Arriving at soccer practice early was always something I looked forward to. The small windows of time between when I got there and when we started playing were often the only chances I got to catch up with my teammates.
When I started high school, these moments became even more important. Brisk November practices brought discussions of the awards and recognition that the high school season brought. Some of these honors were awarded by an Instagram account called @eliteoregongirls (EOG). It was widely known, yet unspoken, that there was something suspicious about the person behind the account, but nevertheless, we honored their opinion. In a highschool culture that has always valued mens’ sports over womens’, it was some of the only recognition we got.
As a young female athlete who grew up playing sports, I understand how it feels to be underrepresented in the media. I constantly heard stereotypes from coaches and Physical Education teachers about how women and girls are
athletically inferior to men. Small misogynistic comments, along with a lack of representation, began to have an effect on my self-worth as an athlete. In contrast, EOG’s coverage felt refreshing.
EOG appeared as a positive platform that empowered female athletes throughout the state, but the rumors I had heard prompted me to believe otherwise. In the fall of 2022, myself and two other reporters, both of whom were also female athletes, began to investigate.
It was surprisingly easy to discover that a man in his late 20s ran the account, which was solely focused on young female athletes. This alone raised a red flag, which inspired us to continue searching for information.
To figure out the owner’s true intentions, we decided that it was best to speak with him directly. I emailed Eric Watkins, the owner of the account, requesting an interview with him. Less than 10 minutes later, he responded enthusiastically, saying that he would be willing to answer our questions and even suggesting that we meet in person.
By the end of the week, my colleague and I found ourselves sitting on a Zoom call with Watkins. We spoke with him about why he chose to run EOG and his goals for the platform.
Towards the end of the call, we asked Watkins about a rumor that we had heard: that he was banned from the Salem-Keizer school district. His tone immediately changed. He promptly became defensive, vigorously denying that he was banned. We later found official records that showed he was.
After a month of phone calls, emails, dead ends and finally some successes, on Dec. 12, 2022, Grant Magazine published “The Cost of Coverage.” Shortly after publishing the story, we were contacted by small and large publications across Oregon congratulating us and offering to republish our story. Other female athletes who Watkins had acted inappropriately with reached out and wanted to share their experiences with us. The support we received made the struggle to find the truth all the more worth it. It was one of the first times I’ve felt truly recog-
nized in such a male-dominated society.
Following the publication of our article, EOG’s Instagram account lost more than 2,000 followers in four days. By the end of that week, the website and account were deactivated. Instead of successful, I felt oddly guilty. Though Watkins abused his platform, the account had brought recognition to female athletes across Oregon, especially those who attended smaller schools in less-populated regions of the state.
I don’t regret anything we wrote in “The Cost of Coverage” — the positive impacts of EOG don’t excuse Watkins’ inappropriate actions. Regardless, a part of me still felt at fault for taking a resource and platform from young female athletes. I attend a school large enough to receive recognition outside of EOG’s coverage; many athletes highlighted by Watkins do not have the same opportunities and rely on EOG as their only chance at publication.
My guilt didn’t last long. On April 4, 2023, EOG returned. The account became active once again and Watkins continued posting without consequence.
Throughout the 2023 spring high school sports season, EOG ran similarly to how it had before “The Cost of Coverage” was written, posting rankings, highlights, photos and stories about various
female sports teams and athletes in Oregon.
On May 4, 2023, Watkins posted what I believe he considered to be an apology. He wrote seven paragraphs concerning his feelings in response to “The Cost of Coverage.” This is despite the fact that, throughout our entire writing process, we gave Watkins multiple opportunities for second interviews, follow-up questions and additional chances to com-
ment, but never received a response.
I’ve read those seven paragraphs somewhere around 50 times, and I still can’t understand what exactly Watkins is attempting to say. For example, Watkins writes, “After much reflection, I’ve come to accept that my mindset and approach to things may not be easily understood by others. While I recognize there’s nothing inherently wrong with it …”
I can only assume that the “mindset” Watkins is referring to is his inappropriate relationships and interactions with teenage girls. A mindset that he believes is not “inherently wrong.”
This feeble attempt at an apology demonstrates that Watkins completely misunderstood the message of “The Cost of Coverage.” I have evidence that after Watkins reactivated his accounts, he continued to use his platform to speak to underage girls, clearly indicating that he feels no remorse for his actions and has faced no accountability for his
abuse of his platform.
On July 29, 2023, the EOG website posted an unveiling of its new student internship opportunities. This is similar to an opportunity EOG offered in the fall of 2022, where student contributors provided content for Watkins to post on EOG. These opportunities allow high school students to essentially work under Watkins.
The EOG website specifies that applicants aren’t required to have a parent signature: “regarding parental permission, the law isn’t specific, but we do have a form available for parents to sign upon request if they prefer their student to participate. However, student participation doesn’t require their signature.”
Yet again, Watkins continues to push boundaries surrounding his interactions with minors.
In late August 2023, both the EOG Instagram account and website were deactivated. This abrupt absence occurred after a follow-up piece in The Oregonian reported on Watkins’ return and active attempts to recruit teenage girls as interns.
Though I’m relieved that EOG seems to be gone for good, the scars the account has left on the female athletics community run deep. Situations of gender-based mistreatment are frequent and recurrent for female athletes. Underrepresentation, unfair wages and sexualization are struggles that most female athletes begin to experience at a young age. Making the choice to deplatform accounts like EOG is the first step we can take to break the cycle, but it is by no means the end.
