This is Out of Your League: allow me to re-introduce myself
what you can expect from Out of Your League
There are so many new people here and it felt like the right time to re-introduce myself and welcome you to this newsletter.
Hi, I’m Frankie! I’m an award-winning journalist with a focus on sports, culture, gender, and queerness—and particularly the ways those things intersect. I’ve published a book called Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League and had bylines at most major publications that you’ve definitely heard of.
I am a Sagittarius sun, Virgo moon, and Cancer rising. I live in Boston, spend all day reheating the same cup of coffee, and own a mini Dachshund named Lou Sullivan who has the personality of Regina George (which is to say, he’s perfect).
For those of you who are new here, Out of Your League has existed since 2019 and was mostly a place for me to put behind-the-scenes content about my work. Just about a year ago, I decided I wanted to actually dedicate myself to making this newsletter a thing. After two years of burnout, I had so many story ideas but the freelance market has died, meaning no one would take my pitches. I felt creatively energized for the first time in a really long time and I wanted to harness that energy. I wondered what I could build here if I actually put time and effort into it.
In the 11 months since I began to regularly tend to this place, I have managed to bypass the subscriber goals I had set for myself (I’m even going to be able to bring on someone to help me with editing! I am so excited about that!). That tells me that there’s something here that people want to read and it feels really nice to know that my work is resonating with people. So, welcome to Out of Your League, a newsletter that sits at the intersection of queer sports and pop culture.
Regular features you’ll find here that are always free include:
“Haterade” columns: my weekly-ish rants about something in the queer women’s sports space. Past topics have included why women’s sports leagues appealing to little girls is just another form of sexism, why girlboss feminism won’t save women’s sports, and Breanna Stewart’s Harry Potter shoes.
“In the Field” interviews: my series where I interview people doing great work in the sports journalism world. Past guests have included Marisa Ingemi from the San Francisco Chronicle, Shireen Ahmed from CBC Sports, and Rachel Miller from SELF.
Paid subscribers also get:
Bonus content that takes you behind-the scenes of the stories I publish at other platforms
Full access to my weekly link and meme roundups from the world of queer women’s sports
COMING SOON: A weekly “Haterade” podcast where my partner, Will, and I engage in the queer tradition of being bitchy
Access to the subscriber chat that includes live-threads for playoff and championship games in various women’s sports leagues
Other things you’ll find here:
Cultural criticism related to things I enjoy in pop culture, like how CT Tamburello won Traitors with a strategy he honed over 15+ years on MTV’s The Challenge, or whether Taylor Swift’s Reputation is really a punk-inspired album (it’s not)
Whatever I feel like!
I have so much fun writing this content. I am so tickled that so many of you have chosen to join me here. I hope you’ll stay and help foster this little community with me!
If that sounds exciting and you want to join me and my little neurodivergent brain as it goes down rabbit holes and does entirely too much research about literally everything, please do.
If you would like a paid subscription to this newsletter but can’t afford it, please email me and I will comp you no questions asked.
I’m also really excited to get to know you all. Who are you? Why do you subscribe to Out of Your League? What kind of work do you want to see more of? Is there any specific content or benefits that would incentivize you to upgrade your subscription? Sound off in the comments or even just reply to this email if you’d rather say hi privately.
I want to thank you for your column on the WNBPA, Caitlin Clark, & Christine Brennan. As someone who lives in Iowa who also loves women's basketball, it has been simultaneously great and troublesome to watch Caitlin's rise. Your article is the second one that has helped put my thoughts into words. There was another one I read this past year that I cannot put my finger on right now but explained how Caitlin coming to the w, while a great thing, demonstrates how racist this country still is and how it talks about the behavior of queer people in a traditionally queer space. Lyz Lenz linked to your story, and I have too many substack subscriptions already - you are totally worth the add, and I hope to acquire a paid one soon.
Thank you again for your words, and keep up the good work!