President Obama fills out women’s brackets for ESPN

We all know President Barack Obama is a huge hoops fans. In fact after last year’s NCAA title, Obama invited the UConn women’s team to a championship ceremony at the White House and even ended up shooting baskets with the players.  At the time, he said that as the father of two young daughters, he especially appreciated the success of female athletes like the Connecticut team.

This week Obama picked UConn to win another national championship.  In an ESPN exclusive,  Obama filled out his bracket predictions for both the 2010 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments with ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz and ESPN basketball analyst Doris Burke. This is the first time President Obama has publicly provided his bracket for the women’s tournament.

Obama’s brackets will be posted on ESPN.com shortly after SportsCenter airs his interview on Wednesday, March 17th with Katz and will appear alongside fans expected to play in ESPN Women’s Tournament Challenge presented by Capital One.

The President is predicting a Women’s Final Four of Connecticut, Notre Dame, Stanford and Tennessee to meet April 4-6 in San Antonio.

Referring to the interview, Burke said, “In just the short time I spent with President Obama, it was obvious how much of a basketball fan he is. While he has joined the rest of the nation in following the storyline of the Connecticut Huskies and their current historic win streak, I was impressed with his overall knowledge and passion for all of basketball. He is also intrigued with the potential matchup of the titans of women’s basketball in Tennessee and Connecticut.”

Don’t let the Prez be the only one having fun during March Madness. If you want to play along,  join the WomenTalkSports group for the Bracket Challenge! Here’s how:

1. Check out NCAA Games and create a user account. (name, password)
2. Click here to head to the Women’s Basketball Bracket page. (or go to D-1 Women’s basketball-picks)
3. Navigate to “Join a Group”- Join the WomenTalkSports group by entering:

group name: WomenTalkSports

password: womentalksports

It’s as simple as that, but will be loads of fun as WTS will be giving away random prizes throughout the tournament and a grand prize for the winner of our bracket challenge!

College basketball brackets revealed

The NCAA men’s basketball championship brackets were revealed on Sunday afternoon and that means the beginning of  March Madness. Millions of people in the US will now start to take part in bracket pools in the hopes of proving they have top knowledge of the sport.

It’s been a busy day in women’s college basketball as well as conferences finished up post season tournaments and more teams learned that their season is not over. Here’s a list of who earned automatic bids to the to the 2010 NCAA women’s college basketball tournament:

TEAM -CONFERENCE -DATE -LAST BID
—- ———- —- ——–
East Tennessee State (23-8) Atlantic Sun 3/6 2009
Austin Peay (15-17) Ohio Valley 3/6 2009
Princeton (26-2) Ivy League 3/6 none
Marist (26-7) Metro Atlantic Athletic 3/7 2009
Duke (27-5) Atlantic Coast 3/7 2009
Ohio State (30-4) Big Ten 3/7 2009
Tennessee (30-2) Southeastern 3/7 2009
Gonzaga (27-4) West Coast 3/8 2009
Chattanooga (24-8) Southern 3/8 2008
Xavier (27-3) Atlantic 10 3/8 2009
Middle Tennessee (25-5) Sun Belt 3/9 2009
South Dakota State (22-10) Summit League 3/9 2009
Connecticut (33-0) Big East 3/9 2009
Tulane (26-6) Conference USA 3/12 2002
Lamar (26-7) Southland 3/12 1991
Bowling Green (27-6) Mid-American 3/13 2007
UC Riverside (17-15) Big West 3/13 2007
Louisiana Tech (23-8) Western Athletic 3/13 2006
San Diego State (21-10) Mountain West 3/13 2009
Hampton (20-11) Mid-Eastern Athletic 3/13 2004
Portland State (18-14) Big Sky 3/13 none
Lehigh (29-3) Patriot League 3/13 2009
Southern (23-8) Southwestern Athletic 3/13 2006
Vermont (26-6) America East 3/13 2009
James Madison (26-6) Colonial Athletic 3/14 2007
Cleveland State (19-13) Horizon League 3/14 2008
Texas A&M (25-7) Big 12 3/14 2009
Liberty (27-5) Big South 3/14 2009
St. Francis, Pa. (17-14) Northeast 3/14 2005
Northern Iowa (17-15) Missouri Valley 3/14 none
Stanford (31-1) Pacific-10 3/14 2009

Nominate your female Sports Hero

March is Women’s History Month and there is no better way to honor female
athletes than by nominating them for one of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s 2010 award programs.

Current open nominations include:

Sportswoman of the Year Award. Every year, the Women’s Sports Foundation recognizes an individual and team Sportswoman whose performances over a 12-month time span have been exceptional. Criteria is based on new records and world championships won.Sportswoman of the Year. Nominations due 6/30/2010

Billie Jean King Contribution Award is presented to an individual or group who has made significant contributions to the development and advancement of women’s sports in general and to the Women’s Sports Foundation specifically and/or who has, through personal achievements or influence, inspired girls and women to become more responsible in their own health through sport, fitness or physical activity.

The award is earned by the demonstration of a continuing, lasting commitment and dedication to the growth of sports, fitness and physical activity for women and girls.  Nominations due 4/30/2010.

Wilma Rudolph Courage Award is presented to a female athlete who exhibits extraordinary courage in her athletic performance, demonstrates the ability to overcome adversity, makes significant contributions to sports and serves as an inspiration and role model to those who face challenges, overcomes them and strives for success at all levels. This award was first given in 1996 to Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Nominations due 4/30/2010.

Visit WomensSportsFoundation.org to nominate your favorites today!

Pretty Tough Guide to Yoga

Yoga is an activity that includes mental and physical exercises which develop breathing and preserve health. The word Yoga comes from Sanskrit “yuj” meaning unity, to join, to yoke. Ultimately the purpose of yoga is to connect you with your true self in the present moment, uniting body and spirit through the breath in preparation for meditation.

The practice of yoga  promotes greater awareness, flexibility, discipline, and ease of movement. Whether done to improve posture or prevent physical ailments, yoga poses, or asanas, are a great way to align body, mind, and spirit.

If you’re curious about yoga, try visiting a yoga studio to discover what a deep connection people have to the ancient tradition. Yoga studios are great because you’ll get an instant sense of community and discipline. While its roots may go back thousands of years, the yoga most people practice today is definitely modern.

Yoga is based on its three essential components:

• Exercise – a soft workout that increase flexibility, power, equilibrium.
• Breathing – enlarges blood circulation and lung potential.
• Meditation – brings emotional and physical relaxation.

Exercises and breathing procedures set up the body and mind for meditation. Regular practice of all these procedures has as results a strong and health body, a lucid and brilliant mind.

Classes can be taken two or three times in a week. A session usually lasts 45 minutes – 90 minutes. It begins with warm-up exercises and breathing training. Then people will try a sequence of yoga postures, each of them being practiced from one to three times. After four or five different postures you usually have permission to rest, then the procedures are followed by a period of physical relaxation joint with meditation.

Yoga has a lot of benefits which include:

Improved mental lucidity;

Reduced stress and anxiety;

Increased flexibility, range of motion;

Reduced heart rate;

Improved muscle relaxation;

Increased physical endurance;

Self-confidence;

Decreased respiratory rate.

Yoga is also used for many health problems such as:

Depression;

Headaches;

Insomnia;

Heart disease;

Chronic pains;

Thyroid illness, and several more.

What’s so cool about yoga is that the deeper you get into it, the more you can explore the more spiritual and mystical traditions–tracing all the way back to the stories of Krishna and Shiva in the Bhagavad Gita. For starters, focus on the physical practice and as you become stronger and more flexible, you’ll begin to enjoy the emotional and spiritual benefits as well.

---

Q & A

Q: Is yoga good for lower back pain?
A: Research shows that yoga can be used to manage lower back pain. Yoga stretches out the spine and strengthens the muscles of your back, hips and legs. Doing two of the most basic yoga postures – the Downward-Facing and Upward-Facing Dog – every day can make a big difference in your back’s flexibility. Be sure to start out slowly and gently and seek out classes or yoga teachers tuned into your special needs.

Namaste. (The light in me bows down to the light in you.)

International Women’s Week

It’s a global celebration of women’s talents, achievements and contributions to society. Every year, since the United Nations proclaimed March 8th  International Women’s Day in 1977, organizations around the world host a variety of events honoring those of us with a double x chromosome.

Women should be recognized for their strengths and accomplishments and we don’t do it enough so this is a really great an opportunity to turn the spotlight on the roles that women play as leaders, policy-makers, athletes, caregivers, educators, and peacemakers from the past to present day.

From the New York Times Learning Blog comes this great, thought-provoking assignment:

What makes an athlete ‘great’? Who did Times reporters choose as the top athletes of the 2010 Games? Choose your own “most memorable female athlete of the 2010 Winter Olympics” and write a newspaper profile or blog post, or make your own video, about her. How does she compare with her Olympic predecessors?

Are girls’ sports popular at your school? Why or why not? Consider the immediate and ongoing benefits of female participation in athletics. Then interview an alumna on how her high school sports career has affected her life, and write an article using the interview and commenting on the changes in female sports participation in the past three generations.

Diverse events this month reflect on the roles females have played throughout history as well as what remains to be addressed in terms of recognition and rights. These events occur not just on International Women’s Day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women so pay attention and get involved.

Girl power, indeed.

Memorable moments from female athletes at the Winter Olympics

All in all, the Vancouver Olympics were  a roller coaster of emotion; so anticipated and anxiety-driven, filled with milestones and achievements as well as heartbreak.  In the span of two weeks, there were personal, poignant moments to cherish, along with stories of accomplishments and  disappointments. A lifetime of emotions, condensed into 14 action-packed days.

Needless to say, there were lots  of memorable moments from the Winter Games , not the least of which was Shaun (”The Animal”) White’s repeat  gold medal and his Double McTwist 1260, a whirl of somersaults and flips that ends with a blind landing.

In this post, we’d like to shine the light on the oft-overlooked female athletes and some of our fave moments that will last long after the athletes pack up and leave Vancouver.

Hannah Kearney (Women’s moguls)

Four years ago, U.S. moguls skier Hannah Kearney sat in the stands in Turin after placing a dismal 22nd in the qualifying round as Canadian Jenn Heil proudly climbed atop the podium for gold. It was a moment Kearney never wanted to repeat.

She proved that during the first weekend of the Games, when she exorcised that nightmarish performance and spoiled the party for Heil with a dominating victory on Cypress Mountain. Kearney turned her showdown with the defending Olympic champion into a blowout, posting a score of 26.63 to claim the first U.S. gold medal in Vancouver.

Joannie Rochette (Figure skating)

Twenty-four year old Joannie Rochette may not have won the gold medal in figure skating but she won the hearts of fans around the world with her incredible performance.  She competed just days after her mother, Therese, died from a sudden heart attack after arriving in Vancouver. A grieving Rochelle broke down in tears after her short program and followed  with an emotional free skate program to capture the bronze at the Pacific Coliseum.  It hardly mattered that two skaters beat Rochette, including gold medalist Kim Yu-Na of South Korea who broke a world record with a highly memorable routine.

Petra Majdic (Cross-country skiing)

If gold medals were handed out for bravery then Slovenian cross country skier Petra Majdic would have been a runaway winner. Majdic broke five ribs when she slipped and fell down a gully during a training run but defied medical advice and excruciating pain to battle through three races and clinch the bronze in the women’s sprint classic. She was in so much pain that she needed help just getting on to the podium to collect her medal.

Lindsey Vonn/Julia Mancuso (Women’s downhill)

Lindsey Vonn lived up to the hype and won the women’s downhill on a badly bruised shin in a 1-2 finish with American teammate and rival Julia Mancuso in the opening week of the Games.

Kallie Humphries, Heather Moyse, Helen Upperton, Shelley-Ann Brown (Women’s bobsled)

Before the Vancouver Games, Canada had never won a medal in women’s bobsled. By the time the Games  ended, the country had two -gold and silver – courtesy of new champions Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse and runners-up Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown who sent the Whistler Sliding Center into a roaring frenzy with their medal-winning final runs. That Upperton missed a medal four years ago by .05 of a second driving Moyes, whose arrival in her sled booted a broken-heart Humphries, simply added another layer of drama to the moment.

Lydia Lassila (Women’s freestyle aerials)

Australia’s Lydia Lassila has won the gold medal in the women’s freestyle aerials by beating Chinese stars Li Nina and Guo Xinxin into the silver and bronze positions respectively.

The Chinese, led by Turin silver medallist Li, had been highly expected to win the event and even perform a podium clean sweep. They currently dominate the World Cup points table, filling five of the top six berths.

But Lassila, the only non-Chinese in the world top six, wowed the judges, and the underdog, who recently battled back from a series of injuries, moved into the gold medal position.

Angela Ruggiero, U.S., Canadian & Finnish Teams  (ice hockey)

Women’s ice hockey offered a myriad of memorable moments during the Vancouver Games. From early complaints that the sport wasn’t competitive enough, to the high-stakes gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada, to the post-match celebrations, we’ll remember these female athletes.

Who can forget the champagne, beer, at least one cigar and an attempt to drive an ice resurfacing machine after the Canadian team captured the gold medal in a 2-0 win over the U.S?  It seemed like a typical championship celebration, save for the fact the IOC and Hockey Canada felt the Canadian women’s team somehow provided a disservice to Olympic “ideals” by enjoying as they saw fit on the ice. Never mind that IOC honchos can dine with whatever wine and spirits they like, the court of public opinion forced the IOC’s complaints to go up in a cloud of smoke.

And when the president of the IOC announced to the world the sport needs to change to remain on the program, Finland’s women’s hockey team stepped up big time. Their overtime win against Sweden on Thursday had all the feel of gold. Just as the Swedes in 2006 stunned the hockey world by upsetting the Americans for the first non-U. S./Canada final in women’s Olympic hockey history, Karoliina Rantamaki’s goal 2:33 into extra time gave the Finnish team their first medal since women’s hockey’s debut Olympics in 1998.

Special Mention: Though it was certainly a memorable moment when Ruggerio won her fourth Olympic medal, her biggest contribution to the Olympic movement might still be to come: Ruggiero, who played hockey at Harvard, was elected by her peers to represent all Olympic athletes on the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission. The appointment will be for eight years and allows Ruggiero to become a full-fledged member of the IOC.

In the end, it wasn’t a single nation or gender that owned the podium, but the single-minded, passionate pursuit of athletes from around the world. And along with their competitive performances,  memories saved for eternity.

After Vancouver, the baton is handed to Russia

Do Svidanya (Goodbye) Vancouver. Do Vstretchi (See You) in Sochi.

As the Vancouver Olympics come to a close, the focus turns to the other side of the globe and Russia’s first Winter Games which will  take the Olympic movement to a new territory and a new set of challenges.

Scheduled to take place from February 7 to February 23, 2014. this will be the first time that the Russian Federation will host the Winter Olympics; the Soviet Union hosted the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow.

The Russian city’s first big moment in the world spotlight came during Sunday’s closing ceremony, with the Olympic flag handed from the mayor of Vancouver to the mayor of Sochi.

At the end of the Handover ceremony , the audience inside the BC Place was invited to hold up their own small Zorbs, like snow domes. Around the world, the crowd appeared as twinkling red, white and blue spheres, representing the Russian colors, and demonstrating Sochi 2014’s commitment to the involvement of people from all cultures and backgrounds.

After the glitz and glamour of the closing ceremonies, the hard work will continue back home as organizers continue to prepare for an event that has the prestige of Russia and its leaders – including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin – on the line.

Ever since Sochi was awarded the games by the International Olympic Committee three years ago, questions have been raised: Can Sochi complete its massive construction projects on time? Will the funding hold up? Will the games be safe in a city near the separatist Abkhazia region in neighboring Georgia?

Putin, Russian president at the time, was instrumental in Sochi securing the games when he traveled to Guatemala City in 2007 and personally lobbied IOC members. He and current President Dmitry Medvedev remain centrally involved in making sure the games are a success.

Sochi, established as a summer resort under Joseph Stalin, is a city of about 500,000 people in Russia’s Krasdonar region. Olympic organizers hope the games will serve as a catalyst in turning the area into a year-round world-class destination for Russians and foreign tourists alike.

Organizers say the games will feature the most compact layout in Winter Games history, with a cluster of ice arenas situated along the Black Sea coast and snow and sliding venues a half-hour away in the Krasnaya Polyana mountains. A new rail line is being built to connect the two clusters.

Sochi has to build virtually all of its Olympic facilities from scratch. All the venues are now under construction, with 16,000 workers busy on what is probably the biggest construction site in the world.

Sochi promises that all venues will be ready two years in advance to allow for the holding of Olympic test events. The first trial run will take place a year from now with a second-tier European Cup event in Alpine skiing. More than 70 test events are planned in 2012 and 2013.

The cost of the Olympic infrastructure project is put at $7 billion.

So what do you have planned for mid-February 2014? Whether you’re an athlete hoping to compete, or a fan who wants to watch the Games, it’s never too early to start making plans.

(via USOC)

Serena inaugurates second Kenyan school

Always a trailblazer. Always doing good things.  Always going the extra miles.

Just over a year after visiting Kenya to open the Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya, Serena Williams returned to the country to follow up on her humanitarian efforts. Williams arrived on February 22 for a three day charity mission where she will inaugurate the Wee Secondary School in Makueni, Eastern Province, Kenya.

The new school lies roughly 50 kilometers from the first one. While in the country, Williams will follow up on the progress of the Matooni school and will hold a tennis teaching session with the students at both schools.

Williams has partnered with technology giant Hewlett Packard and the Build African Schools initiative. She is a global ambassador for the firm and has also worked with the Starfishgreatheart Charity for orphans in South Africa.

Check out pics from Serena’s visit to Kenya in the photo gallery.

Hewlett Packard will equip the school with computers, printers and internet connectivity, while facilitating the training of the local teachers and students.

Ken Mbwaya, Hewlett Packard’s managing director for East Africa, said: “As our ambassador, Serena was touched by the plight of children from these areas. This has made many keen to learn, even with daily challenges and limitations. Education is the best platform to invest in as it empowers whole communities.

“Sixty-two percent of Kenyans live in absolute poverty, which means that some very bright children are hindered from achieving their potential. This is an actual impediment to the realization of Vision 2030 and we need to tackle this before we seek IT penetration into rural Kenya. Education is the best platform to invest in as it empowers whole communities.

(via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

How Olympic athletes pay the rent

If you’re dreaming of becoming an Olympic athlete, remember that beyond all the training, competition and glory there is a lot of financial struggle. Training for the Olympics (never mind competing) is at least a full-time (usually unpaid) job and even Olympians have to pay the rent.

A CNN Money article explains:

These world-class athletes are in the spotlight for two weeks every couple of years. But for the most part, they’re just regular people who have to make a living as teachers, fitness instructors or market researchers, all while putting in hours of grueling sports training.

For every Shaun White and Lindsey Vonn, two gold medalists who have scored multi-million dollar endorsement deals, there are hundreds more who struggle with everyday jobs.

So how do Olympic athletes survive financially?

In the United States, where many athletes begin training at an early age, training costs are often paid by their parents. Those expenses can run into tens of thousands annually for the most talented youngsters.

After high school,  colleges and universities become an athlete’s primary source of training. Often competing on scholarship, these athletes’ efforts are rewarded not only with top-notch coaching but with financial aid to complete their education.

When an athlete is selected to a national team, some funding usually becomes available from the USOC which relies on corporate sponsors and private donations. But that generally isn’t enough to cover their travel, tournament, and equipment costs.

Expenses pile up fast.  According the CNN Money article, Olympic curler Nicole Joraanstad says a single season competing just to qualify for the Olympics costs as much as $150,000.

Many athletes used to work at the Home Depot,  a company that since 2004 had been a part of the Olympic Job Opportunities Program (OJOP), a partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee that pays athletes full-time salaries and benefits for working part-time hours. But the retailer folded OJOP in 2009, after four years as the exclusive sponsor.

The USOC also partners with staffing firms to help athletes secure flexible positions. The Adecco Group, a Zurich, Switzerland-based global staffing firm, recently renewed its contract with the U.S.O.C. through 2012.

Strong work ethics and time management skills make athletes attractive to employers, says Patricia Wilson, brand director for Adecco Group North America. “Athletes know how to succeed independently, but they [also] know the importance of being a team player,” she said.

In the early days of the modern Olympics, all the participants were amateurs. The Olympic mystique suggested that anyone could be a contender. Ordinary people dreamed of being Olympians, and the dreams spurred athletic activity all over the world.

Then the Soviet Union and its  Communist allies entered the games. Their athletes were fully supported by their governments. None ever held a job. They trained 8 hours a day, 365 days a year. They won most of the gold, silver and bronze during the 1970s and 1980s.  It was unfair and in 1986, the IOC  changed its rule book (Olympic Charter) to allow “all the world’s great male and female athletes to participate.”

Money has changed the look and feel of the Olympics. To remain competitive, athletes have to rely on their families and sponsors for expensive equipment, travel and training expenses.

Winter athletes may have the hardest time  since their sports are more popular outside of the United States. What’s worse is that the United States won’t host an Olympic winter or summer event for some time, pushing U.S. athletes further out of the spotlight. Athletes may fade from attention in off-Olympic years, but they still have to support themselves.

Most nations support their Olympic athletes  financially, but the U.S. government gives zero money to its athletes. All the host cities in the world except those in the USA have supported their host Winter and Summer Olympics with billions of dollars. Many countries also reward their medalists with money for landing on the podium.

The USOC does offer “medal bonuses” (currently $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for Silver, and $10,000 for Bronze) and while the bonuses are a nice way to reward athletes for a big accomplishment, very few will ever enjoy the steady income that comes with a corporate sponsorship, making what they endure to compete all the more impressive.

Regardless of who foots the bill, the true test of an Olympian is their passion and how hard they train. Money cannot buy the drive and persistence of an Olympian.

Related Posts:
Winter Olympians show us the money
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Millionaire coach supports prep girls hoops team

This story is pretty awesome.

A USA Today feature profiles Coach Jim Justice who, over the past  25 years, has coached more than 1,000 games — from AAU teams to West Virginia’s Greenbrier East girls high school team, which he took over 10 years ago.

What makes the 58-year old coach different from most high school basketball coaches is the fact that for him, it’s much more than just a job. He’s a millionaire who owns coal mines, farms and the nearby Greenbrier Resort.

He’s a coach whose generosity directly benefits his players. He paid $300,000 to have a parquet floor installed in the Greenbrier East Gym. At every game, the players run through an inflatable tunnel to the court when they’re introduced, and a video screen flashes their pictures.

When two feet of snow threatened to postpone a game against Huntington Spring Valley in late December, Justice hired a contractor to plow the parking lot.

Jeff Bryant, principal at Greenbrier East, admits there might have been cynics when Justice took the job. After all, why would a wealthy businessman want to coach? And how would he have time?

“That’s so pitifully easy to explain,” Justice says. “I love the game.”

He says he thinks he makes $3,300 to coach but doesn’t  know for sure because he gives the money to his assistant coaches.”

“There’s a lot more to him than what’s in his pocket,” wrote Alexis Hornbuckle, a former Justice pupil, in an e-mail. “He has a great heart and is a very loving and forgiving man.”

Hornbuckle played on one of his AAU teams before leading South Charleston to victory vs. Greenbrier East in the 2004 championship game. She played on two NCAA championship teams at Tennessee and now is with the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock.

For those who believe that wealth transcends dollars, Justice is an example of someone who has gotten way more back from life than he’s been able to give.
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