The world of sports coverage is a profession fit for men, right? Not according to San Diego State alumna Jess Ceresino. Ceresino, a 2011 graduate with an MBA in sports management, created the very successful female sports blog “The Sports Brat.” However, with the unconventionality of Ceresino’s career choice, the journey to her recent success was not an easy endeavor.
It was not until Ceresino was in business school at SDSU that she first thought about idea creating a blog. Through her experiences as a sports enthusiast, she noticed various sports broadcasts and companies were primarily focused for the male audience.
“While working for ESPN, I felt like everything was geared for men,” Ceresino said.
Whether it is with the web design of certain sites, types of merchandise offered or commentary programs available, Ceresino felt like the masculine sports world needed to cater to its large number of female followers. The sports industry has a wide fan base of both sexes, so the need for equality is necessary.
“I’ve found that in today’s society, the sports for women are ‘dumbed down,’ and that’s unacceptable. Women shouldn’t be an anomaly,” Ceresino said.
The number of female sports connoisseurs is increasing. This past January, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” was ranked number three in television ratings for women ages 18-49. Nonetheless, it was the need for a gender shift that pushed Ceresino to thus create “The Sports Brat.”
The Sports Brat is a girl’s guide to game-day; it’s an online news source designed for females to get in the game. This blog features everything from rules to the game, tailgate treats, game-day fashion and recent sports news. The Sports Brat is an ideal blog for women completely new to sports, as well as those who are more experienced. Ceresino was able create an all-girl fantasy football league this year. Many of the members were completely new to the world of football in general.
However, Ceresino says that many of the women ended up becoming very competitive and grew a new love for football.
Even with the chaos and success of her blog, Ceresino does her part giving back to the collegiate ambassador program. The purpose of this program is to provide a glimpse into the different game-day traditions at various college campuses through a student perspective. These ambassadors, who are typically undergraduates, are given valuable advice by Ceresino who acts as a mentor.
Ceresino is an ideal example of an individual that created her own career and made her major her own, with hard work and dedication. She took advantage of her time at SDSU to hone her skills and pave her career path.
“I’m grateful for the variety of challenging, hands-on classes and the supportive environment at SDSU that allowed for my creativity to flourish,” Ceresino said.
For women that want to pursue a sports-related career, Ceresino shared some compelling advice. Being confident in one’s work and staying true to one’s self is essential. To succeed in the world of sports, it’s also imperative that networking starts early.
“I’ve learned that you can’t assume people know that you want, so you should never be afraid to ask for help,” Ceresino said.
Blogging may not be a conventional career choice, but Ceresino finally got to the point in her career that she was striving for. The Sports Brat is more than just a revolutionary sports blog, it’s a symbol of triumph that can be achieved with perseverance.
“To be successful, you have to have a vision and integrity. Don’t be afraid to be a dreamer, and dream big,” Ceresino said.
