Antalya Meals has always been involved in sports. She started with soccer and participated in drill team, volleyball, figure skating, and swimming, competing at the club, high school, and college levels.
During college, Meals sustained multiple injuries, which required surgery. She made the difficult decision to withdraw from college to move home and have the surgery. Originally planning on being an art teacher, Meals was clueless about her next move. Having been involved in sports for many years, she turned her uncertainty into a purpose-driven career and changed her major to Recreation, Event, and Sports Management.
“I’ve always enjoyed having a hand in a little bit of everything throughout high school,” Meals shared. “I helped my mother with the event details of all booster club events, as she was the president. While I didn’t know what it meant, it was the foundation for what I currently do.”
Her first job with a professional team was supposed to be as a Game Day Intern, but Meals was reassigned to social media after a staffing change. In this position, she managed in-game social media sports and sponsorship activations, but she didn’t feel fulfilled in the role.
When she got the opportunity to try her hand at equipment management, Meals knew she’d found what she wanted to do.
Now, she is an Assistant Equipment Manager for the Allen Americans. On any day, she could be straightening up locker rooms, fixing player gear, or helping pack bags for away games.
“The major [misconception] is that the job just concerns player equipment, but it encompasses everything that involves the locker room,” Meals shared. “This includes cleaning, organization, decorations (depending on coaches), and fixing problems that may arise, like electrical or patching holes (depending on building lease/maintenance).”
A typical game day for Meals starts around 9 a.m., with preparations for morning skate, which includes setting up benches and nets for both teams. After practices, laundry begins and locker rooms are prepped for the game. As the players arrive in the afternoon, the focus shifts to game operations – handling pucks and gear. During the game, Meals’ attention switches to rotating and drying gloves and attending to urgent equipment needs. After the game, the equipment team cleans and tidies the bench and locker rooms and tackles laundry, typically finishing around 2 a.m. Each day is long, hands-on, and different from the last.
For the future of women in sports, Meals would like to see a reduction in stereotyping.
“Too often, women are still viewed through outdated assumptions – questioned for their knowledge, capabilities, or authority simply because of their gender,” she shared. “This can create unnecessary barriers and force women to work twice as hard just to be seen as equals…I would like to see more recognition of women’s professionalism, competence, and value in all aspects of sports operations—not just in supportive or administrative roles, but also in hands-on and leadership positions.”
For anyone interested in working in sports, Meals emphasizes the importance of sticking with it.
“Breaking into the industry can be tough, and it might feel like the door is hard to open at first, Meals admits. “But once you land a full-time position, it’s absolutely worth it. The energy, the people, and the behind-the-scenes experience make it an exciting and fulfilling career.”
