Editor’s note – This is the first of a two-part feature on Larissa Holquin and her podcast Sooner Girls Sports Pod

Like many others in Oklahoma, Larissa Holquin has developed a passion for the University of Oklahoma athletics.

She attended her first game with her father Jerry Allison over 35 years ago and has never looked back. Holquin has looked forward, however, and developed a platform in which she can not only talk about athletics but provide a platform for athletes and support personnel that have fallen through the crack.

The Sooner Girl Sports Pod began earlier this year in January and has steadily gained momentum.

“It has just been people connecting me and finding people,” Holquin said. “I have found that email is the best way because usually it is not going to get lost in a spam box or something for the most part. So, I usually find emails if I can.”

Holquin interviews a wide assortment of people ranging from former football players such as Marcus Dupree and Ryan Broyles to OU Naval ROTC Battalion Commander Mariah Gahl and Taylor Reimer, a former cheerleader who drives racecars.

“She was like, ‘nobody ever wants to talk to me,’” Holquin said. “I mean I realize my platform is not huge but even Mariah Gahl, she was like, ‘You are the first person to ever reach out to us. The news stations up there cover the ceremony about them running out of the stadium and all of that. But there were a lot of people that asked, ‘They are doing what?’”

A lot of people were unaware that the Naval ROTC ran the ball to Dallas Holquin said. It was an example of using her podcast to give people that may fly under the radar a voice.

“There has been so many,” she said. “I had a volleyball player, tennis, soccer, golf. Those kind of get overlooked by football, basketball, softball, which is understandable. But there are a lot of stories to tell.”

The podcast also provides a platform for women because Holquin also feels a lot of women don’t have the audacity to speak up.

“I just want them to have a space to share their story,” she said.

Holquin’s reach is also expanding. During a vacation to St. Thomas, her husband Eric put one of her cards on a bulletin board. As a result, the women’s basketball coach for the University of Virgin Islands reached out to her about being on the podcast. She is the first non-OU guest, which will be released around the holidays.

“It is just crazy,” she said. “I never intended to put my face out there. My plan was to get on here and talk sports with my friends.”

Growing up a Sooner fan

Holquin did not play sports beyond the youth level growing up, but she always liked them. Her dad loved sports and was an avid golfer. He took Holquin to her first OU game, which was Gary Gibbs’ first season over taking over for Barry Switzer. She was eight years old at the time, and she got an OU necklace and still wears the pendant.

That year, Holquin also went to the OU-Texas game. Those experiences helped spark a passion for OU athletics. She

“Football is my first love, but basketball has really grown on me, really since I was in college,” she said.

While in college, Holquin saw both the OU men and women advance to the Final Four. Softball also grew on her and now she is a fan of all sports.

Developing a podcast

Holquin graduated with a degree in early childhood education. She taught from 2004 to 2006 and opted for a new career after she married Eric. She worked in the medical field and was an office manager. The concept of the podcast developed over a conversation with her friend’s husband, Scott Baird as they watched an OU game, griping about how it was turning out.

“Everybody always gives me a hard time because all the women will be in the kitchen cooking things and I am here with all the men talking about sports,” she said. “That has been how it has always been. And a lot of my friends said, ‘You need to start to podcast.’”

During that conversation with Baird, he pointed out that it was basically a podcast that was taking place. After thinking about it, Holquin decided maybe she could do it.

Holquin said she decided to do the podcast around Christmas, contact a friend who does graphic design to develop a logo. HGX Graphics does all the merchandise. She records her podcast on Riverside, which she describes as a fancy Zoom. Holquin uses her Apple Mac for recording and the biggest thing she had to learn was editing, which was not as bad as she thought it would be.

After the podcast is done, Holquin said she goes back and listens in case something was said that needs to be edited out by request or if the conversation goes off track. She adds the music and the graphic as well.

“I probably spend about maybe eight hours a week total, on average, between the recording, editing, putting it all together, social media content,” she said. “Basically, a whole day’s work but I am self-employed and work from home. Which is nice. I still have things to do but I am usually pretty flexible.”

The learning curve for Holquin was learning the platform and preparing herself mentally. In reaching out to guests, Holquin said she has only been turned down once and there are people who do not get her messages.

“You have to have some sort of confidence,” Holquin said. “Maybe they are ignoring me, oh well. There are plenty of other people who do want to talk. But I don’t really let that stuff get to me. It can, if you dwell on it.”

Branching out

When Holquin began her podcast, she received a lot of feedback from women who would tell her they liked certain headlines and the fact they could talk to their husbands about it.

“So, I started doing what I call Sooner headlines of the week,” she said. “So basically, I go through all the sports and will do like a recap on football. Here are the stat lines, players, injuries. And I do the same with basketball, soccer has free admission. Whatever is going on.”

She also has a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon who had an idea to do an injury segment, which they record every Monday.

“It has been really cool,” she said. “I have had people comment on him sharing in layman terms about the injuries going on.”

See the Wednesday edition of The Ardmoreite for the second part of the story.