Say it with Sports: She’s Got Game Gift Box

Celebrate March Madness with unique “She’s Got Game” note cards. Box of high quality 5×7 cards and envelopes to be used for all occasions. Buy a box for yourself or get some as gifts for friends and teammates! Only $10.95 for 12 cards + S&H. Free Pretty Tough stickers with all orders this month.

That’s why I’m a linebacker

by Jordyn White; TheRoot.com
In women’s pro football, color matters, but race does not.

I hate her. I’ve never seen her before, and don’t know her, but I don’t need to. I see what she looks like. I see what she’s wearing. I see who she’s with. That tells me everything I need to know. She can’t be trusted–her kind never can–and all she wants is to push her own agenda and obliviate mine. So, for the next hour, my sisters and I will do everything in our power to show her and her little girl gang how we feel about having to share our turf with them. They will leave here, battered and bruised, with their heads down and their tails between their legs. And we will remain superior.

My fervor for this sectarian battle into which I am all too eager to enter has nothing to do with race or skin color. When my opponent is in her war gear, all I can see on her is the white in her eyes. But her armor– helmet, pads, uniform, socks, gloves, cleats–makes her readily identifiable. I’m a linebacker on a women’s semi-professional full contact football team, the DC Divas. Eleven Saturdays a year, for 3 hours, my teammates and I put on our maroon, gold, and white, and go to war.

Full article

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.

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.
Video

Danica Patrick designs new Hot Wheels car

Patrick unveiled a sketch of her “Danicar” February 6th, 2010 at the Daytona International Speedway while announcing Hot Wheels return to NASCAR through a partnership with JR Motorsports .

The custom die-cast vehicle was co-designed with the Hot Wheels team at the Mattel Design Center in El Segundo, California. Patrick’s “Danicar” is the first celebrity-designed Hot Wheels vehicle and will be made in the traditional 1:64 scale.

“My life is all about high velocity cars, and the only car company I could imagine being able to create my vision of the ultimate fantasy car is Hot Wheels,” Patrick said.

Mattel calls the “Danicar” an “awesome machine.” It features an open cockpit, chartreuse “Spectraflame” paint, three sets of different-sized wheels and adjustable wings on the front and back.

The car will be available in stores this fall.

Despite Hot Wheels sponsorship of Danica, her NASCAR debut ended in disappointment after she was involved in a 12-car pile up at Daytona.  She races again this weekend at the Auto Club Speedway in Southern California.

Ladies night at the Grammys

Last night’s (January 31) Grammy show was a hit and from beginning to end it was Ladies Night.

Among the ladies that ruled was Beyoncé who scooped up six awards – a record for a female artist. The R & B superstar had ten nominations and walked away with trophies for Song Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Contemporary R&B Album.

Beyonce missed out on the album of the year, after Taylor Swift became the youngest artist to win the coveted Grammy. In doing so Taylor broke a record held since 1996 by Alanis Morissette, who was 21 when she won for Jagged Little Pill.

The 20-year-old was also the first solo female country winner ever of the award, and the first female pop winner since Celine Dion won in 1997 for Falling Into You. She also won the Grammy for best country album, and a pair of awards for her song White Horse – female country vocal performance and best country song.

Fans were treated to a number of incredible collaborations between modern marvels and living legends  such as Lady Gaga & Elton John and Taylor Swift & Stevie Nicks) and stunning set pieces including a memorable one by Pink.

So who had the best performance? Gaga and John performed “Poker Face,” “Speechless” and “Your Song” in an over-the-top spectacle that fit both of their massive personalities. Beyoncé’s take on “If I Were a Boy” and Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” showcased  incredible vocals.

Taylor Swift’s performance of “Today Was a Fairytale,” “Rhiannon” and “You Belong With Me” presented elements of country, straight pop, bluegrass, folk and classic rock.

For me,  the best peformance of the night was Pink who proved she’s Pretty Awesome.  She wowed the crowd singing”Glitter in the Air” while suspended in the air, spinning and singing like something out of Cirque de Soleil.  I think I read that she was a gymnast when she was younger but whether or not that’s true,  her athleticism was apparent.  By this time, CBS has probably pulled all the YouTube versions down for copyright infringement, but if the one below still works, be sure to check it out!

Black History Month – Honoring Female Athletes

Over the years, there have been many great black athletes. This month, to celebrate Black History Month, we’d like to honor some of the women who have contributed to the soul of sports.

Pioneers
Althea Gibson was a pioneer in both amateur tennis and professional golf. In 1942, Althea entered and won her first tennis tournament. In 1947, Althea won the first of ten straight ATA National Championships. In 1956, she won the French Championships and, in 1957, won the All-England Championships at Wimbledon and U.S. National Tennis Championships at Forest Hills. Althea retired from amateur tennis in 1958 after she had won Wimbledon. In 1964, Gibson launched her golf career, joining the LPGA. She retired in 1971.

Another pioneer, Zina Garrison, became the first black woman to reach a Grand Slam Final (1990). She began playing tennis at the age of ten and held 20 major doubles championships before the end of her career.

Tennis
Both Gibson and Garrison are sports legends who paved the way for athletes like Venus and Serena Williams. Both sisters turned professional at 14 and have since moved up in the ranks to become two of the top single and doubles players on the circuit. In 2008, Venus won Wimbledon in a match against Serena, sister against sister. Last month, Serena won the Australian Open for a record fifth time.

Track & Field
It’s inconceivable to discuss black, female athletes without mentioning Jackie Joyner Kersee, considered by many to be the greatest female athlete ever, who became the first participant to score more than 7,000 points in the heptathlon.

Gail Devers is also an inspiration, winning gold in the 100 meter dash in two consecutive Olympics as is three-time gold medal winner Valerie Brisco. And of course there’s Flo Jo (Florence Griffith Joyner) who set record after record as the World’s Fastest Woman. Following in the footsteps of these great track and field athletes are contemporary runners like Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards.

Basketball
On the basketball court it’s easy to think about Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. But how about Lisa Leslie, Chamique Holdsclaw, Swin Cash, Cheryl Miller, Sheryl Swoopes and Candace Parker? From Final Four appearances to representing the U.S. at the Olympic Games and playing in the WNBA, these basketball players, and many others, are role models for thousands of girls.

Softball
Softball also boasts some great players. Gold Medalist Natasha Whately broke the Olympic record for stolen bases with five in nine games and emerged in 2004 as one of the best players in the world.

Gymnastics
It’s easy to see why Dominique Dawes was called “Awesome Dawesome.” Dawes vaulted her way into the record books with a string of awards and titles. She came home with a bronze medal from the 1992 Olympics and two years later became the first gymnast since 1969 to make a clean sweep of everything gold at the U.S. National Gymnastics Championship.

Volleyball
Flo Hyman is remembered not only as a great athlete whose life and career were cut tragically short, but also as a woman of great character. At 6 feet 5 inches she played volleyball for the University of Houston and went on to win the silver medal at the 1984 Olympic games. In 1986 Flo collapsed and died during a volleyball match. Later than year, she was posthumously inducted into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Winter Olympics
Who can forget 2002 when Vonetta Flowers made Olympic history, becoming the first African-American to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics? Her fellow Olympians chose her to carry the U.S.A. flag in the closing ceremonies.

Swimming
Maritza Correia is part of a new generation of competitive African-American swimmers. In addition to competing at the Beijing Olympics, Correia hopes to provide young minority girls with a swimming role model and bring the sport to inner city communities.

Fencing
Black, female athletes are making moves in new arenas, some fairly obscure. Laura Flessel-Colovic has established herself as the top French fencer and one of the world’s best. Flessel-Colovic started her career at seven years old and worked her way up to winning three Olympic medals and three world championship titles.

For their contributions to female sports – from amateur and college competitions to the world stage of the Olympics and professional sports – black, female athletes have achieved parity with their white female counterparts and are celebrated around the world.

As we embark on a four-week-long celebration of African American History, let’s not forget these unforgettable athletes.

Get to Know: Kristine Lilly

Kristine Lilly is often referred to as the USA’s Iron Woman, and for a good reason. Not only has she played in 342 matches for the USA (the most capped player on the world) and scored 129 goals in her national team career, but she has played on both professional leagues that have existed in the US and she has done it all over the course of more than 20 years (her first international appearance was in August 3, 1987). Can you think of any other athlete who’s had a professional career of 20 years?

She has won 2 World Cups, participating in 5, and 2 Olympic gold medals, participating in 3. She was an all-star with the Boston Breakers in the WUSA (2001-2003), and she is now playing for the Boston Breakers in WPS. She was a four time NCAA champion at UNC, and helped her high school team to 3 State championships.

Kristine was the captain of the national team from 2005-2007, but took 2008 off to have her baby girl, Sydney. Later that year she came back  to the field as she was allocated to the Boston Breakers. She started all 20 matches for the Breakers, the only player on the team to do so, and led the team in minutes played with 1,800. She was voted to the All-Star team where she started and scored a goal helping the team to a 4-2 win over opponent Umea IK.

You can certainly say that Kristine is one of the world’s greatest athletes, but she’s not done yet. As she is preparing for another season with the Breakers, she took the time to answer some questions, posted below.

What was your favorite moment/experience while at UNC?

I don’t think I have one moment that was my favorite but the best part was the great friends I made there.  Plus the education I got and winning 4 national championships were also good.

Do you intend to play in the 2011 World Cup or 2012 Olympics?

I haven’t been asked back up to the national team. So really it is in the hands of the U.S. coach.

Who on the national team is the most difficult to go one-on-one with?

Back in the day Joy Fawcett was always difficult to go up against.  Now Christie Rampone, Kate Markgraf and Amy LePeilbet were all difficult.

What does it mean to you, as a player and a person, to hold the world record for international appearances representing your country?

I am just really proud to have played in so many games.  That means I worked hard to remain a starter and be healthy to participate in so many games.

Do you think anyone will ever get more caps for their country than you have for the USA?

I’m not sure about that, but records are always made to be broken.

Who is the most difficult player from another country that you’ve ever had to play against?

Hege Riise, a player from Norway. She was very good.

If you could participate on any game show, which one would it be and why?

I always wanted to be on Family Feud.

Growing up, what was your favorite TV show to watch?

Happy Days.

If you didn’t play soccer for a living, what would you be doing instead?

I’m not sure. I love to take pictures, maybe a photographer.

I’ve read on your website that you took some cooking classes with your husband. What is your best dish?

My best dish now, is probably the mac & cheese I learned how to cook, by Ellie Deaner.

Do you have a hidden talent?

I can touch my tongue to my nose.

What is the craziest, most thrilling thing you’ve ever done?

I almost hiked to the top of Kilimanjaro.  Missed the summit by about 1500 feet.  I got altitude sickness.

Has your little one shown any interest for soccer?

She can kick a ball.

What do you like to do when you’re not training?

Play with my daughter and take a long walk with my dog.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate chip ice cream

What was your first car?

Passat

You’re first appearance for the USA was in 1987, more than 20 years ago, and you’ve been playing ever since you were a little kid- pretty much your entire life. How have you been able to play at the highest level for so long?

I just worked hard.  I made sure I was always fit.  I learned how to take care of myself but I also had fun with the people I played with, which made me want to work for them and vice versa.

This one is just for laughs. Do you think Sidney and the other WNT babies (the girls) will be the future of the national team?

It would be interesting to see one day what they all decide to do with their lives.

What do you want your legacy to be?

I think I would want people to know I went out there every day and worked hard and played for my teammates and to be the best!

What are your thoughts on the next WPS season?

Hopefully we can win in Boston!

(Ed. Note: Be sure to follow Kristine on her website www.KristineLilly13.com)

Kimmy Fasani: Adventures in filming

The opportunities that cross the paths of athletes are abnormally incredible. I find that I have to pinch myself on a usual basis because I can’t believe what my “job title” is. I am outside all day, I travel consistently, and I meet amazing people all over the world. Really?

This season, similar to last season, I am focusing most of my energy on filming, while still trying to find a good balance of doing contests to promote the companies that represent me. However, this season DC has provided me the opportunity to film with Standard Films. Standard Films is a very prestigious guys movie project that documents some of the most standout guys riding in the industry. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to push myself to a level of riding that could be archived among the other few women that have filmed with a guy’s crew. The added benefit of this project is the film crew has also brought Hana Beaman, Raewyn Reid, and last year’s veteran Leanne Pelosi into the mix. The four of us ladies have our own filmer and it’s our job to make our parts happen. Challenge? YES! Exciting? YES!

With that said, my season started off quickly and efficiently with a two week road trip to the interior of British Colombia. Hana, Leanne, and myself met up with a photographer, Christy Chaloux, and filmer, Aaron Whitley, in Nelson, BC on the 2nd of January. The mountains were getting thoroughly filled in with blankets of snow for days.

We started off our adventure at Baldface, which is a very well known cat skiing operation. Riding at this operation would give us a chance to get comfortable with each other and the waist deep powder, while also allowing the backcountry to become a little more stable. Everybody was warning us about a high avalanche danger in the surrounding mountains so we figured we might as well play it safe and utilize terrain that had guides and advanced avalanche safety equipment.

Two days at Baldface was the perfect warm up and with stability rising in the backcountry we were beginning to feel confidence in our snowmobiles. From the 5th of January until the 10th we took to the back roads and headed out on our snowmobiles to find all the untracked layers of snow. We struck gold and each day we were riding about 2 feet of fresh tracks and no body else was around. The two-week adventure came to a close on January 11th and I drove down to Park City, Utah for a couple events. Filming in the quiet mountains heavily outweighs doing contests but each are components of my “job.”

Life is beautiful and powder is my favorite!

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