Women In Sports: Baltimore Orioles Reporter Brittany Ghiroli, From Collegiate Swimmer to Hustling Baseball Writer

As many of you know, March is Women’s History Month. Whether it be female athletes, coaches, or those working behind the scenes, women are playing a larger role in athletics every year. To help celebrate Women’s History Month and women in sports, throughout March, Double G Media will share one interview per day, highlighting a woman in the sports world.

Today, we introduce you to, Brittany Ghiroli.

Brittany Ghiroli (Photo provided by Brittany Ghiroli)

Brittany Ghiroli is exactly where she wants to be at the young age of 30. Ghiroli is currently the Baltimore Orioles reporter for MLB.com. She has secured a position in which she has worked very hard for and works even harder every day to show why she is the right person for that job.

How did she become so successful you may ask? Ghiroli said hard work and dedication were a must. “Long days, weird hours, and thousands of miles put on your car were a given.” Ghiroli was a student at Michigan State, where she was busy with internship after internship along with being a collegiate swimmer. Fox Sports Detroit, Lansing State Journal & College Sports TV were just the beginning for Ghiroli’s career path.

Taking a semester off, she found herself in Washington D.C. interning with the National Journalism Center where she focused on general news and sports reporting.

After graduating in 2007, Ghiroli yet again found herself applying to internships and jobs where she could showcase her talent. She freelanced up and down the east coast, covering the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees & Mets for Major League Baseball.

As a freelance writer for MLB in 2009, she had a crazy one week stint with the New York Mets. “You never know when something will happen, because something is always happening,” she said.  In that short amount of time, she witnessed the opening of Citi Field, Gary Sheffield’s 500^th home run, and a handful of crucial injuries for the Mets.

“It was really cool. I learned a lot very quickly,”  Ghiroli said. “I kept showing up and helping out and it ended up helping me out.”

(Photo provided by Brittany Ghiroli)

Ghiroli continued to freelance with MLB, along with covering Minor League Baseball and doing her own work as well. “I would go to player’s hometowns to learn more about them, that way when it came time to write a story, I already had more information than everyone else.”

She kept writing and she stayed around, finding story after story. Letting her face be seen and her name be known. She realized that with being consistent and professional; her hard work was finally paying off. You could find her work on the front page of USA TODAY or you could open up ESPN the Magazine and find her there too.

In 2010, Ghiroli applied for a reporting position with a TV station, but after recognizing all of the great work she produced and the long hours she put in for them over the years, MLB wasn’t ready to let her go. She was offered a full time position with MLB as a year round reporter for the Orioles.

For Ghiroli, every day has been different, but what she looks forward to the most is the personal stories she is able to tell. “It’s easier to relate to the fans,” she said. Her days are spent with players and coaches, getting to know each and every one of them in depth. Ghiroli said she will spend 30 minutes or more with each player so that she can build and maintain relationships with them which is important in her position.

Covering Major League Baseball as a female is served up with extra pressure. “A guy can get something wrong, it’s considered a mistake. A female makes the same mistake; it turns into “girls don’t know sports!”  Absolutely no mistakes allowed!” she said. “Twitter will be the first to tell you when you are wrong.” There is no doubt about that. ““At least you’re pretty” is a common tweet any female in sports will receive if they are wrong and that’s not okay,” Ghiroli said.

How do you overcome that pressure of being a female in a male dominated field? “Be professional, stay true to yourself. They will test you and what you can put up with and will put up with,” she said. “Do your homework and be more prepared than the males. Go out of your way to make the best.”

Six years, multiple appearances on SportsCenter and many pairs of high heels later, Ghiroli is exactly where she wants to be.  “I used to dress up, I was conservative, every day I wore long sleeves in hot weather because I didn’t want to be taken the wrong way. I wore heels, I have like 50 pairs of them at home, but now for a day at camp, you’ll find me wearing leggings and sneakers.”

Have things changed over time for her? Of course they have, but her positive attitude continues to shine, her confidence is piercing and most importantly her work is respected.  “People who read my work, follow me on Twitter and watch me on TV, that’s the most rewarding part of my job.”  She said.

Report after report, story after story, it took time for her to gain the support and trust from fans and even the players. “I get tired, I have long days, but I bring joy into people’s home, I’m making a difference in someone’s life and people thank me for all that I do.” That’s exactly why she does it. “For someone to approach me and tell me I do terrific work, I appreciate that.”

(Photo provided by Brittany Ghiroli)

At the end of the day, Ghiroli is just like any other woman.  She enjoys being a “real person” especially in the offseason. If you look at her Instagram she’s just like all of us. Many pictures of her dogs, traveling, delish food, family and friends fill her page, but don’t forget the famous Instagram gym pictures. Ghiroli is very fit and active. “I spend 90% of my time working out. I got into CrossFit three years ago.”

“People tell me I’m so fit for what I do for a living, and I tell them it’s because I didn’t give in to a life style of late night food and not being active.”

There are many added perks though of being so active in the gym and living a lifestyle like Ghiroli does. “I travel so much, to so many different locations that I get to connect with people in different gyms and that’s really cool.”

“My life is sleeping in, eating breakfast, working out and watching baseball,”  She said. Who wouldn’t want that?  Of course we all do.

There are many females who share the same day in day out routine as Ghiroli. Many that she has learned from and worked with. “Jemele Hill (ESPN), I wrote for her, she is my mentor,” she said. “Not only do I look up to her and her career but also her generosity. She’s a great person.”

“Kim Jones, (Yankees, and NFL Network) she’s just awesome. She did it all the right way and that is why she is so successful,” Ghiroli said as she praised Jones’ career.

“People think females in broadcast are catty, but really they just want other females to succeed,” she said. Networking and professionalism play a big part along with working together to do everything right. “In the end women in broadcast want to help other women.”

Looking back on the past years, Ghiroli is proud of what she has accomplished and looks forward to what the future has for her. She hopes to leave a legacy one day as an impacting leader in broadcast, especially among women. “I want people to look at me like the women I looked up to,”  she said.

“The group of influential women such as Suzy Kolber and Linda Cohn, I want to be part of the next group of women like that,” Ghiroli said. “I want to help furthering women in broadcast and reporting, to elevate female journalism.”

“I will be happy leaving the industry one day with people saying ‘she did it the right way’, she was willing and wasn’t afraid.”