ESPN Deportes

One Nación illustrates positive impacts Latinos have in sports, on and off field

Topics featured on One Nacion

Each of these features will focus on the positive impacts Latinos are having on and off the field in these environments, ESPN coordinating producer Hugo Balta said. The features focus on:

  • The rising popularity of basketball in Mexico
  • The Golden Age of Latino Baseball and MLB’s schools in the Dominican Republic
  • The grassroots efforts of a small Texas gym to train upcoming Mexican-American boxers and remarkable former Olympic boxers
  • The relationship between Mexico and the U.S. utilizing players across their leagues and the business of American soccer since the 2014 FIFA World Cup
  • Analysis of the historical arch of Latino artists’ presence in the U.S. main sporting events, focusing on the impact of the growing Hispanic population on American pop culture
  • When the producers of One Nacion met this spring to begin planning for the 2014 edition of the Hispanic Heritage Month special, they wanted their previous experience to help shape their vision for the next show.

    The 2013 edition of One Nacion focused on incorporating Latino sports stars to be part of the production and discussion about Hispanics in sports. The 2014 edition, debuting tonight (7 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN Deportes), tackles some of the same themes but with a broader approach as ESPN celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month.

    One Nacion tells the stories of how Latinos are positively impacting some of the most popular sports in the U.S.,” said Hugo Balta, an ESPN coordinating producer. “The show traveled to New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and many other cities.”

    A staple of One Nacion is that it is “bilingual, smartly weaving through English and Spanish authentically. It is an extension of what happens daily in many homes across the country,” Balta said.

    One Nacion is the result of the ESPN and ESPN Deportes production teams collaborating. The show’s co-hosts are SportsCenter anchor Max Bretos, Nación ESPN co-host Adriana Monsalve, and #Redes co-host Alfredo Lomelí. ESPN NBA analyst Bruce Bowen is among the guests on the show.

    “[We looked] at the lessons learned and best practices of last year’s One Nación special and strategized on building on that experience,” Balta said. “It’s great to draw from each team’s experiences and talent in order to produce something unique.”

    Said Bretos: “For those who tune in, we hope to be inclusive in telling the story of those athletes. Hopefully, you walk away knowing a little more of the challenges they face, and understand what makes them tick.”

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