University of Minnesota Athletics
Q&A: The Making of Female Warrior
8/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Aug. 28, 2015 Earlier this week as they prepared for their season opener, members of the Gophers' volleyball team released a video entitled "Female Warrior." In just two days, the video has been viewed more than 10,000 times on YouTube along with more than 4,200 shares and 200,000 views on Facebook.
Senior Daly Santana and juniors Paige Tapp and Hannah Tapp were responsible for the video's creation, production and editing, and GopherSports.com recently sat down with the trio of student-athletes to learn more about the video, which can be viewed below:
The Gophers open their 2015 campaign Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. CT, facing Texas A&M at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.
GS: What was the inspiration for creating the video?
Over 47% of all athletes are females; however, only 2% of sports media is dedicated to women. Our coaches challenged us to create a video that showed us as hard working competitive athletes, rather than aiming to be physically attractive and/or petite. Our team has evolved incredibly over the past year. We've gone through different trials and challenges that have taught us what it really means to work hard. As we've matured, we're becoming tougher athletes and stronger competitors. This video was aimed to show that despite being criticized and doubted, we have found strength in each other and our ability to compete together. Despite being women, being perhaps limited in different aspects, all of us are enough, and all of us can work hard enough to create something great.
GS: How are you feeling after seeing responses that say you're inspiring other teams as well as younger athletes?
We are happy that the video has had such an impact! We hope that it continues to reach athletes and that in some small way it might change the perspective our society has on women athletes. Seeing that our video had so many views in such a short time shows us that there is, in fact, an issue. We simply brought it up to the public and we are glad that it can make a difference.
GS: Do you think it's inspired you going into the start of your season?
Definitely. We have been working really hard as a team, and these are the things we have been fighting all along; the video just gives people a glimpse of our preparation day-in and day-out and what we are trying to do this year. It also shows our day-to-day routine and what it takes to be a female athlete at a high level.
GS: What are you looking forward to this season?
We are looking forward to competing and leaving it all out on the court. We are ready to face our opponents and be competitors that represent our team, our school and our state the best that we can.
Senior Daly Santana and juniors Paige Tapp and Hannah Tapp were responsible for the video's creation, production and editing, and GopherSports.com recently sat down with the trio of student-athletes to learn more about the video, which can be viewed below:
The Gophers open their 2015 campaign Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. CT, facing Texas A&M at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.
GS: What was the inspiration for creating the video?
Over 47% of all athletes are females; however, only 2% of sports media is dedicated to women. Our coaches challenged us to create a video that showed us as hard working competitive athletes, rather than aiming to be physically attractive and/or petite. Our team has evolved incredibly over the past year. We've gone through different trials and challenges that have taught us what it really means to work hard. As we've matured, we're becoming tougher athletes and stronger competitors. This video was aimed to show that despite being criticized and doubted, we have found strength in each other and our ability to compete together. Despite being women, being perhaps limited in different aspects, all of us are enough, and all of us can work hard enough to create something great.
GS: How are you feeling after seeing responses that say you're inspiring other teams as well as younger athletes?
We are happy that the video has had such an impact! We hope that it continues to reach athletes and that in some small way it might change the perspective our society has on women athletes. Seeing that our video had so many views in such a short time shows us that there is, in fact, an issue. We simply brought it up to the public and we are glad that it can make a difference.
GS: Do you think it's inspired you going into the start of your season?
Definitely. We have been working really hard as a team, and these are the things we have been fighting all along; the video just gives people a glimpse of our preparation day-in and day-out and what we are trying to do this year. It also shows our day-to-day routine and what it takes to be a female athlete at a high level.
GS: What are you looking forward to this season?
We are looking forward to competing and leaving it all out on the court. We are ready to face our opponents and be competitors that represent our team, our school and our state the best that we can.
Players Mentioned
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/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
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