The Athlete Whisperer
An Improbable Voice in Sports
by Andrea Kirby

---

Andrea Kirby was not a former athlete and had no ties to television. Still, in 1971, this single mom talked her way onto a small television station as a sportscaster. A rare female in the all-male culture of her beloved sports, she was harassed and discriminated against, but she wasn’t deterred. Kirby excelled at her first break and then moved to a bigger market in sports-rich Baltimore. Male colleagues said she didn’t belong, but fans loved her, teams respected her, and networks noticed her. In 1977, ABC Sports hired Andrea Kirby as its first full-time female announcer. Hosting the College Football Scoreboard and traveling the world for Wide World of Sports was her hard-fought dream come true. Heartbreakingly, the dream ended. Kirby’s survival became another great adventure. Then, a chance interview with a famous basketball player changed everything, inspiring an idea so original that it appeared as a question in the board game Trivial Pursuit. A rare, entertaining, and uplifting story, The Athlete Whisperer will inspire any reader with an improbable dream.

www.akirby.media

---

“This lively tale of a tough, canny, driven single mom who blazed a trail in sports broadcasting not only settles some scores but shares tips on how to make it without losing your humanity.” —Robert Lipsyte, Former New York Times Sports Columnist “A remarkable story that transcends sports—Andrea Kirby’s grit, determination, sense of humor, and hard-earned wisdom are all on display here.” —Jeremy Schaap, ESPN Commentator

---

Andrea Kirby graduated from the University of Alabama in Radio & Television. A lifelong sports fan, she is partial to SEC football, big games in any sport, and hearing a great television broadcast team call a game. The perpetual tomboy plays an energetic game of tennis and a competitive game of Duplicate Bridge. Kirby lives near her children and their multicultural families in Charlotte, NC.

---

Contributors

Author

Andrea Kirby