Mother’s Day takes on new meaning for expecting pit reporter Jamie Little

ESPN reporter Jamie Little always has considered her mother to be her hero.

Now that Little’s about to become a parent herself, Mother’s Day is taking on additional meaning.

Little, who is a pit reporter on ESPN’s NASCAR and IndyCar coverage, and her husband Cody Selman are expecting their first child in early August. She will be in the pits at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway as ESPN2 airs the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on tonight at 6:30 ET.

“With me living so close to my mom and my stepdad [in Las Vegas], we’re kind of going through this pregnancy process and the excitement level together,” Little said. “And I’m looking at her through different eyes now and I can only imagine once the baby gets here how that’s going to change even more.

“It was even harder for her because her husband traveled all the time and she was left alone a lot and I’m by myself a lot out on the road, so we can understand each other that way,” she said. “I just understand more what she went through having a child. It’s been fun so far and I just think the level of respect is just amplified as this process goes on.”

Little and her mother grew especially close after her parents divorced when she was very young.

“Just being an only child and my mom was a single mom, so naturally we have this bond and this relationship that I think is very unique,” she said. “She’s always been my hero, she always proved that no matter if you’re male or female, you can get the job done and you do whatever it takes to support your family.

“That’s what she did for me, and every Mother’s Day is a great time to reflect on that and to thank her for everything that she did for me.”