‘Panther Talk Tuesday’ takes track to podcast format

Tish Taiji (pictured) is a part of the track and field team’s weekly Instagram Live segment that helps teammates stay connected during quarantine. Photo courtesy of Steven Olveda

Many athletics programs at Chapman have found ways to stay connected these past few months; for some teams, it’s through a book, or something as simple as living together. One set of Panther athletes has undergone its own creative venture to remain in touch with one another through a weekly podcast.

During the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring, Chapman track and field head coach DeAndra’e Woods was in search of ways to keep his athletes connected. His answer: a weekly Instagram Live segment called “Panther Talk Tuesday.”

“I wanted to make sure that our student athletes were staying connected, not only to each other but also with their parents, our community and our recruits,” Woods said.

He and athletes that have taken part in the series feel it has solved the issue of maintaining team unity during quarantine. The weekly show is about 20 to 30 minutes long, averages between 200 to 300 viewers and is hosted by a different team member each week. 

“My assistant coaches and I ask for volunteers and then select a host each week,” Woods said. “That leader will then ask around and ask student athletes and their teammates to find ones that want to be interviewed that day.”

Although the coaches decide on a few questions they want answered during the live stream, most of the decisions are up to the chosen host.

Senior health sciences major Tish Taji spent time as an interviewee on the show Oct. 13, reflecting on her time at Chapman. 

“A lot of the questions I was asked were really reflective and since I’m a senior, I was thinking back to my journey and a lot of the races I ran in,” Taji said. “It made me appreciate all of the experiences the track and field program has brought me.”

The episodes haven’t only allowed athletes to maintain connection; they’ve also provided an outlet for further exposure for the program.

“These lives open our program up to prospective athletes who may watch them and hopefully start considering or choose Chapman,” said sophomore business administration major Anthony Hart. “They have been really informative for those students to get a better idea of what running in college looks like.”

Panther Talk Tuesday has worked to accomplish the dual purpose that Woods intended when he created the series: keep the current athletes connected and grow the Panther family further. 

“The track and field community is so diverse; you have people from all across the world and all walks of life, but you have the fortunate situation of them becoming a part of a community the second they become Chapman Panthers,” Woods said.