Heartbreaking Details About Tracy Wolfson

CBS Sports lead reporter Tracy Wolfson is passionate about sports. If you're thinking she was raised in a fanatical, athletic family, you'd be wrong. Wolfson told Athleisure that she was only seven or eight years old when she knew that she wanted to work in the sporting industry. However, right off the bat, the child faced some difficulty. "My parents had no idea how I came to wanting to do that. I had no brothers, my father wasn't really into sports, but I became obsessed with it and I became so intrigued with every sport out there," she revealed. "So, that's when I decided that I would do everything that I possibly could to be a reporter and to talk about sports for the rest of my life." Apparently, Wolfson had to employ her persuasive tactics early on in a bid to launch her career.

Speaking about her dad, podiatrist foot surgeon, Dr. Jeff Wolfson, it seems that he eventually came around and now sings a different tune. In 2020, she posted a Father's Day Instagram message saying, "Happy Father's Day to my biggest fan!" Yes, while Wolfson regularly delights sports fans with forthright and intriguing questions she poses to athletes, her dad is sitting on the sidelines admiring his daughter at work. 

But, even though she now has the career of her dreams, it doesn't mean that Wolfson's path has been an easy one. The sportscaster has had many behind-the-scenes heartbreaking moments that she has quietly soldiered through.  

Although Tracy Wolfson is a six-time Emmy Award nominee, she sometimes has a case of the jitters. She once told Entertainment Tonight, "I always get a little anxiety... It's always the pre-game waiting to get on the air and waiting to kick off." However, once the game is on, so is Wolfson, and she's ready for any action on the field. She told the outlet that she prepares for her job reporting from the sidelines by doing extensive research as soon as the Thursday and Sunday matches are over. Her steadfast routine and prep work are the reasons that she can react off the cuff during fast-paced games.

At home, Wolfson uses a similar strategy to help with the mental load and her overall well-being. "I make sure that I set my routines for my kids... It makes my job much easier and then they go off to school and that's when I focus on my work," she told Athleisure Mag. "Then I get myself into a really good routine and I think that that's the way of really finding time for yourself. If you feel good, if you're refreshed, if you're energized, you know that you're in a good spot and place, then that's ok." Both on and off the field, Wolfson believes in preparation and routine to soothe anxious thoughts so that she is more efficient and collected when crunch time hits. 

Tracy Wolfson considers motherhood to be her highest calling. The sideline reporter has been married to her husband David Reichel since New Year's Eve 2001, and they share three sons, Dylan, Ari, and Evan. Wolfson told the Jewish Standard, "Being a mom is my number one priority. I have an amazing job, and I worked really hard to get where I am, and I love it, but I always say that when it doesn't work out for my family, that's when I'm out." Wolfson told ET that even though it was good for her sons to see her as a woman who was passionate about her job, she did not like that she spent so much time away from her family. "That's the biggest challenge. It's really hard as a mom to be away from them," Wolfson said.

The lead game reporter also explained to the Jewish Standard that she leans on her husband and her support system when she cannot be in town. "I couldn't do it without my husband's support — I travel so much — and without the friends I made in town, and my children's friends' parents. I'm so lucky with the relationships I have." In addition, the family has implemented several workarounds to deal with her being away from home on important occasions. For instance, they have celebrated Thanksgiving on Tuesday for several years because she usually works on the Thursday holiday. 

When Tracy Wolfson stepped into her role as a female reporter in the sports arena, she soon discovered that she would face additional challenges that her male counterparts did not. In her interview with Jewish Standard, she said, "You are scrutinized a bit more... Every little thing is watched closely. Your looks are more important, and that's what people seem to care about." Additionally, she also experienced extra pressure to demonstrate her competency. "It means that you have to know your stuff, you have to prove yourself every day, so you have to go out there and be solid," Wolfson explained. 

Rabbi Erez Sherman interviewed Wolfson on his podcast, "Rabbi on the Sidelines," and asked the reporter what advice she would give to up-and-coming female sports journalists. Wolfson responded, "Find your mentors... They're going to open the door for you, they're going to give advice, and in my business, specifically, it's extremely important to have someone you could lean on and ask especially, you know, as a woman." In another interview with Pocket, Wolfson summed up her advice for younger women by saying, "Be confident, be knowledgeable, and be nice... Know that you can stand toe-to-toe if you work hard and know your stuff." Wolfson added that if you followed those pointers and could work well with people, you could have a long career in her industry. Score, Queen Tracy!