker 5 (48:39):
On Monday night football, Like this is my vocal work. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
Right so yeah, not even for not only for workouts,
but I also use and dance script for like getting
hyped up before Monday night football game.
Speaker 1 (48:55):
Love Love Love.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
That's your watch your walk out song. All right, guys,
thank you, Thank you all so much. Rebecca, thank you
so much for your time today. Honestly, this has been
such a fantastic society rag set.
Speaker 1 (49:09):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
For your time and for everybody listening to check out Reka. Recca,
shout out your Instagram handle.
Speaker 5 (49:16):
Yeah so it's La Reveka Land with just one see.
Speaker 4 (49:19):
In Mexico we spell our Reveka's with just one sea everywhere.
Speaker 5 (49:24):
Thank you guys so much.
Speaker 4 (49:25):
It was so much fun getting to know you, and
now you can count on me listening to you every
time I go running. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Of course, we love to see I.
Speaker 3 (49:32):
Thank you so much everybody for joining us. And this
is a is an iHeart women's sports production and partnership
with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
For more podcasts, listen to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,
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