Sports Journalism to Disability Rhetoric with Dr. Lindsey Felt, Former ESPN USWNT Columnist, Scholar, and Educator in Stanford’s Writing and Rhetoric Program
Tue Feb 03 2026
In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Lindsey Felt, a scholar and educator in Stanford’s Writing and Rhetoric program. A former player on the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team at the Melbourne Deaflympics, Dr. Felt also served as ESPN’s primary U.S. Women’s Soccer columnist during an era marked by Abby Wambach, the professionalization of players, and accelerating investment in the women’s game. She recalls the early stages of sports journalism, pitching articles as an undergraduate before being endowed ESPN’s USWNT columnist. She discusses her selection to the Deaflympics and unpacks pervasive disability myths she was subjected to as a player- particularly the perception of disability as a personal tragedy that elicits pity and charity. Observing how these portrayals distorted her language in interviews as an inspiration, she was motivated to pursue journalism and cover athletes in a different manner. Beyond disability rhetoric, Dr. Felt’s research encompasses disability innovation and technology, media culture, and accessible arts. She notes writing as a muscle she’s trained across genres, occupying dual modalities while writing game analyses, feature pieces, and literary essays. Identifying as a deaf person, Dr. Felt shares how writing is the most authentic mode of expression: “It allows me to have time to meditate how I want to articulate myself.” She sees communication and language as not merely transactional, but as a full-bodied experience and proposition that requires both parties. Dr. Felt concludes by discussing her current collaborative projects with disabled artists using cutting-edge technologies, embracing her role as a “perpetual student.”
0:00 Introduction and Early Life
3:28 Exposure in the Sports Realm
6:01 Covering the USWNT as the Primary ESPN Columnist
10:27 Transitioning from Sports Journalism to Academia
12:48 Writing as a Medium of Expression
15:09 Subtleties in Communication as a Deaf Person
16:20 Mainstream Disability Narratives
20:48 Selection to the Deaflympics
22:11 Conclusion
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In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Lindsey Felt, a scholar and educator in Stanford’s Writing and Rhetoric program. A former player on the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team at the Melbourne Deaflympics, Dr. Felt also served as ESPN’s primary U.S. Women’s Soccer columnist during an era marked by Abby Wambach, the professionalization of players, and accelerating investment in the women’s game. She recalls the early stages of sports journalism, pitching articles as an undergraduate before being endowed ESPN’s USWNT columnist. She discusses her selection to the Deaflympics and unpacks pervasive disability myths she was subjected to as a player- particularly the perception of disability as a personal tragedy that elicits pity and charity. Observing how these portrayals distorted her language in interviews as an inspiration, she was motivated to pursue journalism and cover athletes in a different manner. Beyond disability rhetoric, Dr. Felt’s research encompasses disability innovation and technology, media culture, and accessible arts. She notes writing as a muscle she’s trained across genres, occupying dual modalities while writing game analyses, feature pieces, and literary essays. Identifying as a deaf person, Dr. Felt shares how writing is the most authentic mode of expression: “It allows me to have time to meditate how I want to articulate myself.” She sees communication and language as not merely transactional, but as a full-bodied experience and proposition that requires both parties. Dr. Felt concludes by discussing her current collaborative projects with disabled artists using cutting-edge technologies, embracing her role as a “perpetual student.” 0:00 Introduction and Early Life 3:28 Exposure in the Sports Realm 6:01 Covering the USWNT as the Primary ESPN Columnist 10:27 Transitioning from Sports Journalism to Academia 12:48 Writing as a Medium of Expression 15:09 Subtleties in Communication as a Deaf Person 16:20 Mainstream Disability Narratives 20:48 Selection to the Deaflympics 22:11 Conclusion