Serving as head coach of the WNBA stars will be Brian Agler of the Seattle Storm, who earned the honor by virtue of his team having the best winning percentage through games of July 1. Nancy Darsch, the lead assistant under Agler with the Storm, will serve in the same capacity with the WNBA team during The Stars at the Sun.

The USA Basketball Women’s National Team is coached by Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball Coach. His assistants are Doug Bruno (head coach, DePaul University), Jennifer Gillom (head coach, Los Angeles Sparks) and Marynell Meadors (head coach, Atlanta Dream).

Pregame Challenge:

The top WNBA players will participate in the Three-Point Contest and the Skills Challenge as part of the 2010 WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun Pregame Challenge. The Pregame Challenge will take place prior to The Stars at the Sun game and will be streamed live on WNBA.com beginning at approximately 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 10.

Six of the league’s elite shooters will compete over two rounds in the Three-Point Contest, including Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Swin Cash (Seattle Storm), Katie Douglas (Indiana Fever), Monique Currie (Washington Mystics),Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), and Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx).

Players will have one minute to make as many three-pointers as they can from five shooting stations behind the arc. Each spot consists of five basketballs – four WNBA balls worth one point apiece and one “Money Ball” worth two points. The top three scorers will advance to the final round.

The Skills Challenge will feature six players competing to make a series of baskets while navigating an obstacle course. Lindsey Harding (Washington Mystics), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx), Iziane Castro Marques (Atlanta Dream), and Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun) will participate in the event.

Rosters:

More info at WNBA.com. ESPN will televise the game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, with coverage presented by adidas.

Five things to watch Saturday at Stars at the Sun

Cold War Kids, The Soft Pack, Bedouin Soundclash, Iration, Switchfoot, Timmy Curran, Cobra Starship, Street Drum Corps, Hot Hot Heat and Weezer.

This year’s U.S. Open of Surfing did not hold back when it came to creating an all-star musical line up. First you’ve got the Cold War Kids; a group of guys  from the Orange County area who are pretty good.   Hot Hot Heat came onto the scene about six years ago and their music and fan following has progressed.  The event still needed a band with marquee attraction so they brought in Weezer.

This year’s U.S. Open of surfing will be that much sweeter with these bands (and others like Iration, Bedouin Soundclash and Street Drum Corps)  in the lineup.

The U.S. Open features North America’s only combined Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Men’s Prime and Women’s Six-Star competitions.  The event also hosts the U.S. Open Men’s and Women’s Junior Pro and the second annual WPS All Stars event which allows the public to choose 10 pro surfers to compete in the U.S. Open.

Additionally, the Nike 6.0 HB BMX Pro is a uniquely-formatted “park event,” featuring 25 invited riders. The Converse Coastal Carnage returns with a Super Mini-Park event for skateboarding featuring an impressive roster of 35 all-star skateboarders.  Hurley’s Walk the Walk National Championship, a high school fashion competition, hits the U.S. Open stage on Friday, August 6. Six schools will create their own five-minute fashion show to win the grand prize of $25,000.

What to look forward to?

U.S. Open of  Surfing Women

What It Is: ASP 6-Star Qualifier

Who’s In It: All the best girls, including three-time world champ Steph Gilmore, rising stars Carissa Moore and Malia Manuel and 2009 US Open Champ Courtney Conlogue

Prizemoney: $35,000 ($4,500 for the winner)

Why It Matters: With the women’s world tour mostly beyond American soil, this is the chance for the world’s best women surfers to show the USA just how far they’ve come. The level will blow your mind.

When: Quarter-final takes place Friday, Aug 6th at 11:30 pm. Semi on  Saturday, Aug. 7th at noon. Final takes place  at 3:30 pm

Music Schedule:

Tuesday, August 3 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Cold War Kids preceded by The Soft Pack
Wednesday August 4 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Bedouin Soundclash preceded by Iration
Thursday August 5 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Switchfoot preceded by Timmy Curran
Friday, August 6 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Cobra Starship preceded by Street Drum Corps
Saturday, August 7 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Weezer preceded by Hot Hot Heat

Check out all the events at the U.S. Open of Surfing.

Following an action-packed NERF DART TAG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP premiere in 2009, Hasbro’s NERF brand is back at Dew Tour to bring fans an awesome way to suit up, compete and battle it out, NERF DART TAG style. This summer as part of the Dew Tour’s award-winning Festival Village, the NERF DART TAG League will host regional NERF DART TAG tournaments in Boston, Chicago, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas. Teams will compete against one another in the NERF Battle Dome Arena for a spot in the final NERF DART TAG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP event.

At each regional tournament players will compete in teams of four in one of two age groups: 8-12 years and 13-17 years. The winning regional teams will enter battle one last time at the NERF DART TAG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP event in Las Vegas this October to show off their blaster skills and compete to receive ultimate DART TAG fame and win $25,000!

“The NERF DART TAG tournaments offer fans across the country a unique, competitive sporting environment to show off their blaster skills, strategy, and teamwork,” said Jeff Jackson, vice president of marketing, Hasbro, Inc. “As a sponsor of the Dew Tour for the second consecutive year, we’re thrilled to provide NERF NATION with an ideal arena for this popular competition and – based on the action we saw from our fans last year – to celebrate achieving the incredible with NERF!”

The 2010 Dew Tour features more than 150 of the world’s top action sports athletes, competing in Skateboarding, BMX, and Freestyle Motocross, and will make the following stops:

– June 25-26 — Skate Open, Boston, MA — TD Garden

– July 23-24 — Nike 6.0 BMX Open, Chicago, IL — Museum Campus

– August 12-15 — Wendy’s Invitational, Portland, OR — Rose Quarter

– September 16-19 — Toyota Challenge, Salt Lake City, UT — EnergySolutions Arena

– October 14-17 — Dew Tour Championships, Las Vegas, NV — Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Girls, represent.

(via press release)

Cara’s Karma

“Cara’s Karma”  is a comedy film that takes place in the So Cal Surf & Skateboarding culture  about a woman who overcomes her love karma to find true love & happiness.  The producers are  holding an Open Call for skateboarders online & here’s how to check it out:

http://www.caraskarma.com (click on the YouTube link to see the video invite).

Dear Pen Pal

Courtney and GRO are producers on another project currently casting skateboarders. “Dear Pen Pal” is a low budget, independent feature skateboarding movie scheduled to shoot during August 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California.

RSVPs are required for the “Dear Pen Pal” casting call. For a chance to audition:

• Complete submission sent to casting.dear_pen_pal@yahoo.com
• If you got the look, skills and the requirements for a role, they will contact you for an audition. The sooner they get your submissions the better chance you’ll be considered.

What to expect after you get a call or response from the casting director:

• Bring your submissions requirement with you.
• Cold reading
• Study your  ’sides’
• Then they call you in.
• Be prepared to be photographed!!

Seeking well-known Skateboarders & Actors  for the following roles:

TERESA (Supporting Role 2), early 20s, Caucasian, blonde hair and blue eyes, slim, athletic, tomboyish. An added value if you know how to skateboard (ditch / 10ft ramp). Teresa is a skateboarder and one of Rena’s friends from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She and Rachel go on a road trip to skate. She is energetic, confident, caring and funny. Sometimes wear
knee high tube socks. (Los Angeles, Ca & Albuquerque, NM)

BILL  (Supporting Role 2), early 20s, Caucasian, slim, athletic, surfer looking. An added value if you know how to swing dance, skateboard and surf. Bill is a skateboarder, swing dancer and is John and Max’s friend. He’s funny, cocky, sarcastic sense of humor, caring and a prankster. He loves a challenge. (Los Angeles, Ca & Albuquerque, NM)

WAITRESS (reside in Cali).

SAM, 20s, skater, Laura’s boyfriend (reside in Cali).

LAURA, 20s, skater, Sam’s girlfriend (reside in Cali).

SECURITY, mid 30s-50s, for a skate spot scene (reside in Cali).

BOUNCER, mid 20s-40s, for a music venue scene (reside in Cali).

Background Extras:

SKATEBOARDERS (pool, bowl, street, park, downhill) for various scenes;

SKATER/SURFER LOOKING CHARACTERS (21+ over, reside in California) for beach house party scene;

Any and all types for restaurant, board walk, street scenes (reside in Cali);

Serious inquiry only. Please submit the following from the website at
www.projectginc.com/dearpenpal under “Cast – Submission”.

Contact Casting Director
e-mail: casting.dear_pen_pal@yahoo.com
For more info, please visit the film website at www.projectginc.com/dearpenpal

Good luck!

On June 21, 1997, the inaugural season began when the Los Angles Sparks hosted the New York Liberty with 14,284 in attendance.  New York defeated Los Angeles Sparks 67-57- and the game was nationally televised on NBC.

The WNBA wasn’t expected to last. Yet, here it is, 13 years after the NBA Board of Governors approved the concept, in the midst of  its 13th season. Talented players such as Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Cynthia Cooper helped bring the merits of the WNBA to the attention of the world and they earned it enormous respect on once exclusively male-dominated courts.

The league started out with eight teams but  doubled in size by the early 2000s.  In 2006, it became the first team-oriented women’s professional sports league to survive ten consecutive seasons. Players and coaches credit the growing success of the league to the increasing talent pool of players that come in every year.

Like most professional women’s sports leagues, the WNBA is unable to rake in nearly as much dough as its male counterpart. According to WNBA.com, the gender breakdown of their TV audience is about 50/50 but obviously interest in the league still needs to grow.  Injuries and restrictive rules have hampered this season somewhat but for those that love the game, there’s still a lot of great action on court. Be sure to tune in or attend a game!

Happy Birthday WNBA – here’s to another year!

Boston’s stop includes women’s divisions for skate vert and park. Lacey Baker, Amy Caron and Vanessa Torres are just a few of the top girls competing in park and Lyn-z Adams, Mimi Knoop and Gaby Ponce are among the heavy hitters in vert.

Fans looking to to get a glimpse of Olympic snowboarding champion Shaun White competing are out of luck. He sustained a left ankle injury that will keep him from following up his gold-medal-winning performance at the Vancouver Olympics with  a new title  – Skateboarding World Champion. White’s representatives reported that he rolled an ankle while training and would not participate in the two-day 2010 Dew Tour event. However, he will be in NBC’s broadcast booth for the vert finals Saturday.

n 2009, the Dew Tour Skate Open and the International Skateboarding Federation (ISF) Skateboarding World Championships showcased the first ever Skateboarding World Championships in the United States featuring over 140 skaters from 28 countries participated in the world-class skateboard vert and park competition. ISF Skateboarding World Championship 2009 titles were awarded to Ryan Sheckler (skate park, men), Vanessa Torres (skate park, women), Bucky Lasek (skate vert, men) and Lyn-z Adams Hawkins (skate vert, women).

For those unfamiliar with the Dew Tour, it debuted in 2005 and consists of five major, multi-sport events spanning across the country, with a cumulative points system, a $2.5 million competitive purse a bonus pool at year-end based on overall tour standings. The Tour features skateboarding (park and vert), BMX (park, vert and dirt) and freestyle motocross. At season’s end, the overall points leaders in the five disciplines will be crowned year-end champions and awarded the prestigious Dew Cup.

The 2010 Dew Tour will make the following stops:

– June 25-26 — Skate Open, Boston, MA — TD Garden
– July 23-24 — Nike 6.0 BMX Open, Chicago, IL — Museum Campus
– August 12-15 — Wendy’s Invitational, Portland, OR — Rose Quarter
– September 16-19 — Toyota Challenge, Salt Lake City, UT — EnergySolutions Arena
– October 14-17 — Dew Tour Championships, Las Vegas, NV — Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

500 FREE Team USA Party Kits

There’s more … the first 500 people who register will get a FREE Team USA Party Kit shipped right to your door* in time for the Fourth of July weekend.

What’s in the Party Kit?… U.S. Olympic bumper stickers, flying discs, Team USA megaphones to cheer on your favorite Backyard Games participant, an Olympic Highlight DVD and an apron for that special chef who will be preparing your food.

Bonus Download

Everyone who registers will also receive a bonus download provided by 24 Hour Fitness. The U.S. Olympic 5-Ring Challenge offers five simple exercises that test the core athletic attributes of agility, flexibility, power, speed and strength. Who knows? Maybe you or someone in your family is a future Olympian.

Supporting Team USA

Team USA is proudly funded by loyal fans like you. Donations help the U.S. Olympic Committee prepare Team USA for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and promote the Olympic Movement throughout the country. As a way of saying Thank You, the USOC is offering a free U.S. Olympic t-shirt for donations of $20 or more.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July, and Let the Games Begin^™!

*Must provide a valid U.S. postal address to receive party kit. Limit one party kit per household.

The birthday girl’s resume off the court is nearly as impressive as her on court accomplishments. She’s launched her own line of clothing, founded an interior design company and has been named one of America’s most powerful women by Ladies Home Journal

Venus Williams was born June 17, 1980, in Lynwood, Calif., to Richard and Oracene Williams. Growing up in Compton, a suburb of Los Angeles, Venus and her younger sister Serena displayed talent as they “practiced with dead balls on cracked courts,” wrote Sports Illustrated.

By age 10, Venus was winning tournaments, and in 1991, the Williams clan relocated to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where the young phenoms began training full-time. The sisters’ careers were carefully managed by Richard and Venus turned pro at age 14.

Venus played her first full season on the WTA Tour in 1997 and won her first pro tournament a year later.  The following year won two grand slams. She and Serena became two of the tour’s top players, and also formed one of the best doubles teams. In 2002, Venus became the No. 1 ranked women’s player in the world, the first African-American to achieve that status.

Williams has thus far won seven grand slam tournaments: two U.S. Open titles and five Wimbledon titles. At 30, she remains one of the best players on the women’s tour.

Off the court, Venus Williams studied fashion design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. In November 2007, she launched a line of sporty clothing and accessories, including footwear, called EleVen.

She and Serena founded the Venus and Serena Williams Tutorial/Tennis Academy in Los Angeles, providing tennis lessons to inner-city children. The academy provides not only on-court instruction, but also tutoring and assistance in applying to colleges.

Venus, who is one of the best paid athletes in the world,  has one the fastest serve in the women’s game – 129 mph. She  also stars in Virtua Tennis, a popular video game.

Happy Birthday Venus!! Hope the day is as special as you are!!

Profile

During June, participating facilities will offer complimentary golf instruction to people 14 years of age and older as well as activities such as networking receptions, golf rules and etiquette seminars, club fitting and equipment demonstrations, golf apparel fashion shows, luncheons, playing experiences, and contests. Each activity is designed to provide a fun and inviting atmosphere for all involved.

LPGA/PGA Professional Suzy Whaley, LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame member Nancy Lopez, and world-renowned fitness expert and philanthropist Donna Richardson Joyner are the American Express Women’s Golf Month Spokeswomen Team for 2010.

“Women’s Golf Month is an opportunity for all women to enjoy the game of golf,” Whaley said. “Join us for fun events that include lessons, clinics, on-course experiences, golf fitness, networking, sales and much more. It is a special event and I encourage all women to come out, improve your game, and participate in a sport of a lifetime!”

Without Golf for Women magazine, which Conde Nast shut down about a couple years ago, a lot of women who might have been interested won’t even know about the events so help spread the word.

Programs such as this have helped people discover that the game of golf is a great way to foster relationships and encourage personal health, while spending time with family, friends or colleagues.

More information about Women’s Golf Month, including a list of participating facilities, can be found at PlayGolfAmerica.com. Type in your zip code and see what courses in your area are taking part in Women’s Golf Month. You might get lucky and find a free clinic or special greens fee at your local course. If not, visit your local course and ask why they are not participating. June has 30 days – at least they can find a couple to do something special for the gals.

Today – Saturday June 12, 2010 – is National Get Outdoors Day

What’s that mean? It means it’s time to get off your butt, step away from the computer, and go outside!

National Get Outdoors Day (GO Day) was established to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun at sites across the nation.

No organized activities near you? No excuse. You can still get out for a hike, a game of golf or tennis, a run or a bike ride.

In fact, I’m headed out with some friends right now!

A century has passed since Mary Phelps Jacob fabricated the modern brassiere, and with the anniversary of such an important invention just passed, we couldn’t help but look around to see what’s new.

Customized: Let’s face it: One size never fits all, and the same is true for the average brassiere. With its new Perfect Pair bra, Fruit of the Loom has invented a clever and affordable solution to the uneven dilemma many women face. Each bra cup is purchased separately, with cups coming in “Exactly” and “Just About” sizes and in-between cup sizes as well. The bras have both front and back closures so that the cups, patterns and width of the bands can be mixed and matched for the best fit possible. Most custom designed intimates cost upwards of $100, but the Perfect Pair retails for only 10 bucks at a limited selection of stores and through Amazon.

Vintage: If you want to channel your inner Bettie Page or Dita Von Teese in all of their pin-up glamour, retro underclothes now are popping up more frequently in retail shops. Recently opened in Miami, vintage shop La Boudoir is receiving acclaim for its expansive selection of old world lacy slips, cone-shaped bras circa early ’90s Madonna, and various silky-and-slinky pieces that, while once intended to be worn under your clothes, now look too pretty to be hidden.

Sports Bras: They don’t make ‘em like they used to.  No matter what your cup size or favorite activity, there’s probably a bra engineered to work for you.  If you need help choosing the right sports bra read up on bounce control, shape and style, measuring tips and more.

Also check out this “Today Show” video which celebrates the bra’s birthday with a magnificent montage of well-known bras, vintage ads, wardrobe malfunctions and industry factoids.

Thanks for your support.

Related Posts:
Bounce Control – Choosing the Right Sports Bra

Camp Highlights include:

• Autograph session with Sophia Young
• Life mentoring and skill development with Chantelle Anderson
• Warm up and injury prevention training with Silver Stars Strength & Conditioning Coach Mike Ekanem

Camp co-director Tim Springer, a former collegiate player, has been developing elite players for the past seven years. He is the founder of S.P.T Basketball in San Antonio and is one of the premier skill development coaches in South TX. He has coached nationally ranked players, teams and worked with the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Chantelle Anderson, former WNBA player, is a life coach and youth mentor. At Vanderbilt Uni. she earned a degree in Human and Organizational Development and is the school’s all-time leading scorer. Chantelle has also been featured on MTV’s show MADE, as a mentor.

Camp Details:

May 29th 9AM-5PM and
May 30th 1PM-6PM
Lunch provided on Saturday only
Castle Hills First Baptist School
2220 NW Military Hwy
5th grade-HS Girls

Despite what recent chilly temperatures (at least in LA) may be telling us, spring really is on its way! This is the start of  National Bike Month so we thought we’d bring you some new bikes and cycling accessories to get you and your family ready for two-wheel transportation:

National Bike Month Notes:

• May 17 – 21, 2010  is officially “Bike to Work Week” and Friday, the 21st is the 16th annual “Bike to Work Day.”
• Sadly, there is also an official “Ride of Silence” to honor fallen cyclists–which is also a nationwide observance on May 19. Join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride  in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.
• The League of American Bicyclists promotes awareness of National Bike Month by offering “50 ways to celebrate bike month.”

Cool bike accessories and Pretty Tough Picks.

With all the attention on healthy lifestyles and the importance of exercise–bike month might be just what we all need to get in shape and save gas money at the same time.

One cool take on promoting cycling is the Bike Valet in Santa Monica offering free valet-style parking of bicycles at the Sunday Main Street Farmer’s Market, Pier Twilight Dance Series and other public events throughout the City. Residents and visitors ride their bicycles to events, give their bicycle to a bike valet attendant and receive a claim check for their bicycle. The bicycles are then parked in the valet area and monitored by attendants. When a customer is ready to claim their bicycle, the bike valet takes the claim check and retrieves the bicycle.

Also in uber-hip Santa Monica is Bike Main Street every Friday night. Visit Main Street merchants on your bicycle and park it for free with the Bike Valet from 5:00 p.m. to Midnight (bike Valet located on the east side of Main Street between Ashland and Pier Avenue). Gotta love LA.

Ride on.

Since the World Duathlon Championships in September, I decided to train smarter and race a little less. There is snow where I live so I toughed it out and had a great winter of running outside when I could and riding my bike on my indoor trainer. I started 2010 with the Austin ½ Marathon on Valentines Day. It was my first competitive half and boy was it a blast. What made the day was that a some of my family that lives in Texas raced there as well including my 72 year old uncle! I think I was more excited to watch him finish than I was for my own race.

After Austin, I went back to training and decided my next race would be the Montana Women’s Run, which was today. I had never run a five mile course before but I figure it is just like a 10k…just a mile shorter right? I got up early this morning and my coach and I made the two hour trek to Billings. Seven thousand eight hundred other women joined me at the starting line today. I stood there and closed my eyes and envisioned my five year old son wearing his shirt that reads, “My mommy is fast”. I could do this. The gun went off and I ran quite a bit of the race, with another lady, behind a pace car. That was a first to me and I won’t lie, I felt pretty cool! I ended up second today, but I can honestly say that I busted my butt trying to bridge the gap to first.

All that matters when it comes to racing is giving it your all, believing that you can and being patient with your training and knowing that next time, I will be faster and maybe next time there won’t be a gap to bridge. However, for now, I am perfectly content with two kids who think that I am a winner and love to wear shirts that brag about how “fast” I am. Happy Mothers Day to me and the rest of you out there who wear an invisible cape and rule your children’s world.

The compromise comes after soccer’s governing body last month barred the team because of its insistence on wearing head scarves. FIFA banned hijab scarves – which protect the modesty of Islamic girls and women – in 2007 for safety reasons and to prevent political or religious statements on the field.

“This decision was taken after both the Iran Football Federation as well as the Iran National Olympic Committee confirmed in writing that they will accept a solution whereby the players will not wear their Islamic Hijab during the matches of the competition,” FIFA said in a statement. “Instead, the players can wear a cap that covers their heads to the hairline, but does not extend below the ears to cover the neck.”

The Iran Football Federation was not immediately available for comment. The state-run Tehran Times reported that Iranian authorities had agreed to allow players to wear hats.

“We sent FIFA a sample of our new Islamic dress and fortunately they accepted it,” said Abbas Torabian, director of the International Relations Committee of Iran’s soccer federation. “They announced that there was no objection if the players covered their hair with hats.”

Iran will compete in the six-nation tournament in Singapore. About 3,600 athletes, ages 14-18, will compete Aug. 12-25 in 26 sports at the Youth Summer Games.

Still considered the poor cousin of surfing, which provides longer rides on enormous swells, skimming commands a far smaller market. A recent LA Times articles explains:

“There’s a ton of women surfers in the world today, but not many women — or men — who skimboard,” said Butch McIntosh, editor and publisher of 10-year-old Skim magazine. “I believe that is because it is a brutal, demanding sport that beats you down into the sand.”

Typically, the skimboard hydroplanes across shallow water and, seconds later, smacks into a wave at just the right angle to glide across its surface. The goal is to turn around and surf back to shore.

Some maneuvers catapult the rider more than 12 feet into the air. The thrills last for 10 to 15 seconds.

The inaugural Victoria Skimboards Professional World Championship of female skimboarding, to be held June 19-20 in Laguna Beach will feature a field of half a dozen or so contestants led by Shonna Cobb of Long Beach (see video below).

Winning the first professional women’s world championship requires strong legs, abs of steel and a healthy dose of fear management. It will also call for putting up with the mocking from some male skimboarders who refuse to take their female counterparts seriously.

Men have dominated skimboarding championships for nearly a quarter-century. Now it’s the ladies turn.

Related Posts:

Bodyboard Basics

This year’s theme is “Stay Strong, Play On.”

Since its inception in 1987, National Girls and Women in Sports Day has become the premier occasion to celebrate the success and accomplishments of girls and women athletes. What started in 1987 as a single event in Washington, D.C. to honor Olympic volleyball star Flo Hyman has grown into a nationwide celebration across all 50 states.

However, despite the stunning advances made in the 38 years since Title IX was enacted, high school girls still receive 1.3 million fewer participation opportunities than do boys, and evidence suggests that the money spent on girls’ sports programs lags significantly behind the money spent on boys’ programs.

Loads of special sports clinics, luncheons, games and park programs will take place. Whether you are a new participant or a veteran, your support of the Day will go a long way to increase visibility for female athletes and advance their struggle for equality in sports.

Visit the NGWSD web site for a complete listing of events going on February 3rd.

And take a look at this PSA from last year narrated by Women’s Sports Foundation President Jessica Mendoza.

Friday, Jan. 29th – Women’s Skiing Superpipe

A deserving  Jen Hudak won Women’s SuperPipe Gold. In her sixth Winter X, the 23 year old Utah local spent the last three years pushing progressively harder toward the top of the podium. Last year she finished second by a microscopic margin and Winter X 14 turned out to be her year.

1. Jen Hudak
2. Megan Gunning
3. Roz Groenewoud
4. Mirjam Jaeger
5. Anais Caradeux
6. Sarah Burke

Saturday, Jan. 30 -  Women’s Snowboard X

In the Snowboard X Lindsey Jacobellis defended her title, but not without a lot of heat from Helene Olafsen. Watch for this rivalry to be another one that will  be continued in Vancouver.

1. Lindsey Jacobellis
2. Helene Olafsen
3.  Joanie Anderson
4. Maria Ramberger
5. Alexandra Jekova
6. Emilie Aubry

Saturday, Jan. 30 – Women’s Snowboard Superpipe

As expected, the Women’s Superpipe ended up being  a competition between Gretchen Bleiler and Kelly Clark .  In her final turn, Clark needed to best Bleiler’s 96.66; she dropped and stomped her entire run, but it was too close to call.  Gretchen probably had more technical tricks, but Kelly had a lot of amplitude and tricks, too.  In the end,  Bleiler took the top prize, becoming the only woman to win four times. Hannah Teter took third but her score was 26 points shy of Bleiler’s.

1. Gretchen Bleiler
2. Kelly Clark
3. Hannah Teter
4. Soko Yamaoka
5. Ellery Hollingsworth
6. Elena Hight

Sunday, Jan 31 – Women’s Slopestyle

Jenny Jones won the Women’s Slopestyle final for the second year in a row. She out-shredded Jamie Anderson and Janna Meyen-Weatherby, neither of whom were at Winter X last year.

It was a progressive day in the park. Janna Meyen-Weatherby was incredibly close to nailing a cab nine, which would’ve been a Winter X first for women. Unfortunately, the landing ended up earning her bronze behind Jamie Anderson’s silver but she certainly lit a fire during the comp.

1. Jenny Jones
2. Jamie Anderson
3. Janna Meyen-Weatherby
4. Kjersti Oestgaard Buass
5. Hana Beaman
6. Cheryl Maas

Women’s Skier X

History was made when France’s Ophelie David took home her fourth straight Women’s Skier X gold medal, making her the first skier — male or female — of any Winter X skiing discipline to four-peat. The 33-year-old mother of two passed two Canadian women — Kelsey Serwa, 20, and Ashleigh McIvor, 26 — wjp finished second and third respectively, halfway through the course and outlasted them to the finish to claim a record fourth gold medal.

1. Ophelie David
2. Kelsey Serwa
3. Ashleigh McIvor
4. Fanny Smith
5. Marte Gjefsen
6. Aleisha Cline

Oh, and if you hadn’t already guessed, Shaun White took home gold in the Men’s Superpipe final.

NGWSD is marked annually with events around the country and on Capitol Hill to commemorate the achievements of girls and women in athletics. It is also an important day to promote the continued expansion of opportunities for girls and women to play sports and live physically active lives.

While we have made significant strides towards equity in athletics, we have a long way to go to realize the law’s promise. High school girls still receive 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play sports than high school boys. Federal law requires colleges to make gender equity in sports information publicly available each year, but high schools are not required to disclose these data, making it difficult to ensure fairness at the secondary school level.

If you’re in the Washington, D.C. area, come learn how bills requiring high school athletics data collection would help close this gap and why this legislation is needed.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Russell Senate Office Building, Room 485

Washington, D.C.

Agenda

Welcome and Overview: Details of the High School Data Collection Bills – Neena Chaudhry, Senior Counsel, National Women’s Law Center

Background on NGWSD and the Importance and benefits of Sports – Jessica Mendoza, Women’s Sports Foundation President, Two-Time Olympic Softball Medalist

On the Ground Need for Legislation – Peg Pennepacker, Assistant Principal & Athletic Director, Susquehanna Township School District (PA)

Q & A

*Please RSVP to Karen Kranitz at KKranitz@WomensSportsFoundation.org or 516-307-3930 by Friday, 1/29/10

My preparation has begun with the 2nd stop of the Dew Tour, which is taking place as I write this at Snowbasin in Utah. I had a few hours of practice on the course yesterday and this morning and we competed in qualifiers this afternoon. Today proved to be a day of transition, in which my mind remembered how park felt in comparison to powder. Considering I was up in Canada for the last two weeks shredding bottomless powder I am feeling rather comfortable back on the slopestyle course. I qualified 3rd and will compete in the Finals on Sunday.

Bouncing from powder back to park can be a hard transition because each task takes different mental planning. Though I have to be really focused for both, the backcountry is really quiet and feels like a giant soft playground with endless options and limited high impact consequences. In contrast, contests are on hard pack snow and the jumps are fairly big and potentially intimidating. Contests also have a lot more distractions, i.e., friends, crowds, judges, event coordinators. These distractions can add to an athlete’s riding or possible take away from their riding. I am in the process of learning how to be in control of my mind during these transitions. With X Games only a couple weeks away I am trying to find a balance between a focused and controlled mind while still being able to push myself to learn new tricks. I want to be having fun while I’m competing and training but I also have to stay motivated to reach new limits.

My current focus is to be calm, collected, and patient with my riding. My goal for this weekend is to turn off my mind and let my body do the work it has been programmed to do.

(Ed. Note:  The Winter X Games 14 will take place January 28-31, 2010 in Apsen Colorado.  Join us as we cheer Kimmy on and be sure to catch the Snowboard Slopestyle Women’s Final on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 31)