Sun announces second annual Women in Sports essay contest

The WNBA’s Connecticut Sun is inviting Connecticut students in grades 4-8 to participate in the Second Annual Women in Sports Essay Contest in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD).

All Connecticut students  interested in participating in the project may submit a one-page essay answering the question: “Who is your favorite female athlete and why?” All essays must be received by the Connecticut Sun front office by Fri., April 9. Sun players, along with members of the organization, will judge the essays.

NGWSD began in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women’s sports. It has evolved into a day that acknowledges the past while recognizing current sports achievements, the positive influence of sports participation and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports.

One grand prize winner in the Sun contest will receive an exclusive school assembly with Sun mascot Blaze and/or players to recognize the winning student, essay and school. The winner will be recognized at a Sun pre-season game, receive four tickets to a pre-season game and have their essay posted on the team’s web site. Five runners-up, one from each grade level, will receive four tickets to a Sun pre-season game and their essays posted on the team’s web site. The first 50 entrants in the contest will receive a special gift from the Connecticut Sun as well as two complimentary tickets to a Sun pre-season game.
Entry forms are now available on www.connecticutsun.com.

Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest

For the fourth year in a row, Doritos presents the “Crash the Super Bowl” contest, incorporating user generated videos and potentially shelling out a lot of do-re-mi.

Six finalists have been selected from more than 4,000 entries and the stakes this year are bigger and bolder than ever. Contestants are not only competing to have their self-made Doritos commercials aired during the Super Bowl XLIV broadcast, they are shooting to make history by beating the ad pros and garnering the top three spots in USA TODAY’s annual Ad Meter. If they can do it, Doritos will award the winners a shared $5 million cash prize.

Online consumer voting will determine which three of the six finalists will air as Doritos’ Super Bowl commercials during the big game on February 7, 2010.

Not sure why there aren’t any female filmmakers represented. C’mon girls where are you? In any case, we kinda like House Rules by Joelle De Jesus. Fans  can vote for their favorite finalist once a day at www.crashthesuperbowl.com until January 31, 2010.

Who is the greatest all-time Gatorade Player of the Year?

For 25 years, Gatorade has recognized America’s elite high school students for their athletic achievement, academic excellence and exemplary character with the Gatorade Player of the Year award. Throughout the year, Gatorade will host 10 polls to determine the greatest all-time Gatorade Player of the Year in boys football, girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys baseball, girls softball, and boys and girls track & field.

You can cast your vote for your favorite athlete of all-time once per sport, per day at http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.

Former notable Gatorade Players of the Year include:

•        Kerri Walsh, Olympic gold medal winning beach volleyball player

•        Lisa Leslie, WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder

•        Lauren Cheney, Olympic gold medal soccer player

•        Cat Osterman, Softball Olympic gold medalist

In addition, make sure to enter the Gatorade Player of the Year sweepstakes where you could win a trip to the 2010 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Awards ceremony and the ESPY Awards.

For more information about The Gatorade Player of the Year program and its 25^th anniversary celebration, please visit http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.

Fans can design Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic helmet

As the Winter Olympics draw close, we can’t wait to bring you all the exciting promotions and activities being planned to support the Games and all the athletes.

One of our fave winter athletes is skier Lindsey Vonn. Now NBCOlympics.com invites fans to join in the Countdown to Vancouver and participate in the “Design Lindsey’s Helmet” contest, beginning November 23. Vonn, one of the most successful alpine skiers in U.S. history, is challenging fans to convince her that their artwork is what she wants to feature on her helmet while soaring down the slopes during the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.

“This is your chance to be with me in Vancouver,” said Vonn.  “Whether you’re an aspiring graphic designer or just someone who likes to doodle all day, it doesn’t matter if you snow plow down the bunny slopes, tree-ski in waist deep powder, or just hang in the lodge, I want to see your designs.”

To enter the contest, fans as young as 13 years old can log on to NBCOlympics.com/lindseys-helmet/ and enter original artwork by December 21. A team of judges will narrow the submissions down to a final three designs, which will be showcased on NBCOlympics.com the first week of January. Fans will then have the opportunity to log on and vote to help Lindsey decide on the winning design.

The voting closes on January 11 with the winner to be announced in late January. The grand prize winner for the “Design Lindsey’s Helmet” contest will be awarded a trip for two to Vail, one of the world’s top ski resorts. Prizes also include a pair of Head skis and bindings and a Uvex helmet and goggles.

“Now that the World Cup season has started, I’m getting very excited for the Olympics,” said Vonn.  “I really wanted to do something that allowed my fans to share in my Vancouver experience, and this is what I came up with.  I’m looking forward to seeing what people create for my helmet.”

Vonn is coming off a second place finish in the opening Audi FIS World Cup slalom last weekend in Levi, Finland. She is continuing to train at Vail’s Golden Peak in anticipation of the Aspen Winternational World Cup coming up Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 28-29. Friday (Nov. 20) she will takes questions from kids in a live Webcast from 5:00-6:00 p.m. MT at LindseyIsEpic.com.

Fans can follow the Vancouver Bound Vonn all season long at usskiteam.com, or get insider news through the Team’s new Fan Club.

Degrassi in NYC Sweepstakes

If you’re a Degrassi fan (admit it – you know you are),  you can enter to win a chance for you and your BFF to fly to New York City to meet the cast of Degrassi, as well as a shopping spree with a TeenNick stylist!

With the new season kicking off this Friday (Oct. 9th) this is a great promotion to jump start the new school year.

Who’s your fave character? We’d want to meet Jane (Paula Brancati), whose football skills put her center stage. Some people act tough, but she’s the real thing.

If you’re from the Dallas, Austin, San Antonio area, click here to enter: http://www.timewarnercable.com/Dallas/promotions/teennick_degrassi.html

And if you’re from the Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, or Sacramento area, you can still enter here: www.comcastdegrassisweeps.com

(Sweepstakes ends on October 16^th, so submit your entry ASAP!)

Win a copy of Serena Williams’ new book

Are you a Serena fan? If so, you don’t want to miss the chance to read her new memoir, “On The Line” out in stores on Sept. 1st. And for five lucky Women Talk Sports winners – the book is free!

One of the biggest stars in tennis, Serena Williams has succeeded on and off the court. She’s applied the same strength and determination that helped her to become a champion to successful pursuits in philanthropy, fashion, television and film.

Serena’s 2009 Australia Open championship earned her the #1 world ranking for the third time in her illustrious career – and marked only the latest exclamation point on a life lived well and purposefully.

Her accomplishments have not been without struggle: being derailed by injury, devastated by the tragic shooting of her older sister, and criticized for her unorthodox approach to tennis. Yet somehow, Serena always manages to prevail.

Learn more about this extraordinary athlete by winning a copy of her new book “On The Line.” To get your copy, you must…

• Follow @womentalksports on Twitter
• CLICK HERE to send the tweet that enters you in our contest.

Winners will be randomly drawn from the pool of entrants at midnight PST Monday, August 31st and contacted via Twitter direct message. Only residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible to win. Please no P.O. boxes.

Good Luck to all!

Play It Forward: Coaches who make a difference

Behind every athlete is a great coach.  Has a coach made a difference in your life? Now is your chance to say Thank You.  Nominate your coach and Play It Forward.

YouthNoise Play City is a nonprofit campaign that promotes using sports for social change.  Last Friday, they launched a nation-wide writing contest called “Play It Forward” that asks entrants to submit stories and photos of the coaches who have made a positive impact on their lives. Prizes are available for both writers and the nominated coaches.

Do you have a coach who has made a positive impact on your life? Enter the contest!

The details:

“Play It Forward” runs from August 21 until September 21, 2009.

Contest is open to any US resident age 13 or older.

Top 3 nominated coaches will be flown to Washington, D.C. to be awarded as “Coach of the Year” at the national Up2Us Coach Appreciation Week conference.

Prize includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, food and conference registration.

Approximate Retail Value: $850 each.

Three first-place writers will win $250 Eurosport gift cards, and three second-place writers will win $100 Eurosport gift cards.

Check out the contest site at http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/playitforward/!

School Daze: Back to school trends & deals

NikeID
One of the original kings of customization, NIKEiD has launched a back-to-school iPhone app that gives teen girls (sorry, guys!) the opportunity to create custom kicks and apparel on the fly. No longer limiting designers to traditional computer access, the new NIKEiD app lets consumers choose designs and color combos for a number of styles of both shoes and clothing items. Since it wouldn’t be complete without a social media twist, the app also allows users to share their final design ideas with friends on Facebook so they can get those much-needed second opinions before making the actual purchase.

Sears
Using music as a showcase for their back-to-school looks, Sears has hired Disney t(w)een queen Selena Gomez to lead the Sears Air Band Casting Call, a competition to find a fifth member for Sears’ Arrive Air Band, which will be performing at this fall’s MTV Video Music Awards. Four separate TV spots feature Gomez’s call for the fifth band member, with each featuring back-to-school duds from Sears’ music-inspired fashion categories, including rock, pop, hip-hop and skater (not quite sure what “skater” music sounds like). Interested 8- to 16-year-olds are directed online to the Sears Arrive Lounge, where kids can submit their audition videos and vote on the contestants. In addition to contest info, the site features current band member profiles and video interviews, games, and of course, a Style Room where visitors can check out the clothes, make purchases, and share the items and looks with friends (or perhaps more importantly, parents) via email.

Macy’s
Thanks to the department store’s upcoming partnerships with two iconic teen style mags, Macy’s shoppers will soon be privy to the expert style skills and lifestyle advice of both Teen Vogue and Seventeen. Teen Vogue will host a number of in-store events in which stylists from the magazine will aid teen shoppers in creating a cutting edge back-to-school wardrobe with Macy’s merchandise. Judges will select a wardrobe champ at each location, with winners receiving a $5,000 Macy’s shopping spree and a spot in a future Teen Vogue fashion spread. Seventeen will infiltrate Macy’s locations with a number of fashion shows and mini-makeovers for teen shoppers. While the actual dates and locations have yet to be announced, the events will take place at the end of this month and into September – just in time for adolescent clothes horses to put their best looks forward for the “fashion show” that is the first week of school.

(via Trend Central)

Sports Authority
Back to School also means Back to Sports for a lot of students. To suit up for a championship season, Sports Authority is offering some great online promotions:

• 25% off Any Single Item at SportsAuthority.com Friends and Family Sale! Exclusions Apply. 8.13 to 8.16
• Shop Back to Sports and Save 15% off $100 at SportsAuthority.com! (exclusions apply. Ends 8.31)

So, with school almost back in session, it’s time to reset your clock and get back in gear!

Roxy Fans – Win a trip to Australia!

How does a trip Down Under sound?

If you’re a sporty gal ready to say “G’day”, then enter to win a Roxy Athletix Wardrobe, a three- month supply of amazing Clean Start by Dermalogica products, AND a trip for two to Australia!

Spend the 10 day adventure jet skiing, surfing, or whitewater rafting in Cairns. Sail past tropical islands on your way to the pristine water and white sand of Whitehaven Beach.  Cruise the Great Barrier Reef on a high speed catamaran and meet the local wallabies. Finish your trip off with an unforgettable visit to Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park.  Learning how to throw a boomerang is only the beginning!

Contest runs August 3rd – November 15th 2009. Open to residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec) 18 – 35 years of age.

Contest Details

Ashley Tisdale launches “Get A Clue” contest

One of our fave Pretty Tough artists, Ashley Tisdale, is getting ready to release her latest album Guilty Pleasure on July 28th.

Leading up to the release, Ashley announced the “Get a Clue” video clue contest  that will take fans across the Internet to find the answers.  If you’re not already a social media maven,  you’ll want to get up to speed fast.  Fans need to be following Ashley on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, friend her on Myspace and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

Here’s how it works: Ashley will be releasing clues on AshleyTisdale.com/getaclue.  You’ll need to write down all of the answers, and on July 28th, submit the collected responses to win the ultimate prize pack – a trip to fly out to meet Ashley at one of her concerts, an Ashley Tisdale flip cam, or an autographed poster and Guilty Pleasure CD.

For more information visit the contest site.

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