Latinas Shaping the Future of Sports
By Josue Angel Becerra
From the roar of an NBA playoff crowd in San Antonio to the controlled chaos of an ESPN control room in New York, Latinas are helping shape how fans experience sports on the court, behind the scenes, and in the stories that bring the games to life.
For Veronica Oviedo, Director of Marketing at Spurs Sports & Entertainment, success is measured by the moments that unite a city, transforming childhood memories of Spurs playoff runs into unforgettable fan experiences for the next generation. For Jalyss Agosto, a Production Assistant at ESPN, it’s about capturing history as it unfolds while ensuring more voices and perspectives are represented in sports media.
Though their careers have taken different paths, both women share an unwavering work ethic, pride in their Latino heritage, and a commitment to holding the door open for those coming behind them. Their stories are a testament to the growing impact of Latinas across the sports industry, not only as leaders and storytellers, but as changemakers determined to make opportunity the norm rather than the exception.
Today, Oviedo and Agosto reflect on the journeys that brought them to some of the biggest stages in sports, the mentors who believed in them, and why creating opportunities for the next generation may be their most important legacy.
Veronica Oviedo, Director of Marketing Spurs Sports & Entertainment
Deep in the heart of San Antonio, TX, a sports team at the center of a city ripe with history and prestige is finishing out an improbable season. This year, the San Antonio Spurs, in their first playoff appearance in eight years, reached the NBA Finals, bringing renewed excitement to the city with the hope and spirit that once flooded the River Walk through the 2000s and 2010s. As with basketball, it takes a whole team to make the experience for the fans something special. This is where Veronica Oviedo, Director of Marketing, Spurs Sports & Entertainment, is the point guard.
“We work with every single department to reach organizational goals,” she says. “Whether it’s analytics, group sales, venue operations, or planning watch parties, marketing is uniquely positioned to bring everyone together.”
San Antonio native, Oviedo recalls playoff runs as a child, the excitement, the energy, and uses those fond memories to craft experiences for a new generation of Spurs fans.
“I have memories of my dad taking me to the airport to welcome the team back,” she shares. “Being on the flip side of that, on the business side, and planning those experiences for our fans, whether it was watch parties, pep rallies, or getting to decide how we were going to engage our fans, it was really fun. It is almost like taking the fandom I had as a little girl and turning it into creating and planning for those experiences for this generation of fans, which is a lot of fun.”
As a Highlands High School alum, Oviedo got a “front row” experience to the golden generation of Spurs basketball, living just seven minutes down the road from where the Spurs played. Sports were always present in her life; Pop Warner football, softball, cheer, and a referee dad meant that competitive spirit and a respect for rules were always present.
That love of sports led Oviedo to pursue a business degree, during which she landed an internship with the Spurs despite warnings from a sports management professor that the
industry would be “a grind.” After a stint with the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado, Oviedo returned to San Antonio determined to build a career in sports.
“I knew I wanted to work in sports,” she shares. “I loved marketing and decided to major in marketing and finance as well.”
Oviedo returned to San Antonio, waiting for her opportunity in sports and getting by assisting her mother in her non-profit work. When a full-time job event coordinating for the City of San Antonio opened up, the connections made from her internships opened the door for her, eventually leading to a marketing coordinator job at the Spurs. Landing her dream job was just the start for Oviedo.
From helping redesign the former San Antonio Rampage hockey franchise to better reflect the city’s identity, to helping deliver the NBA attendance record at the 50th anniversary of the Alamodome, and in her first playoff run with the Spurs, crafting a new fan experience, Oviedo has stayed busy. Despite reaching the pinnacle of her aspirations, Oviedo remembers her humble beginnings and all the hard work that had to be done just to get a foot in the door. Both parents worked for everything they had; fundraisers were in place to pay for Pop Warner, and any scholarship was earned from good grades and hard work. Work ethic was paramount in getting Oviedo where she wanted to go.
“I feel like we were raised to know what work ethic was,” she shares. “We were never handed anything. We had to work for everything, and that’s what our parents taught us growing up. I was able to go to college and use the work ethic my parents taught us growing up as Latinos to get to where I am today.”
This ethic was instilled from observation: a father who worked a multitude of jobs and refereed on the side and a mother who worked for a non-profit while building a home. Oviedo’s family wasn’t “rich in money but rich in love,” and they raised their kids to never feel like they were missing out on the experiences of other kids. It was this ethic that propelled Oviedo to the director of marketing position, a role that was less common for women in professional sports 15 years ago.
Yet Oviedo emphasizes that there are many women in leadership roles because of the women who came before them and “held open the door” for the next generation to walk on through. She says she wants to do the same thing, knowing how hard it is for people like her who don’t come from connected families and are just looking for an opportunity. So much so that she hopes that one day the accomplishments of women in sports are seen as “the norm”. She lends a word of advice to the women and Latinas that hope to make it in the sports realm.
“Build your network,” she shares. “Believe that you can do it, because you can. The only person who’s going to hold you back is you. Believe in yourself, and you could technically do anything you want.”
Lights, Camera, Determination
Jalyss Agosto, Production Assistant, ESPN
The Big Apple is having a summer to remember. The World Cup prepares to host a plethora of games and the Final. Speaking of Finals, the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years, and the city couldn’t be more ecstatic to celebrate with their fellow New Yorkers; even the Mayor is at the watch parties. Jalyss Agosto, Production Assistant, ESPN, explains being at the Game 5 watch party in Harlem as feeling like “Madison Square Garden” and “surreal”.
“It was cool to be part of that moment and witness history, “ Agosto shares. “Especially for the people who can’t afford those million-dollar tickets. Those are the real fans that are out at those watch parties.”
A Bronx native, Agosto is a first-generation Latina who later moved to Pennsylvania, where she was raised. A sporty kid growing up, Agosto shares that soccer was her sport, and in the spirit of having a striker’s mindset, she was set on going forward. A graduate of West Chester University with a bachelor’s degree in Media and Culture, Agosto initially enrolled with aspirations to become an FBI agent until her passion for “long-form storytelling” led her to pivot. After a bachelor’s at West Chester, she attained a master’s in Broadcasting and Digital Journalism at Syracuse University, setting her eyes on a career in sports media.
Agosto’s first break was at NFL Films, logging film for Hard Knocks, a popular behind-the-scenes look at the grueling NFL season for a team. During her time there, she mentioned Courtland Bragg as a mentor and someone who gave her opportunities to conduct and direct interviews. She describes the experience as “ amazing” and shares that it made her fall in love with long-form storytelling. She aspires to do more long-form film projects in the future using her experience at NFL Films.
Her hard work and determination were noticed through ESPN Next, a “catalyst” program for those with dreams of working in sports media. Agosto was assigned to work on the early day shift for SportsCenter, cutting clips and helping develop stories around the day’s sports news. During the interview, Agosto was in the midst of covering a major trade in the NBA, and that was what her workday revolved around.
“Seeing the finished product of the show in general is probably my favorite,” she shares. “Seeing what our team puts together, because it is definitely a team effort. That is extremely important. Being able to see everyone working toward the same goal, making sure we’re having a good show, making sure that everything is polished and good to go.”
Similar to other individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, Agosto is aware of her position in the sports industry, not just as a Latina. Still, despite lacking power in numbers, Agosto describes her ethnicity as her “superpower.”
“I think in anything that I do, being a Latina, I carry that with pride, and I carry that into any room,” she shares. “That’s part of who I am, and I always pride myself on being where I’m at because I’m true to myself. My mentors really adored that I was able to show up in every room and just be me and be vocal. Even though I am only 25 years old and still early in my career, being vocal, especially about who I am as a Latina, played a big role in that.”
She speaks of navigating in rooms and advocating for her community, drawing on the women in her life who “don’t take no for an answer; we figure another way”. Her “strong personality” was embraced by her higher-ups and has played “a big role” for her.
While she hasn’t had many opportunities to produce stories on Latinos because they seldom come up, Agosto hopes that there will be stories to highlight the community.
As for how she plans to maneuver going forward in her career, she knows that there is “so much room and chairs at the table for us,” she exclaims. Her goal is not only to continue advancing her own career, but also to ensure those opportunities remain accessible for the next generation of Latinas entering sports media.
Her advice for those looking to get into the sports media field: “Wear it - your Latino pride - as a badge,” she shares. “If you can’t show up 100 percent as yourself in a room, just know that you don’t belong in that room.”
For Agosto, sports have always been about more than the games themselves.
“Sports just gives us a space,” she shares. “It allows us to reach back to give opportunities for others who are seeking it, or being able to give back opportunities or wisdom and knowledge. Sports opens up those doors and creates those opportunities.”
Agosto hopes her journey will impact others the way her predecessors impacted her.
“I’m in the room because there was someone before me that was able to make that happen,” she shares. “It’s about keeping that cycle going. When people reach out. I make sure I respond because I remember cold-calling people who answered me, and now they are my mentors and friends. All of those moments were extremely important. There is a part of everyone’s job that you have to reach back and create opportunities for people that want it and are deserving of it, right? Because we’re not doing this for no reason. The bigger reason is the impact that you’re making, who’s watching you, who you are, and who you are representing. The accolades and all of that is cool, but there’s a greater purpose to why we are in these rooms, and it’s to make sure that you’re keeping the door open or opening it for other women.”
Jalyss at the NFL Eagles Game.
Her hard work and determination were noticed through ESPN Next, a “catalyst” program for those with dreams of working in sports media. Agosto was assigned to work on the early day shift for SportsCenter, cutting clips and helping develop stories around the day’s sports news. During the interview, Agosto was in the midst of covering a major trade in the NBA, and that was what her workday revolved around.
“Honestly, seeing the finished product of the show in general is probably my favorite,” she shares. “Seeing what our team puts together because it is definitely a team effort. That is extremely important. Being able to see everyone working toward the same goal, making sure we’re having a good show, making sure that everything is polished and good to go.”
Similar to other individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, Agosto is aware of her position in the sports industry, not just as a Latina. Still, despite lacking power in numbers, Agosto describes her ethnicity as her “superpower.”
“I think in anything I do, being a Latina, I carry that with pride, and I carry that into any room,” she shares. “That’s just part of who I am, and I always pride myself on being where I’m at because I’m true to myself. My mentors really adored that I was able to show up in every room and just be me and be vocal. With me being 25 years old, still early in my career, speaking up and being vocal, especially about who I am as a Latina, played a big role in that.”
She speaks of navigating in rooms and advocating for her community, drawing on the women in her life who “don’t take no for an answer; we figure another way”. Her “strong personality” was embraced by her higher-ups and has played “a big role” for her.
While she hasn’t had many opportunities to produce stories on Latinos because they seldom come up, Agosto hopes that there will be stories to highlight the community.
As for how she plans to maneuver going forward in her career, she knows that there is “so much room and chairs at the table for us,” she exclaimed. Her goal is not only to continue advancing her own career, but also to ensure those opportunities remain accessible for the next generation of Latinas entering sports media.
Her advice for those looking to get into the sports media field: “Wear it (Latino pride) as a badge,” she shares. “If you can’t show up 100 percent yourself in a room, just know that you don’t belong in that room.”
For Agosto, sports have always been about more than the games themselves.
“I definitely think sports just gives us a space,” she shares. “Reaching back to give opportunities to other people that are seeking it, or being able to give back opportunities or wisdom and knowledge, and I think that sports opens up those doors and opportunities.”
Agosto hopes her journey will impact others the way her predecessors impacted her.
“I’m in the room because there was someone before me that was able to make that happen,” she shares. “I think just being able to make that cycle keep going. When people reach out. I make sure I respond because I remember cold-calling people who answered me, and now they are my mentors and friends. They gave me opportunities in the room; all of those moments were extremely important. I do feel there is a part of everyone’s job that you have to reach back and be able to give the opportunities to other people that want it and are deserving of it, right? Because we’re not doing this for no reason, I think the bigger thing is the impact that you’re making, who’s watching you, who are you, who are you representing. The accolades and all of that is cool, but there’s a bigger purpose to why we are in these rooms, and it’s to make sure that you’re keeping the door cracked open or opening it for other women.”