IASP Leadership Podcast Season 8: Episode 275/ From the Sidelines to the School Hallways: A Conversation with Holly Rowe

From IASP Podcast · 14:10

Show by Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP)

ESPN reporter Holly Rowe joins Dr. Tiffany Barrett ahead of her opening keynote at the 2026 IASP Assistant Principals Conference. A three-time Emmy Award winner and recipient of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award, Holly has covered college football, women's college basketball, the WNBA, and the Women's College World Series since 1998. In this conversation, Holly shares the coaching philosophy that shaped her early career, "make the big time where you are," and the story behind one of her most memorable moments: a fifth-grade goal sheet that Caitlin Clark made years before she was drafted into the WNBA. She talks about why school leaders, like Dawn Staley, can be "dream merchants" who hold boundaries while lifting students up, how Lesley Visser poured into her as a young intern, and why the daily grind matters when you keep your eye on what you love. Holly delivers the opening keynote on Monday, November 16, at the Sheraton Indianapolis at Keystone Crossing. Show notes Holly's favorite early assignment: the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl and coach Frosty Westering's book Make the Big Time Where You Are How timing and preparation shape a great sideline story Caitlin Clark's fifth-grade goals and the night she was drafted number one overall What assistant principals and sideline reporters have in common Dawn Staley's idea of being a "dream merchant" How Lesley Visser opened the door for Holly, and why a kind word can have a lasting impact Chasing your passion and finding meaning in the grind What to expect at the 2026 Assistant Principals Conference keynote Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to the IASP Leadership Podcast 00:43 Meet Holly Rowe 02:01 Make the big time where you are 03:22 Timing, storytelling, and Caitlin Clark's fifth-grade goals 05:06 What assistant principals and reporters have in common 06:26 Becoming a dream merchant 07:22 Who opened the door for Holly 09:48 Chasing your passion and embracing the grind 12:51 What to expect at the keynote 13:19 Conference registration details

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