I never expected sideline reporting to make me a better mom. But the longer I’ve been doing both, the more I realize the skills I’ve built as an ESPN commentator follow me straight home to Reese and Jack.
The sidelines are a pressure cooker. You’re reading body language, deciding on the one question to ask in a split second, and staying calm when everything around you is anything but. Motherhood requires all of that and then some. Every working mom has her own version of the sideline. If you’ve ever wondered how work makes you a better mom, here are 4 lessons I’ve learned to apply at work and at home.
1. Read the situation quickly.
As a sideline reporter, I have seconds—not minutes—to assess what just happened on the field. Is the coach furious about the play call or proud of his team’s execution despite the bad result? Is the quarterback rattled or already locked in on the next drive? Reading the room is everything. Getting that wrong means a terrible interview. Getting it right means you actually get the story.
Reese and Jack have given me a lot of chances to practice. I’m guessing your kids have given you plenty too. When Reese is blowing bubbles and Jack keeps popping every single one with a stick, I’ve learned to do a quick read before I say a word: Is he doing it to be funny. or is he actually trying to make his big sis mad? Is she about to lose it, or does she think it’s a little bit funny? Sometimes I read the situation wrong and have to pivot fast, but live TV has taught me how to shake it off and move on.
2. Ask the right question.
I don’t have much time with a coach or player on the sideline. There’s no warm-up, no small talk, no easing into it. I’ve spent years learning to cut straight to what they actually want to talk about, whether that’s the momentum shift, the emotion of the moment, or what needs to be adjusted for the next half. That skill came from repetition and a lot of mistakes.
I literally ask questions for a living. But motherhood has taught me that one good one beats twenty every time. At bedtime, my little spitfire usually gets going on her own. Those nights, I just try to keep up with all of her stories. On other nights, it takes the right question, like “What was the hardest part of your day?” or “What made you laugh today?” to hear about the parts of her day that mattered most.
3. Stay focused despite the chaos around you.
I’ve reported from stadiums with over 100,000 fans screaming, players running within inches of me, and extreme weather conditions. And I still have to deliver a clear, calm sideline interview. Over the years, I’ve learned to build a little bubble of focus in the middle of all of it. I can’t turn down the noise, but I can choose to turn my focus to who is right in front of me.
There are days when I walk through my front door, and it’s like the whole world needs something from me at once. Jack. Reese. Dinner. The dog. Josh. Packed stadiums have nothing on a Tuesday night at the Rutledge house. You don’t have to work on the sidelines to know that feeling. These are the moments when I really realize how work makes you a better mom. I remind myself to find the same calm bubble I built on the sideline. When I stay calm, my calm becomes their calm. I don’t always pull it off, but I’ve seen it work enough to keep trying.
4. Build trust by consistently showing up.
I admired Paul Finebaum from afar long before I ever got to work with him. What struck me wasn’t just how good he was but how consistently he showed up, week after week, with the same preparation and the same integrity. When I finally got to SEC Nation, I understood it even more. In this business, coaches and players open up because you’ve shown up the same way a hundred times before.
I used to dream of a back row full of kids. But as a working mom, I can’t always be there the way I want to be. I do drop off, but not pickup. I miss things. We all do. But Reese and Jack know what they can count on: our bedtime routine, the breakfast I make before I leave, and the FaceTime calls when I’m on the road. And I always make sure Reese knows how proud I am of her. I do the same with Jack, even if right now his version is more belly raspberries than heart-to-hearts. The showing up is the trust.
Have you ever noticed how work makes you a better mom? What’s the skill that surprised you most?
