Alanna Rizzo: Making an impact on and off the field

The sports world has been put on pause with hopes to help stop the spread of Coronavirus. Professional sports are postponed, collegiate seasons are canceled and the Olympics will not take place until 2021.

Major League Baseball should be starting up right now, but instead, we are left with empty stadiums and re-runs. While times are tough, and there are only so many puzzles you can complete, I will continue to showcase the several amazing women in baseball.

This week I want to talk about Spectrum SportsNet L.A. reporter for the Los Angeles Dodgers and six-time Emmy award winner, Alanna Rizzo, who is making an impact both on and off the field. 

Rizzo attended the University of Colorado at Boulder for her bachelor’s in international business, before returning for her master’s in broadcast journalism. 

Rizzo’s professionalism and smart interview questions have gained her enormous amounts of respect from players and coaches throughout her years with the Dodgers. 

She has even gained a fanbase of her own, as many people look up to her and the phenomenal job she does covering the game.

But, her work goes beyond baseball. She is a prime example of using a platform for good. In February 2009, Rizzo adopted her dog, Guidry, from the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in Colorado.

Through adopting Guidry, Rizzo learned about the millions of dogs either on the streets, in shelters or being fostered. Using her following, Rizzo started the Guidry’s Guardian Foundation to help fund and support shelters and rescues. This foundation is 100% donation based.

Rizzo often reaches out to her 105,000 Instagram followers, when there is a dog in need of an urgent adoption or emergency surgery. She even pulls from her own bank account to help pay for adoption fees and surgery costs.

Rizzo has hosted events at Dodger Stadium, such as a scorekeeping lesson for women, to help raise money for the foundation. Earlier this year, her event sold out resulting in her raising the number of tickets sold from 40 to 120. 

The Guidry’s Guardian Foundation has not only gained popularity within the baseball community but celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment have also shown their support and brought awareness toward the foundation.

Rizzo has been one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to sports broadcasting. Her efforts on and off the field are evident, making her a perfect role model for women of all ages wanting to make a change in the world.