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Getting to know your favorite athletes as people is one of the great benefits of social media. People tend to forget that athletes are also everyday people. It’s refreshing to hear about their favorite hobbies, and even see one of them drop the “dougie” every now and then.
Ella Masar, of the NWSL’s Houston Dash, is the co-host of the “Ella and Erin Show,” a hit YouTube series that takes place during the NWSL season, introducing fans to players on Ella and Erin’s team. “I think it’s cool for people to see the other sides of athletes,” Masar said when The18 sat down with her recently.
Masar started the show back when she was a member of the Chicago Red Stars with then teammate Carmelina Moscato. It began when Masar and Moscato were walking through the Red Stars office as Masar was looking to buy season tickets, something she picked up from players during her tenure at Paris Saint Germaine. “I thought it was one of the coolest things that the players bought season tickets to show faith in the club,” Masar told The18. She simply wanted to take her two tickets and ask fans questions about a player on her team, and then the winner would get the tickets.
Moscato just happened to be by Masar's side during the first film session and, before you knew it, the two were on camera a day later debuting “The Ella and Carm Show.” The show grew into its own with fun segments and appearances from players like Lori Chalupny, Morgan Brian, Becky Edwards, Meghan Klingenberg and Carli Lloyd.
Now, with a different club, a new hair color and a new co-host that happens to be her wife, Masar’s fun side project has turned into quite the YouTube hit, especially with segments like “name that dance” and “lip sync battle.” But the planning for the show isn’t as extensive as you might think. “Honestly, the games come with who’s on the show,” said the University of Illinois alum. “For Brittney Bock and Jessica Donnel, those two are dancing all the time in the locker room and they have no issue with getting up and doing that on camera.”
As you can expect, the show’s flow is also aided by the fact that Ella and Erin McLeoud have such good chemistry on camera. “She’s good at picking up one liners,” Masar said. “She’s quite fast on her feet and she’s very witty. Even if I say a comment that’s kind of out there, she’s good at picking it up and running with it.”
Ella loves to give fans insight into what their favorite players are like off the pitch and loves to learn more about her teammates. “We do it for the people,” she said. “You get to find out what [these girls] are all about and what they enjoy.”
But another reason she does it is to show people that athletes are just like everyone else. “Whether it’s soccer players or the NFL, wherever it takes us, for us it’s cool that people get to see we’re not just footballers,” Masar said.
When asked if she planned on continuing the show after her football career, she poetically said, “You see Messi, or you see Wayne Rooney, and you get to see their faces beyond football and you see their quirky sides. That's the whole point of it. If people want to keep seeing that, then absolutely.”
Keep the episodes coming ladies.
Follow Bryce Badwan on twitter @bbadss
