Tobin Heath is stepping into the spotlight at long last to redefine a sports media landscape where 'I never felt like I fit in'
- Tobin Heath "wanted to be known as a footballer full stop" for much of her US Women's National Team career.
- Now she's speaking up to help broaden the "very narrow and very specific" sports media landscape.
In her 15 years as one of the most electric stars on the US Women's National Team, Tobin Heath always seemed content to fly under the radar.
The crafty winger was never one to volunteer to speak during press conferences or regularly post a ton on social media, and insights into her personal life were few and far between. Beyond her exceptionally expressive style of play on the pitch, Heath shared very little of herself with the public.
That was by design.
"I'm a stubborn and passionate person, and I wanted to be known as a footballer full stop," Heath told Insider. "I believed that that's where I wouldn't be distorted and that's where I could get the most amount of respect."
"I did a lot of talking with my football for a long, long time," she added. "I'm really proud of that."
But now, in the twilight of her professional soccer career, she's ready to speak up outside of the white lines. Heath wants to help "reimagine the way women are seen and experienced in sports," making a "very narrow and very specific" sports media landscape where she "never felt like I fit in" more accessible to women who love sports.
So she and fellow USWNT veteran Christen Press launched "The RE—CAP Show," an extension of their RE—INC lifestyle brand, to offer their own authentic analysis of the 2023 World Cup and the world of women's sports at large.
"Women's sports has never been shown in its fullness, and that's because the structures of what sports are weren't coming from the perspective of us," Heath said. "This was a very unique opportunity for us to change that landscape and be able to tell stories that look and feel like us and are from us."
She noted that it's been "taboo" until recently to acknowledge that "women are passionate about sports." And the idea that sports content can and should actually cater to women? Even more so.
Heath knows the demand is there. She says women who love sports and folks of all genders who are fans of women's sports "are yearning for things to be built for them."
The enthusiasm surrounding "The RE—CAP Show," which debuted on July 20, supports her theory; the first three episodes of the series alone drew more than 10 million views across social platforms, Heath told Marketing Brew.
"Women love sports," Heath told Insider. "And it's about time that women start building things for the things that they love."
Being one of the women who spearheads that effort — and necessarily steps into the spotlight in the process — is fairly far out of Heath's traditional comfort zone. But she said it's also been liberating to try something new, connect with the community that's supported her throughout her career, and build something that helps "women have an opportunity to share the things they're passionate about."
It seems she's onto something; "The RE—CAP Show" is just the first of what she hopes will become a flourishing media branch of RE—INC. And, perhaps more notably, she believes "the Tobin who first started on the US Women's National Team would be proud" of her efforts "to speak about other things than just football and to be shown in a different way."