USF celebrates 'Girls and Women in Sports Day' with all-women broadcast crew

TAMPA, Fla. - Leah Secondo's voice is known to sports fans around the country. But as a young girl growing up in New England, Secondo could only dream of the career she now has. 

"There weren't any women in sportscasting at that time," Leah remembered. "There were a lot of doors that had to be opened." 

Secondo's door just happened to be opened while working on the assignment desk at a television station in Massachusetts. When the station's sports anchor called out sick, Secondo jumped at her chance. 

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"They needed someone to cover a UMass basketball game, and that was my break into sports at a station in Western Massachusetts," Secondo said. 

That was 40 years ago. 

Since then, Secondo has been part of countless broadcasts both as a reporter and a play-by-play broadcaster. Her most recent broadcast at the University of South Florida, however, just meant a little bit more. 

"It's unique. It's cool. I hope someday we get to the point where it's the norm," said Secondo.

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Calling the USF women's basketball game against Rice on Wednesday night, in honor of Girls and Women in Sports Day, Secondo was joined by an all-women's broadcast and technical crew. 

"It really speaks volumes of where we have come for the athletes and for the young girls to be able to dream," Secondo said. 

It is a dream that was brought to life thanks to Morgan Uber, the American Athletic Conference visual communications director and a fellow broadcaster. 

"This was, since the last Girls and Women in Sports Day, and idea that me and a few other colleagues had," Uber said. "We knew it was a real possibility, and we get to work with some really awesome people tonight."

It was a game, and a broadcast, that Secondo once could only dream about when Girls and Women in Sports Day was only an idea. 

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"There wasn't any type of celebration," Secondo remembered. 

From a dream, to living in the spotlight, Secondo's story is one of many. But thanks to broadcasters like her, there are certain to be many more to follow.