Just because I take quotes from athletes in my Lilly Planner doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about.

As an aspiring sports reporter, I walk into a high level of testosterone daily.

Many stereotypical careers were encouraged as young women pursued higher education and for the most part, sports journalism has not been one on the radar. "It's a man's world," and "Women don’t know anything about sports.”  Twitter runs wild when a big game is on and a female is doing the play-by-play. (And I don’t mean in a positive way.) Is sports broadcasting gender specific? I think not, and if you do, then I think it's time to break that mindset.

Women are pegged as being not as knowledgable as their male counterpart when it comes to sports, especially sports such as football or hockey. In some cases this may be true because it's not common for us to play those sports, but that doesn’t mean that we lack passion, excitement or understanding of the game. There truly are women that derive just as much pleasure from watching a sporting event as men do. Instead of watching "The Batchelor" or "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," my television is tuned in to ESPN or FOX Sports Detroit. And this love and passion has manifested itself into me pursuing a career in sports broadcasting.

We've seen female sideline reporters who have gotten coaches names wrong when their interviewing them or misquoted the wrong athlete in the World Series, and all these slip-ups add to a woman's uphill journey to the top as a reporter.

Looking around after a football, basketball or hockey game, you are one of few, if not the only, woman in the press conference.

I feel it is a constant uphill battle to prove our credibility because we weren’t born with that Y chromosome. And because of this, we have to push ourselves to work that much harder. Women tend to be watched under the microscope with every word we say as to whether facts are accurate and reliable.

I have been told by seasoned male sports broadcasters that women in this field have a very high advantage and a very low disadvantage. It is a double-edged sword. Because I am a women in this so called "man's world," I may initially have a preference in perhaps getting a nod over a man that is in competition with me; The disadvantage is that if I lack credibility, if my facts are wrong or if I cannot hold my opinion with a strong base for it, I will be highly criticized for it, therefore digging the trench a little bit deeper to drag ourselves out of. 

Every Monday evening at 7 p.m. on WDBM, I sit opposite a strong, male radio personality who I banter with for an hour about sports. Prior to the show, I spend countless hours researching, building knowledge, arguments and facts to back up every opinion I have. And every week, I learn more feel more and more comfortable with it. That's the beauty of practice and progression.

So everyday, this is the inspiration. To work harder, to develop a work ethic unsurpassed by any man and to be given credit and respect for "knowing my stuff."

Hopefully when you put on your favorite sporting event in the near future, you'll see me doing just that.