Kennedy stapley
My Stories
Breaking formation: Utah's high school competitive drill teams go co-ed
Listen to my KRCL Feature:
Biography
Kennedy Stapley is a student at the University of Utah with a passion for journalism and marketing. She has developed skills through her coursework at the U, enriching her knowledge in media analysis, video production, news writing and more. During her internship with Craft Lake City, Stapley has worked firsthand at creating social media posts and videos to engage the platform's audience. She is hardworking, creative and well-rounded when it comes to any project she takes on. Outside academics, Stapley enjoys reading, watching movies, exercising and spending time with her dog.
Reporter's Notebook
While I have been excited to be in journalism my entire college career, this class has drawn my attention to detail and community news to new heights. My assumptions about women’s sports mainly revolved around the lack of media attention they received as female athletes, which aligned with the idea that the community around women in sports was slim. These assumptions were proved wrong as I learned more and met with many amazing people who genuinely loved and wanted the best for female athletes.
While writing my enterprise story on the changing of drill team from girls-only to co-ed, an insight I appreciated not only as a journalist but also as a woman was how polite and open all the interviewees were. When dealing with topics like this, there is a chance of negativity towards others, which I did not find at all. Instead, it was very open and had good points to bring to both sides of the story, which was refreshing to hear in a story where history is changing for a girls-only team. The training approaches and traditions were solely based on having an area for dancers in high school to build connections and continue the passion for a sport. The community also supports these athletes, making drill one of the most-watched sports in Utah.
Women's sports are curated with intensity, drive and love. With these factors in mind, these athletes are showstoppers on the field and wherever they show up. Their community impact is shown through the increasing number of female sports in recent years, encouraging young girls to do what they want to do. With some prevalent resources available, these athletes advocate for themselves on the importance of mental and physical health.
Social media is an excellent way to bring a piece of these teams to people's devices worldwide. Although it is a snippet of their hectic schedules, you can see the team's connection off the field in a short video. TikTok is a great way to bring some personality to the forefront of their team, while Instagram reels are a good way to show what their day-to-day may look like as athletes. Podcasts allow the athletes to dive deeper into what they do, how they got there or what they hope for the future of women in sports. X is also an excellent place for stats and athlete information to grasp the attention of clubs and professional media.
In my reporting for drill teams changing their participation rules, I learned about the compassion coaches and staff members feel for the young dancers making their mark in the dance world. I saw how much the sport brings together girls with different backgrounds to a team that is made of discipline and artistry. Now that the gender role has shifted to allow more on the team, I think the challenges of change will not overtake the beauty of what women have created and will continue to build in any space they are involved in.