When I was young, I told him I wanted to be a sports broadcaster, and he said, “Erin, everybody wants to do that; it’s hard and there’s a lot of work involved.”
I was born in New England, the older of two girls. My dad was a huge sports fan-his teams were the Red Sox, the Celtics, the Green Bay Packers-but we never really played sports together, we only watched them. (I was on a competitive dance team.)
When I was young, I told him I wanted to be a sports broadcaster, and he said, “Erin, everybody wants to do that; it’s hard and there’s a lot of work involved.”
Fast-forward 30 years, and it’s even more special that I have the job that I do because my dad is very invested.
He works as an investigative reporter for an NBC affiliate in Tampa, but I always say, “Dad, just retire and come work with me.”
We text constantly about my job. He never misses a game that I cover, and before I do a sit-down interview for the Fox pregame show, I go over my questions with him. I should put him on my payroll because he’s like a real producer for me.
I worked the World Series in 2013, the last year the Red Sox won. That morning, we went out to breakfast in Boston. I knew I was going to interview the team if they won, so we sat at a table and wrote out my questions on the paper tablecloth with a crayon. I brought that paper to the game with me. I got to hand the trophy over to the Red Sox, and my dad was there, which was awesome.
I have guy friends who ask, “How did your dad get you into sports?” I say, “He didn’t do anything different. He just shared his passion and encouraged me every step of the way.”
This article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue of Women's Health. For more great advice, pick up a copy on newsstands now!