The Rise of the Sports Influencer: A new age of Sports Media
- Lauren Croth
- 3 hours ago
- 11 min read
Over the past five years, the sports media landscape has undergone drastic developments—one of the most notable shifts being the rise of the sports influencer.
The phenomenon of the “influencer” has dominated in recent years, as social media continues to infiltrate nearly every aspect of modern life. Therefore, it was inevitable that this trend would reach the world of sports.
At face value, a sports influencer might seem like someone with a big following who posts sports, fitness, and lifestyle content, but in reality, they are far more complex. The distinction between a sports journalist and a sports influencer remains blurred, with definitions, regulations and labels still being debated today. Sports influencers come in many forms, such as professional athletes, coaches, fitness experts, social media managers and even sports executives. What connects them is a shared passion for storytelling, using their platforms to share personal experiences, inspiring others and uplifting the sports community. Thanks to their authenticity and reach, they’ve become a crucial element of modern sports marketing.
One rapidly growing section of the influencing space is female sports influencers. These creators are paving the way in a historically male-dominated industry, championing women’s sports while sharing the realities of working within it. They are active across various social platforms, but TikTok and Instagram have become their home courts, where they’ve shaped what is now known as the “Women in Sports” movement. To set the scene of how dominant their movement has become, the hashtag #WomenInSports has over 1.3 million posts on TikTok and over 711k on Instagram. Using these platforms, they leverage the intimacy and frequency of unfiltered videos to connect with audiences on a deeper level.
While still largely uncharted, sports influencing is redefining traditional sports storytelling and transforming how fans connect with both teams and the personalities behind the game. This feature highlights the stories and paths of influencers leading that change.
Delaney Galbraith
“I think sports can be serious and fun all at once,” said Delaney Galbraith, sports influencer and CEO and Founder of Sports Girls Club. “[Influencer content] it’s a lot less edited, it’s meant to be quick and a little bit messy.”
Galbraith developed her passion for sports at a very young age. Introduced to the world of athletics through her grandfather, a devoted Pittsburgh sports fan, she found happiness not only in the games but in sharing her interest with him.
“I got joy when he got joy out of me liking sports,” said Galbraith. “Then I just fell in love with the sports I was seeing.”
Football was her first love, but it was hockey that deepened her connection to sports even more.
Galbraith was always loud and proud of her fascination with sports, wearing her team's gear to school. Still, she couldn’t help but notice that something was missing.
“The only women I would see during these games were, you know, maybe the reporter every once in a while,” said Galbraith, recalling the lack of female representation.
It wasn’t until her high school sports marketing class that Galbraith realized there was a place for women in the industry beyond the sidelines. Her teacher, a strong female mentor of hers, helped her to see that sports could become her career, not just her pastime.
When it came time for Galbraith to apply to colleges, she decided to choose the University of Alabama for its spirited and lively sports culture. While studying advertising, she immersed herself in the athletic world, becoming Head of Staff and Marketing for Alabama’s hockey team.
In her senior year, she decided she wanted to take her ambitions even further. That realization led to the creation of Sports Girls Club—now a multimedia sports platform for women that first began as a podcast.
While building the Sports Girls Club brand, Galbraith gained industry experience with the Boston Bruins as a Foundation Assistant and later a Community Relations Coordinator with Worcester Railers Hockey Club. These roles gave her a firsthand look at how the sports industry operates, but also further exposed the major gap in content created for women.
Determined to fill that gap, Galbraith decided to take Sports Girls Club on full-time. Simultaneously, she began growing her personal brand, building a social media presence where she could be unapologetically herself. Galbraith could connect directly with other women in the industry through her platform and share her journey as a CEO and Founder.
“At the end of the day, it’s about real people and touching them, and being able to connect with them,” said Galbraith.
Through her funny, raw and authentic content, Galbraith has begun to form a growing online community. While her posts often lean into humour, she hopes their impact runs deeper.
“At the core of it all, when you see me posting a funny little TikTok, yes I’m doing it to get a laugh,” said Galbraith. “But I’m also doing it to open that door and fill this gap in the market where women can like sports.”
Jenna Stickel
Jenna Stickel, sports influencer and Head of Media at Sports Girls Club, believes the difference between sports journalists and sports influencers comes down to this idea: “A sports journalist shares stories, but sports influencers tell stories.”
Growing up an only child in New Jersey, N.Y., Stickel was destined to be a football fan. “Football was the only sport in our family,” Stickel recalls. “College football Saturdays, NFL Sundays were like the big thing.”
With her father hailing from the Pittsburgh area, she had no other choice but to support the Steelers. Supporting the team became a way for her to connect with her family as they shared their mutual love for the team.
As she got older, Stickel began to explore sports on her own, developing an interest in basketball. Though she admits she wasn't “overly athletic”, she dabbled in soccer and basketball as a kid.
It wasn’t until high school that she discovered her real passion for working behind the game. She began volunteering for her school’s teams, and it just felt right.
“That was my thing,” said Stickel.
This hands-on experience fueled her desire to pursue a career in sports business.
When it came time for college, Stickel applied to various schools in Pittsburgh, expecting to stay close to her sports roots. On a whim, she also applied to a few Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools, including Louisiana State University (LSU).
“It’s really hard to get in, I didn’t think I would get in, I just applied,” admitted Stickel.
It was her acceptance into LSU’s Sports Administration program that served as a turning point in her sports career. LSU is where Stickel flourished; she was able to branch out and be immersed in one of the biggest football schools in the country.
At the end of her junior year, she founded a Sports Girls Club chapter at LSU, a women in sports student group through Galbraith’s outlet that encouraged more women to get involved in sports. By forming this student group, she was able to get more involved with Sports Girls Club, taking on the role of Head of Media with the publication.
Working in the role, she began experimenting with social media and content creation. Stickel then realized that she wanted to build her own platform too.
“I was like, I really like to do this,” said Stickel. “I want to find the community.”
In July of 2024, she started sharing her journey on TikTok, posting about her experiences as a woman in sports. Through her role with Allied Universal Event Services, she documented her work behind major events, including LSU football games, NCAA March Madness, and the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans.
Stickel watched her content start to grow, but that wasn’t the only thing. Her platform was garnering a community, helping her connect with other women in the industry.
She voices that in today’s digital sports world, having a social media presence isn’t just helpful, it’s essential.
“You have your LinkedIn and you have your TikTok,” Stickel explained, noting that social media accounts serve as both networking spaces and work portfolios.
Through her platform, she “networks across rather than up,” connecting with fellow creators who want to make their mark in the sports industry as well.
Despite all the various benefits of having a social presence, Stickel shared that the most important part of being a sports influencer is to remain authentic: “I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is staying true to yourself.”
Kendra Doyle
Kendra Doyle can trace her love for sports back to one crystal-clear childhood moment. She was seven years old when her beloved Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Growing up a die-hard Bruins fan, her parents allowed her to stay up on a school night for the game. When the Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks, Doyle wasn’t just mesmerized by the celebration; she was captivated by who was on her screen.
“There was a female reporter, and she was interviewing Zdeno Chára,” said Doyle. “Seven year old me was like, ‘That’s what I want to do, that’s who I want to be.’”
This was the moment that her love for hockey shifted from fandom to ambition. She didn’t just want to watch sports—she wanted to work in sports.
“I have never looked back since,” said Doyle.
Her early beginnings took place in Innisfil, Ont., a rural town in Simcoe County. Sports ran in the family. Her father was a successful hockey player who played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and her mother played volleyball. Raised by two sports enthusiasts, it was no surprise that Doyle got involved in sports.
“I’m an only child, so I was kind of thrown into the sports world like right away,” said Doyle.
She then went on to play various sports, including hockey, lacrosse, softball and volleyball, but it was competitive horseback riding that stuck. Throughout high school, she volunteered whenever she could, eager to begin pursuing her passion for working in sports.
When it came time to choose a post-secondary path, she didn’t hesitate.
“From a young age, I knew that I wanted to go to school for a sports-based program,” said Doyle.
After exploring her options, she set her sights on Brock University’s renowned Sports Management program and got in.
The summer before starting at Brock, Doyle worked with the Barrie Bay Cats, a baseball team a part of the Canadian Baseball League (CBL), helping with their social media. This was also when she began to post about her sports journey on social media.
“It was cool to create my own content and learn how to do it and find a passion for it,” said Doyle.
Then came the moment that changed everything. In the winter of her first year at Brock, Doyle stumbled upon a hiring callout from Hockey Canada for the Women’s World Hockey Championships in Brampton, Ont. She applied for a fan engagement role and, on a whim, also applied for in-game host.
A week later, she was offered the in-game host role. Despite her unfamiliarity with the position, she leaped and tried something new.
“That opportunity changed everything for me because that’s when I became a host, and I learned so much,” said Doyle.
Riding the momentum following Worlds, she applied for an in-game host position with the Brampton Steelheads. After consulting with the previous in-game host, she applied and landed her first long-term hosting job.
While gaining key industry experience in this role with the Steelheads, she also began to take content creation more seriously.
“I gained a lot more traction,” said Doyle when she began to post more frequently, documenting her life as a woman in sports.
Audiences connected with her authenticity and were interested in what her career entailed. She found empowerment by sharing her journey and inspiring other women to do the same.
Her time with the Steelheads came to an end in December of 2024, and after losing a role so important to her, she felt a bit lost.
“Working in the sports industry, the turnover is really quick, and it’s something that a lot of people deal with,” said Doyle.
She stayed motivated in the best way she knew how, by continuing to post online, “I had a few months where I just rode the wave and did content creation.”
Then a new opportunity presented itself. A friend at Forge FC, part of the Canadian Premier League (CPL), recommended her for an in-game host position. Doyle ended up landing the job, starting her next chapter with a new team and sport.
When she announced her new role, her online community rallied behind her.
“I would have been a lot more scared going into that position if I didn’t have social media,” said Doyle.
Now in her fourth year at Brock, Doyle continues to document her career online, embracing the responsibility that comes with having a platform.
“It’s a very powerful thing,” said Doyle on being a sports influencer. “And it’s going to shape the next generation of sports.”
Kailey Sauvé
“I know a lot of people talk about their Dad being the one that kind of brought them into sports, but for me, it was my Mom,” said Kailey Sauvé, sports influencer, journalist and Event Coordinator at Skate Canada.
Growing up in Osgoode, Ont., Sauvé and her mother bonded over their shared love of sports. Living just outside Ottawa, her family was avid Ottawa Senators fans.
Alongside her love for hockey, Sauvé was a competitive figure skater, fueling her love for athletics on the ice. At first, she thought her future would be in sports medicine, until she realized chemistry wasn’t quite for her.
Sauvé went on to attend the University of Ottawa, where she studied Social Science and Psychology. During her studies, she discovered the career path of sport management and business, and realized that it might be the route for her.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself connecting with other women in sports online, including one of sports influencing’s early trailblazers, Aliyah Funchelle. They quickly formed a friendship, and when Funchelle shared that she had a spare room in her New York City apartment, Sauvé knew she had to make the move.
While staying in New York, Sauvé shadowed Funchelle, learning the ins and outs of both sports influencing and the broader sports industry.
“She would bring me along with her to everything,” said Sauvé. “That’s kind of when I realized that’s something I want to do as well.”
After her time in New York, Sauvé began documenting her own journey online, finding a space in the sports industry through content creation.
In February of 2024, Sauvé found herself back near the ice as she began working as a content creator and journalist for the Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Just a few months later in June of 2024, she landed her dream job working for Skate Canada.
“Getting the role just felt very surreal,” said Sauvé.
Now living her childhood dream, she continues to create content, hoping to inspire other girls to follow their passions in sports, as she did.
“I just hope that I can continue to be able to put myself in positions where I can influence other women to want to do the same,” said Sauvé.
Her journey serves as a reminder that if you work for it, anything is possible. Thanks to social media, audiences can revisit and watch her journey unfold in real time.
The power of sports influencing
Sports influencing is not only opening doors for women working in sports, but it’s amplifying the visibility, reach and cultural relevance of women’s athletics as a whole. Teams and organizations are taking note, increasingly partnering with influencers to extend their reach and humanize their brand.
Sauvé shared that Skate Canada is already embracing this shift. At the 2025 Skate Canada Grand Prix in Saskatoon, the organization invited local influencers to attend, create content and help boost media coverage.
“I think that’s a really great way to just market sports in everyone’s city and bring everyone together,” said Sauvé.
It’s rising sports influencers like Galbraith, Stickel, Doyle and Sauvé who are pushing this movement forward, one post and story at a time.
“I’m really excited about how many sports influencers there are,” said Galbraith. “Because not only is it helping sports, but it’s also changing people’s lives.”
Each of these women have taken different paths into the sports world, but their experiences echo one another. They have shared challenges, passions and a shared commitment to making space for women in sports. Their individual platforms fuel the movement, but their collective voice is what makes it powerful.
A movement that is continuing to elevate how we consume sports content and news, it is clear that there’s a bright future for sports influencers.
Unsure of what the future will hold, Doyle is certain about one thing: “In 10 years, I have no idea how big social media is going to be, but I know that women in sports are probably going to be leading it.”
Edited by Reese Dlabach