We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Megan Chopra. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Megan below.

Megan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My name is Megan Chopra, and I am a senior at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. I have always loved playing and watching sports including basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball and softball, and football. I played on many teams throughout lower and middle school. As girls, athletics was seen as more of an opportunity to just have fun, and less attention was given to our skill development and performance. But to me, sports always meant something more – it built community and taught me resilience, discipline, and confidence.

I was always particularly passionate about American football due to my family’s influence. Since age three, I loved the game, and I grew up watching the National Football League and playing flag football in my backyard. However, more often than not, my male peers did not comprehend my relationship with football, and they questioned and sought to disprove my devotion and understanding of the game.

Going into high school, I was concerned about playing tackle football, but I still wished to be a part of my high school’s football team. I joined as a manager and strategic analyst. It was an amazing experience for me to see football from the coaching side of the ball and it inspired me to hopefully pursue sports management in the future. However, it was also a very new experience for me to be in a community that was so male dominated. I often felt lonely and scared to voice my full opinions.

Recognizing I was not alone in my experience and feelings, I wanted to reach out to female role models who had success in the sports world and encourage young women like myself not to give up. My mission was to share the stories and advice of influential women in sports with the younger generation of girls to inspire them to pursue their passions and create a space for themselves in an industry that was not originally created for them. Additionally, I hope to shed light on the journeys and accomplishments of these women, who often go unrecognized for their work.

While I originally set out to write the book for young women like myself who are interested in sports, after conducting these interviews and publishing the book, I believe anyone, regardless of their identity or career, can enjoy and learn from the book. Not only do you get to learn about the journeys of these incredible women and about the variety of new positions within sports, but the interviewees advice carries to all aspects of life and offers motivation to everyone.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

As a high school student, I took on the ambitious task of writing a book and becoming an author. Inspired to reach a community of girls interested in sports, I wrote Redefining the Field: The Triumphs and Tribulation of Women in Sports – a recently published book that consists of 30 interviews with women leaders in sports from all sectors including sports management, coaching, business, tech, social justice, analytics, journalism, and more. The goal of the book is to inspire young girls to pursue their dreams within sports, showcase the variety of job opportunities in the sports industry, and to share the stories and journeys of incredible yet often unrecognized women in sports.

I interviewed women leaders in sports from all different sports, including football, basketball, tennis, soccer, and hockey; and from all different levels including the high school and local level, to college, to major leagues and the national level. I interviewed Jeanie Buss, Owner and President of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, Amy Howe, CEO of Fanduel, Tamika Tremaglio, Former Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association, Allison Loucks, Director of Business Development & Innovation at ESPN, and many more.

In each interview I asked about 10 questions, and we got to learn about each interviewee’s journey to their current position, what they do in their role, how their interest in sports first came about, and what being in the sports industry has been like, both the good and bad. Moreover, at the end of each interview, I asked “what message do you hope your story tells young girls” and I compiled a snippet from each answer into an advice page at the end of the book.

I hope readers take away that there is a space for them to pursue whatever it is they are interested in, and that as our society grows with new technology and innovations, there will be so many novel and unique opportunities in the future, so dream big and be open to new possibilities. I also hope people learn to embrace their differences as well as challenging situations. Oftentimes, adversity can be a blessing and learning experience.

Redefining the Field is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8R9PDR3/. All proceeds are donated to the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The goal and mission driving my effort to create Redefining the Field was for young women to understand there is a space for them within sports and that it might not always be easy, but it is worth it to follow your passions. I also want girls to know that there are role models for them to lean on and learn from, within sports and otherwise, and I hope they can work hard and be role models for girls in future generations. Another goal was to bring light to women in sports. As women’s sports is becoming more discussed in popular media, I want to add to the fuel by showcasing the incredible journeys of women that often go unnoticed. This means covering everyone including women in sports business, social media, analytics, etc.

My goal is for the book is to eventually create a community for women and girls in sports. Younger generations of girls will have accomplished and successful women to look to and seek advice and opportunities from. Overall, I hope the book allows sports to be a space for women that is safe and they can thrive in.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of publishing Redefining the Field is knowing the long-term impact the book can have on people and society, and the positive response I have received.

I take pride in knowing that the book will help encourage more girls to join the sports industry as a player, coach, journalist, analyst, reporter, etc. As more girls enter the sports world confidently and the more we bring light to under-noticed women in sports, the next generation of girls will have endless role models and they will see sports as an industry with immense possibility which represents equal representation, opportunities, and appreciation for women.

The rising popularity of women’s sports signals a positive future and new opportunities for women to excel at a higher level within sports. I hope the book can add to this recent appreciation, and there will be an increased investment in women’s sports, especially those that are extremely underfunded, such as football. Additionally, I hope the book will lead to an increase in female executives at higher levels within sports leagues and companies.

All women featured in the book are an inspiration to myself and they empower me to achieve my dream of becoming the general manager for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. I hope other readers feel similarly, and are inspired to pursue their dreams in sports or otherwise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amazon.com/Redefining-Field-Triumphs-Tribulations-Sports/dp/B0D8R9PDR3/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganchopra
• Other: email: [email protected]

Image Credits

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