ESPN and ESPN Deportes' Special Show, One Nación, Showcases Hispanic Impact on Sports

ESPN and ESPN Deportes' special show, One Nación, will feature an assortment of special segments and story lines that depict the growth of Hispanic athletes' impact on the world of sports and the prominence of the Hispanic fan base for basketball, baseball, boxing, soccer and baseball.

One Nación will air as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month. In its second year, the ESPN and ESPN Deportes collaboration will bring the American public a bilingual and bicultural snapshot of Hispanic players/athletes' talent, and it will document the support of Hispanic coaches, fans and NFL administrators.

Last year, One Nación featured a countdown of the top 10 most influential Hispanic athletes of all time. This year, however, they will shake things up, and the episode will showcase the aptitude of Hispanic basketball players. It will highlight the contribution of Hispanic baseball coaches and it will take a look at MLB's schools in the Dominican Republic. It will focus attention on the NFL Hispanic fan base with a special look at the Mexican audience. And it will feature the rise of up-and-coming Hispanic boxers, and it will profile MLS stars and soccer stars in the U.S. Their boxing piece will show the training of athletes, and the soccer highlights will draw a spotlight on how soccer has become big business in the U.S.

Maria Soares, Senior Coordinating Producer from One Nación, spoke with Latin Post about the conception of One Nación, an overview of storylines and how the show has changed since last year, also how ESPN Deportes has changed since she's been with the company.

Soares shared that One Nación came along as an exciting experiment, one that worked to blend languages and cultures. The concept was so well-received that ESPN Deportes decided to build upon the same concept, by showing the deepening influence that Hispanics have on U.S. sports culture.

"We really want to focus on the impact Hispanics have had on sports culture. And what you will see with these features is that Hispanic athletes influence the Hispanic community, it will create future sports stars and you'll see the impact Hispanics may have on actual organizing bodies in sports ... and how they're doing things differently," said Soares.

Soares continued, "The more Latinos are represented in sports, the more Latino children and the next generation will see themselves in the diversity of these sports. And it will be clear that sports are for everyone."

Bilingual and bicultural individuals will appreciate the sports special, which blends those elements with social media interaction. This year's program will be "very live" and will integrate Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, so that people at home can offer opinions, thoughts and insights about Hispanics' involvement in sports.

It's a changing time in many sports. And it's Hispanic athletes and organizers who are taking the rein. Latino children who didn't grow up with role models have become adults and role models to younger generations. ESPN Deportes has also changed since it was first developed, and it has grown to be seen as more than a Spanish-language network. Now, more and more people realize that ESPN Deportes isn't just about being a Spanish-language network; it's about representing the Hispanic community in everything that they do. Deportes focuses on a mixed, Hispanic-dominated audience, whether or not Hispanics are bilingual. Deportes has had an impact on sports content in regards to the Hispanic population and U.S. mainstream.

Former MLB star and ESPN analyst Candy Maldonado; ESPN commentator Fernando Palomo; Olympic softball gold and silver medalist; ESPN color analyst/reporter Jessica Mendoza; ESPN hosts Alfredo Lomeli, Adriana Monsalve, Max Bretos and a broad list of other talented Latinos from all edges of the ESPN world. As much as the talent differs, they have something in common, culture. And they've will gather on a stage together to celebrate that culture.

One Nación will air on Oct. 8 at 7:00p.m. EST on both ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Check ESPN Deportes on Facebook and Twitter.