Women are rising up the ranks throughout professional football, earning positions of power in a space that for too long was ruled almost exclusively by men. We're seeing more and more women breaking barriers in the sport, but what are the stories beyond the headlines? Who are the women shaping and influencing the NFL today? Answering those questions is the aim of the Next Woman Up series. While the conversational Q&As are edited and condensed for clarity, this is a forum for impactful women to share experiences in their own words. Without further ado, we introduce:
Lindsey Young, Minnesota Vikings
Position: Writer and Editor
How did you get your start in a career in football?
I've loved football and watching sports ever since I was a kid. Growing up in the Twin Cities, my dad was a huge sports fan, and watching sports -- mostly the Minnesota Vikings and Timberwolves -- was an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with him. My love of football was something that started as just hanging out with my dad and grew into a genuine interest. I developed a real passion for football, wanting to learn the game and ask questions. Simultaneously, I really enjoyed writing from a young age, and I can remember writing fiction stories and journal entries.
Fast forward, I went to a small Christian school, University of Northwestern in St. Paul, and was very interested in sportswriting, but I didn't have any experience with it. I was an English Writing major, wrote for the campus newspaper and eventually was the sports section editor my senior year. Also, during my senior year in 2009-2010, I interned with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx. That experience was so incredibly invaluable. I already knew I had the skills to write, but because I am a pretty introverted person, I didn't know if I was going to be cut out to work in sports. But that internship really peeled back the curtain and showed me both the glamorous and unglamorous sides of sports. I got my feet wet in the hours and the grind of what a career would look like, and I also fell more in love with the storytelling aspect. That internship truly solidified that this is what I wanted to do.
I was out of school for about four years and working at Northwestern running its writing and tutor center, while also doing some freelance work for the Timberwolves, working part-time as a remote editor for Bleacher Report, writing for some Vikings blogs -- essentially doing what I could to build a portfolio. In 2014, I got a unique opportunity to write a freelance story for the Vikings and the next year, they hired me on a contract basis to help them during training camp and with their team yearbook. At the end of 2015, the organization decided to expand the editorial department and I joined the team full-time in December.
That had to have been a full-circle moment for you. Now, having been in your role for over a decade, what does it entail?
As a writer and editor with the team, the bulk of my work is writing and creating content. We have an editorial team of three -- my manager, Craig Peters, and Rob Kleifield, and myself -- and we all write about everything surrounding the team. But we also each have a strength or passion for specific areas. The storytelling piece is what I'm most passionate about and sharing with our fans who our players are when they're not on the field. We want to remind everyone that these players aren't just football robots. That's something that's been very important to me during my time here.
So I have the honor of covering a lot of the off-field happenings, like community initiatives on Tuesdays, in addition to the actual football content. I help write and edit copy for the Vikings Museum and for internal productions. I do anything and everything around written pieces, but whenever I can tell someone's story at a deeper level, whether it's a player, coach or unique fan story, it's my honor to help them do that.
What would you say is the most challenging part of your job?
When I first started, I had to learn how to be a better listener when I interviewed people, so that's an area where I've grown and continue to grow. Now, I think it's finding a good pace when things are really busy in training camp or during the season. It's like I have all the tabs open at once. Keeping those ducks in a row is the most challenging thing for me. The NFL stays relevant all year long, so it's important to find your pace to keep your creativity and passion going.
OK, so what does a game week look like for you?
My schedule is very much dictated by what the team's schedule is for the week. Throughout the week, I'm always at our team media availability for coaches or players. Sometimes that's in the form of press conferences or open locker room periods, gathering comments for projects I'm working on. I'm also the copy editor for the Vikings Playbook, which is our game-day magazine at U.S. Bank Stadium. If we have a regular Sunday home game, that goes to print on Wednesdays so we're editing and proofreading it. Our group also attends the delegated open period in practice on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. I might write articles on any transaction moves, like if the Vikings sign a player, a player gets moved to Injured Reserve or a trade. Tuesdays are one of my favorite days because I usually go off-site to cover community events that a lot of our players partake in.
On game days, I get to the stadium around 9 a.m. for a noon game and leave at 6:30 p.m. You can't beat the energy of game day. Sometimes I am responsible for a special guest at the game -- a Make-A-Wish child, for example -- so I'll meet with the family or guest pre-game.
During the game, Rob and I are running the in-game live chat for international Vikings fans or fans in the states who don't have access to the broadcast. We provide updates through that channel and answer questions. After the game, I am tasked with writing a story that focuses on one aspect of the game. We normally figure out that topic during the fourth quarter, then it's a mad frenzy of getting what you need after the game. You have to keep your head on a swivel when it comes to which players are talking at the podium or in the locker room. I'll write the story and it'll get posted on the website and app that night. There's a lot of adrenaline involved on a game day -- but you can't beat it!
You've done a lot to bring awareness to mental health, creating the with the Vikings and your recent children's book, . I want to touch on both of those things with it being Mental Health Awareness month, but first, why is mental health so important to you?
Mental health is really important to me because of the way it's impacted my life since I was really young. I was officially diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder when I was 14 years old, and I have dealt with depression more as an adult; I recently was diagnosed with OCD, which has been challenging to navigate but also so helpful to understand and feel less alone in the way my brain functions. I have also lost people close to me to suicide, including my uncle, Jerry, and friend, Ty, both of whom passed away in 2011.
I've always been a pretty open book with my inner circle, but it wasn't until 2021 that I kind of decided to share my story more publicly. I have two nephews and a niece, and my older nephew deals with a lot of anxiety challenges as well, so I have started to feel especially passionate again around children's mental health. We're all dealing with so much on a daily basis. It's easy to get stuck in that darkness, and I just want people to not feel alone because mental health struggles affect every single person, some deeper than others. Maybe it doesn't impact you personally, but it might impact a family member. I think it's just something we need to keep talking about.
I'm glad you are continuing the conversation. Why did you launch the "Getting Open" series? And what have you learned from that kind of storytelling?
It goes without saying that 2020 was a very hard time for a lot of people on the planet for various reasons with the pandemic impacting us all in different ways.
I really struggled with my mental health during that time. I got COVID in October of 2020. When I started to physically heal from that, my mental health spiraled to a level I had never experienced. I was at the very darkest and deepest place I had ever experienced. I was not suicidal, but I also did not want to exist in how that felt. It was incredibly hard. My Christian faith is very important to me and I remember praying, asking that if I somehow got better, could there be a way in which my experience can be used for good? As I improved, one of our players at the time, Jalyn Holmes had posted something about depression resources on his Instagram. I messaged him and we started dialoguing, and it became clear to me that he was interested and comfortable sharing his story. We went to the public relations staff and asked their opinion on sharing Jalyn's story. Not only were they supportive, but they suggested making it a series. "Getting Open" is a play on catching the football but also being open with our thoughts and feelings. What we thought would end up being a four-story series ended up being 10 stories as players started to become willing to share the things they had dealt with directly or indirectly. I decided it was important to be open about my own journey, as well, and decided to share that as the 11th story. I don't take it lightly that these individuals were willing to trust me with their stories and that they felt this was a safe space to share what they wanted. The reach was incredible. I even had someone email me from Africa because those stories had resonated.
Jalyn and I have had very different experiences, yet when we talked about our mental health stories and the way anxiety shows up in our everyday lives, we were so much alike. Mental illness does not discriminate.
And now, why was writing and publishing "Olivia the Brave" so important to you?
A lot of mental health advocacy is for adults, and my nephew, Oliver, was really the driving force behind this book. He was dealing with anxiety and kids aren't always kind if someone is different. It was really hard to see his struggles. At the same time, I saw him thriving with some resources he was getting, so that's what really inspired me to write the book. It's based off my own childhood experiences, as well as Oliver's, and he also gave me some fun feedback. I loved being able to include some things from him that weren't in the first draft of the story. I wanted to introduce anxiety to kids -- ages 4 to 8 is kind of the sweet spot -- in a way that is gentle. I hope it helps kids who are anxious, but it's also for others to understand what their peers are experiencing.
What a special project. What kind of feedback have you received?
The book has been out for about a year and the feedback has been more than I could have hoped for as far as the stories people have shared with me. A friend of mine has a young daughter who deals with anxiety, and while they were reading it, her daughter said, "Mom, why did Miss Lindsey write this book about me?" That really touched my heart knowing the book opened up those conversations.
Someone had also purchased a few of my books and donated them to families affected by the shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. I received an email from one of the moms whose children were in the chapel during the shooting but were thankfully physically unharmed. She said the family really loves my book. It's been so heartwarming to see people respond that way and know it is helping families.
That's great. I'm so glad that feedback has circled back to you. Is there anything else you'd like to add on this topic?
This book is totally separate from my work with the Vikings, but it's been so cool to see the support from my Vikings family and the Vikings community. (Pro Football Hall of Famer and Vikings legend) Alan Page and (Vikings RB) Aaron Jones and his family came to the book launch, and I'm so thankful for the support from my colleagues and the organization.
Now, let's turn to mentorship. Do you have any mentors, and what advice have you received from them?
My fifth/sixth grade teacher, Ken Koch, was the first person in my life who wasn't family to tell me I had a talent for writing. That stuck with me so much. I don't know that I'd be doing what I'm doing if I didn't have someone like that to build me up and teach me about writing. (Sports journalist) Laura Okmin has also been a huge mentor for me throughout my career. I met her when she first started the program, and we've had so many amazing conversations over the years. Laura has been incredible at encouraging me in this industry. She draws and attracts women who want to build each other up. I've learned how to be an ally for other women, not a competitor. Robby Incmikoski, whom I met during my Timberwolves internship, and Greg Bishop from Sports Illustrated, have taught me so much about how to build relationships and carry yourself in this industry. The same goes for my managers with the Vikings, Craig Peters, Skip Krueger and formerly Bryan Harper, and there are several others who have been instrumental. It's so important to have awesome men who support you and champion you, as well as having female mentors. Last but certainly not least, my family and close friends -- a special shoutout to Bethany -- have been outstanding as a love and support system.
Now, what advice do you have for other women looking to get into a career in this space?
We all need to learn and grow, but make sure you are your authentic self and be proud of the personality you bring to the table. Don't be afraid to use your voice -- that's something I have struggled with. It's also so important to ask questions and network. Get to know women who've been in the industry for a long time. There is so much to learn from people with that kind of experience.
And lastly, what are you most proud of?
If I'm being specific to work, it would be the "Getting Open" series. I'm so proud to build relationships and gain the necessary trust to tell stories that impact other people for the better.
