Just Women's Sports: Beyond The Game Roundtable
When Just Women's Sports reached out for production their Beyond the Game roundtable at The Spring Tournament in Chapel Hill, we knew this was more than just another shoot—it was a chance to capture an important conversation about the evolution of women's soccer and the lives of the athletes who built the foundation for today's game.
Heather O'Reilly, Cat Whitehill, Joanna Lohman, and Mana Shim discuss life on and off the pitch.
The Project
Filmed on June 2nd, 2025 at the iconic 1922 coffee shop on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, this intimate roundtable discussion brought together four accomplished women's soccer veterans for an honest conversation about identity, career, and life beyond the pitch. Hosted by Heather O'Reilly, the panel featured Cat Whitehill, Joanna Lohman, and Mana Shim—all retired USWNT players who've gone on to make their mark as coaches, advocates, speakers, and business leaders.
The roundtable was part of Just Women's Sports' partnership with RBC Wealth Management, diving into topics that resonated far beyond the soccer field: defining your identity during your playing career, balancing athletic pursuits with off-field ventures, navigating retirement, and making smart investments in life and business.
Production
We brought a three-camera setup to capture the natural flow of conversation, with thoughtful lighting design that created an intimate studio feel inside the coffee shop. Our crew worked closely with the JWS production team to ensure every angle told the story—from wide shots establishing the roundtable dynamic to closeups that captured the genuine emotion and laughter between these longtime teammates.
One of the key elements was coordinating hair and makeup for four panelists arriving from different locations and with varying needs. We brought in a team of four veteran stylists to work simultaneously, ensuring everyone felt camera-ready while maintaining the tight production timeline. The setup allowed us to load in at 1pm, get talent ready, and roll cameras by 3pm.
We also captured b-roll of the athletes interacting and getting ready before the formal discussion—those candid moments that help viewers connect with the personalities behind the athletic achievements.
The Conversation
What made this roundtable special was the authenticity. These weren't talking points—this was real talk between women who've been through the trenches together. They discussed everything from Cat Whitehill's journey from wanting to play pro football to now coaching at Emory, to Joanna Lohman's work as an international sports diplomat and her pride in being one of the first out queer professional athletes in women's soccer.
Mana Shim opened up about mental health and Heather O'Reilly reflected on motherhood and how becoming a parent shifted her perspective on the legacy they've built for the next generation of female athletes.
The panel touched on how their values have shifted from their playing days—less cutthroat competition, more collaboration. As Joanna put it, "Life is not like sport where you have a winner and a loser at the end of the day. You don't come home at night like 'I won at parenting.'"
Why This Matters
Women's sports is at a critical moment. The WNBA is breaking viewership records, the NWSL is thriving, and athletes are finally getting the recognition and compensation they deserve. But it took generations of players fighting through failed leagues, bouncing around the world, and building something from nothing to get here.
This roundtable captured that evolution—from players who remember when "one man and his dog" showed up to games, to witnessing sold-out stadiums and national media coverage today. These are the athletes who stood on the shoulders of the '99ers and built the foundation for current players to thrive.
Behind the Scenes
The shoot went seamlessly thanks to strong collaboration between our team and the JWS team. The JWS producers were great partners throughout the planning process, and their attention to detail made the day run smoothly. Chapel Hill turned out to be the perfect backdrop for this conversation—fitting that it happened at a tournament bringing together soccer fans from across different eras and backgrounds.
We're grateful JWS trusted us with this project and invited us back for a follow-up shoot in August. Working with organizations that are actively changing the landscape of sports media is exactly why we do what we do.
Watch the full roundtable: Beyond the Game Roundtable
Whether it's capturing important conversations like this or producing commercial campaigns, documentaries, and brand content, we're always looking for stories that matter. If you've got a project that needs the right team behind the camera, let's talk.
Locals Video is a full-service video production and post-production company based in Raleigh, North Carolina, serving clients across the Carolinas and beyond.
