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ESPN Kids Say The Darndest Things About Sports

ESPN digital/social video producer Kayla Johnson explains the inspiration behind her popular interviews with kids about sports

ESPN digital/social video producer Kayla Johnson knew after her first “ESPN Kids Takes” went viral that she had a hit on her hands.

The video brought levity to followers across ESPN’s social platforms as Johnson interviewed her ESPN colleagues’ children to get their hot takes on sports. Watch their responses to questions about the NBA bubble, the NBA Finals and 2020 World Series in the videos embedded below.

“Before the pandemic, 80 percent of my role was interacting with people – going out to events, interviewing different athletes, and taking those interviews and creating something out of it,” Johnson said. “It’s definitely different in a pandemic when everything is virtual since you can’t be around people and interact with them.”

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These days, Johnson has been even more conscious of the content she creates and the lens through which she views that content.

“For me, especially working in social media, you have to be on social media a lot,” Johnson said. “That means you see a lot of negativity. As a Black woman, it can get really heavy – everything is like a trigger warning. I make sure that I’m creating content that’s not dismissive of the news and what’s going on but also can bring laughter and joy. And I try to focus on that.”

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In the video at the top of the post, Front Row asks Johnson about how the project came together. She reenacts her top five favorite moments from the videos.

Jon McLeod produced the video above.
Kayla Johnson’s ESPN Employees Kids’ Takes On The 2020 World Series:

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