Event Recap: Women in Sports Marketing

What do you want to be when you grow up?

No matter what your age, it’s always fun to think about what you want to do for a living. Whether it’s a first career, a new career or a career shift, you can look to a group of  remarkable women who are forging new paths and establishing themselves as role models in the sports world.

Wednesday night at the Red Bull headquarters in Santa Monica, a group of almost 250  women who are sports marketing professionals, athletes,  brand managers and students gathered for the Second Annual Women in Business event Business presented by Tadpole Marketing, in partnership with Stanton & Company.

Designed as a networking event to inspire individuals through the contributions of influential women in sports marketing, Women in Business featured a panel of some of the most highly regarded women in sports marketing, including Laura Gentile, VP of espnW for ESPN, Olympic softball player Jessica Mendoza, president of the Women’s Sports Foundation, Mary O’Connor, director of Olympic Marketing at The Marketing Arm, Carolyn Deighan Coyne, Tadpole Marketing founder,  Julie Solwold, VP of global sports marketing for Paul Mitchell, Amy Stanton, founder and CEO of Stanton & Company and Diane Thibert, director of global PR for Oakley. Additionally, Amy Swift Crosby of SMARTY moderated the event.

The evening kicked off with a networking hour featuring dinner by Chipotle (a personal fave) and Red Bull cocktails.  Vanguard Records recording artist, Daphne Willis treated the crowd to live acoustic performances which was a bonus for music lovers – especially fans of indie singer/songwriters.

When the formal session began, the audience got a chance to learn about the panelists, how they came to have their current jobs and what a typical work day is like for them. Not surprisingly, no two stories were the same.  Some of the women took the traditional route of college, grad school and internships while others fell into their jobs more serendipitously.  A chance meeting on an airplane or at a sports event helped launched the career of more than one  woman on the panel. Their days are jam-packed, often chaotic, filled with meetings, travel, strategic planning and sometimes juggling families and personal lives. Not surprisingly,  no two days are ever the same.

Not all the panelists were/are athletes but the majority played a sport in high school and college and credited that experience as beneficial in their current jobs.  Jess Mendoza,  a professional softball player who also works as a TV commentator and is President of the Women’s Sports Foundation, talked about batting averages and explained that hitting .300 (a good stat) means failing seven out of 10 tries.  Learning to deal with failure has helped her deal with the curve balls of life that are often thrown.  Her motto? Bring it on.

When asked about the State of the Union for women in business all the panelists agreed that’s it’s a good time to be a woman.  In different ways, they all said it’s important to create your own destiny, follow your passion, make a difference and represent. Don’t be afraid to make your voice heard was a common piece of advice.

Amy Stanton, a panelist as well as organizer of the event, stressed being innovative when searching for solutions to problems.  As one of the few professionals who focuses on helping market female athletes, Stanton practices what she preaches and points to clients like Gretchen Bleiler as well as Jess Mendoza as examples of athletes who have successfully leveraged their athletic careers via creative marketing.

So what’s hot? What’s on the horizon for 2010? All the panelists were encouraged by forecasts and believe this year will be a positive one.  Technology will remain hot and ESPN’s Laura Gentile believes mobile apps and wireless platforms will be growth sectors. Julie Solwold of Paul Mitchell, a company long known for innovation and out-of-the-box thinking, is keeping an eye on free-skiing and hip hop :-)  and Stanton believes customized products will gain popularity.

Following the panel, audience members had the  opportunity to break out into smaller groups with panelists and find out more about their brands, corporate plans and even their personal journeys. This was a great opportunity to gain more in depth knowledge about a panelist or company as well as meet some of the other attendees.

At the end of the evening  Stanton noted, “Women naturally want to support and help each other and this was an event created to make that possible. It was an inspiring evening and I feel fortunate to have been part of it.”

Ditto.

Happy Birthday Nastia!

Gymnast Nastia Liukin turns 20 today!

Born October 30, 1989 Anastasia Valeryevna “Nastia” Liukin won five medals at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, including gold in the individual all-around. And much of her success is due to her parents.

Both her mother and father (who is also Liukin’s coach) captured Olympic gold medals and world championships as stars of the former Soviet sports empire.

Last year, while headlining the 2008 Tour of Olympic Gymnastic Superstars, the birthday girl talked to the Columbus Dispatch about her parents:

“There was never any pressure to be a gymnast,” Nastia Liukin said. “They just wanted me to be happy.”

It looks like Liukin grew up to be both. Happy Birthday Girl!

Throwing it back:12 year old girl sues over milestone baseball

A 12-year-old Florida girl who grabbed a historic home run ball hit by Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard over the summer has her prize back after suing the team for its return.

According to the AP, the July home run against the Florida Marlins was Howard’s 200th and that hit homer made Howard the fastest player in Major League history to reach that milestone.

The ball sailed into the outfield seats, where it was scooped up by Jennifer Valdivia.  The young baseball fan  was escorted to the Phillies clubhouse by team employees where the ball was exchanged for an autographed one.

But the family cried foul over a deal the Phillies made with their daughter and they requested the home run ball’s return.  Jennifer wanted to take the ball home and show her friends. Howard wanted the ball because it represented a record.

“In a classic bait-and-switch operation, the defendant Phillies tendered to young Jennifer a signed Ryan Howard baseball, which has a value on the memorabilia market of $150,” the suit said, “as compared to the historic baseball, which is worth thousands.”

She also got some cotton candy.

Through their lawyer, the family told the Phillies they wanted the HR ball returned. The initial counter offer was for tickets to a Phillies-Marlins game.

The regular season ended this weekend and the family filed a lawsuit  which got the prompt response and the return of the ball.

Despite the ball’s value, the family attorney said, “The ball is not on eBay. It’s under her pillow.”

The lesson in this? Don’t ever let a bunch of Major League hooligans take advantage of you.  And if you do manage to get a ball, don’t drop it or throw it back.

No clear answer from IOC for women ski jumpers

The fight to include women’s ski jumping has been going on for a while.

After all the controversy, it seems the IOC has a responsibility to help this sport grow and with minimal effort and cost they can do it. Many sports have been added to the Olympic program over the years of lesser stature but for this sport at this time there seems to be a definitive bias. Power can be used for both good and bad and unfortunately IOC President Jacques Rogge is the one who has it right now. Here’s his response to the athletes most recent missive:

Dear Ladies,

Thank you for your letter dated 4 September 2009.

You have clearly made important strides to develop women’s ski jumping since our decision in 2006 – and in coming years we are open to considering women’s ski jumping for inclusion in future Olympic Winter Games. However, we remain convinced that our decision in 2006 was the correct one, based on the analysis of the event done at that time, and our position for the 2010 Games is unchanged.

I am sure that with your passion for your sport and with the continued support of the International Ski Federation (FIS), your efforts to improve and develop women’s ski jumping globally will create a very compelling argument for the Olympic Programme Commission, when the winter programme is reviewed in the future.

I am pleased that you agree that the inclusion of women’s ski jumping in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is a wonderful initiative and hopefully, with your help, the YOG can play a part in encouraging the next generation of young female athletes to take-up this exciting event.

We continue to work, as Justice Fenlon noted, for “the inclusion of women in the Olympics and in amateur sports”, as well as in the fields of sports leadership and administration, and your commitment to your sport and its development will greatly assist in this domain. I wish you good luck during your competitions this up-coming season and thank you for your continued engagement to sport.

Yours sincerely,
Jacques Rogge

The 15  female ski jumpers who have filed suit are (understandably)  disappointed Rogge’s letter does not address their specific query about the technical requirements they allegedly fail to meet. As they’ve stated repeatedly, they’re confident they do indeed meet all the universality and technical requirements needed to participate fully at the Olympics.

They’ll now  concentrate their efforts on the appeal of their legal case to be heard in the BC Court of Appeal Nov. 12 & 13. That’s just three months before the Olympics begin on Feb 2010. Time is  running out and a  split decision in the Appeal Court would likely prompt a bid to put the issue to the Supreme Court of Canada.

How high must these women jump to get on the Olympic programme? If you want to help out, sign the petition to let the ladies jump now.

Soccer mom Joy Fawcett takes center stage

The ultimate soccer mom reached the pinnacle of her sport Sunday.

“In my life, I’ve had two dreams: To play soccer at the highest level and to be a mother,” former United States Women’s National Team standout defender Joy Fawcett said midway through her induction speech at the National Soccer Hall of Fame. “In short, U.S. Soccer enabled me to live both of my dreams, and for that, I’m thankful.”

The Soccer Hall enshrined Fawcett over the weekend in a  ceremony that also honored Jeff Agoos who played for the U.S. Men’s National Team.  Longtime New York Times soccer writer Alex Yannis who was presented with the Colin Jose Media Award.

Fawcett drew the loudest cheers of the day at the end of a nearly 13 minute speech that touched on the importance of family and closed the 2009 Induction Ceremony.

“My first dream was to be a mom and the No. 1 priority for me was my kids,” Fawcett said following the ceremony, which was attended by all three of her children _ Katey (age 15), Carli (12) and Madi (8). “To be able to play soccer and try and balance both, it was hard, definitely. I wanted to make it as easy as possible on them and easy on my teammates. I didn’t want them to have any hardship with their careers. So it was hard to balance, but it was something so worthwhile because I loved both. I was so thrilled I could do both.”

Fawcett said U.S. Soccer allowed her children to grow up around the Women’s National Team, which gained fame by winning the first FIFA World Cup, in 1991. None of her children were around then, but all three had been born by the time she ended her 18-year run with the Americans in 2004.

“Throughout her career, Joy always told me if the game of soccer ever had a negative effect on her family, she would walk away in a heartbeat,” said former teammate Shannon MacMillan, who introduced Fawcett on Sunday. “I know you can always hear people say that, but Joy truly meant that. She said she’d walk away to save her family.”

Instead, Fawcett helped the U.S. to another World Cup title (1999) and two Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004). On Sunday, she became the eighth player from the “91ers” to earn induction into the Hall, joining Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Carla Overbeck, Michelle Akers, Shannon Higgins-Cirovski, Carin Jennings and April Heinrichs.

Pioneer, world champion, mother, leader, role model, Fawcett did it all during her historic career. She may have been elected into the Hall a few years after her contemporaries, but no female player has been more deserving.

Fawcett by the Numbers:
3     Olympic Games participated in
3     Daughters had during career
4     FIFA Women’s World Cups participated in
6     Yearly high in goals, scored in 1993
9     Consecutive years in which she started every match in which she played (1989-1998)
14   Jersey number worn for many years
16   Olympic matches played
17   Years in which she played a WNT match
22   Assists in her career
23   FIFA Women’s World Cup matches played
27   Goals in career
234 Starts in WNT career
239 Appearances during her WNT career

Congrats to Fawcett on a well deserved award.

Venice gets its first female gondolier

It’s a familiar site on the water streets of Venice, the striped shirts and flat hats of the gondoliers  expertly steering their black boats underneath bridge after bridge in the picturesque city.

And now, after 900 years, the canals of Venice, Italy finally have their first female Gondolier.

Giorgia Boscolo, 23 and the mother of two, had to pass a grueling 400 hour course, but told reporters that she had no fear that she couldn’t handle the physicality of the job:  “Childbirth is much more difficult.” she said.

The trade, normally handed down from father to son, opened up to everyone when the city of Venice introduced an official gondoliering course in 2007.

During the exhaustive six-month course, students learn how to steer their gondolas and must show a perfect knowledge of Venice’s canals. Aspiring gondoliers learn how to propel the narrow boats with a single oar and how to predict treacherous tides and currents.

Boscolo will now be able to row tourists around the Venice’s picturesque canals alongside her male counterparts after demonstrating that she has mastered the tricky art of maneuvering her 500lb, 35ft-long gondola.

Boscolo’s father, also a gondolier, has doubts about her participation in this historically male tradition: “I still think being a gondolier is a man’s job, but I am sure that with experience Giorgia will be able to do it easily,” he said.

Papa Boscolo better get used to waving across the canal to his daughter. No doubt she’ll be busy. Pretty Tough, indeed!

Tennis star Maria Sharapova guest edits and graces the cover of ESPN Magazine

After her impressive return to competition at the French Open, Maria Sharapova took on another challenge – editing ESPN The Magazine’s third-annual Revenge of the Jocks issue.

In the current issue of The Mag, on newsstands today, Sharapova details how she would fix women’s tennis, and shows readers what she did while rehabbing her shoulder for eight months.

Sharapova on changing women’s tennis:

• The players’ lounge isn’t a nightclub, either. It’s hard to get ready for a match when there’s a bleached-out blonde in six-inch stilettos and a denim miniskirt hanging out. Who is this person, and why is she here?
• Limit on-court injury timeouts to two per season. I’ve asked for a trainer twice in my career, but I’ve played against girls who call for an injury timeout in every match. They’re just buying time; it’s laughable.

In addition, Sharapova dispenses life advice to fellow jocks, and gives a NFL-caliber makeover to rookie QB Matthew Stafford who obviously  hasn’t had a lot of on-camera experience.

Check out video of  the Sharapova and Stafford fashion shoot here.

BFF: Bicycle Film Festival

What do you get when you combine the worldwide cycling community (and some devoted sponsors) with movies, parties, musical performances and art exhibits ? You get The Bicycle Film Festival – an annual event that celebrates all things bicycle.

The 9th Bicycle Film Festival returns this summer and organizers don’t plan to leave anyone out. From tall bike jousting, track bikes, BMX, alleycats, critical mass, bike polo, cycling to recumbent, they’re into all styles of bikes and biking.

The mission is to bring together all aspects of bicycling to advocate its ability to transport us in many ways.

The fest kicks off this weekend in New York where, for the next four days, festival-goers will be burdened with the task of picking and choosing which one of the many events they want to go to.

Bikes Rock at the South Street Seaport where there will be bands, parades, street games and more.  The Joy Ride is a cycling odyssey between four Soho galleries where riders view a specially curated multimedia exhibit inspired by the bicycle.

Each day will also feature different viewings of film shorts about the bicycle. Subjects range from building bikes to celebrating bikes to bike journeys. There will be a few world premieres of feature length films, including ‘Where Are You Go,’ about the world’s longest bike race around Africa, ‘I Love My Bicycle: The Story of FBM Bikes,’ chronicling the 15 year reign of a beloved DIY bike apparel company, and ‘The Third Wheel,’ about the Pedicab industry.

The BFF is going on around the nation and in Japan, Australia, and Europe so be sure to check out the site for updated info and must-see exhibits in your city!

Check out the trailer for this year’s festival:

Weekend Sports June 11-14

Looking for sports to watch this weekend? Here are some choices:

Tennis
June 8-14, Aegon Championships, London, UK
June 8-14, Gerry Weber Open, Halle, Germany

Golf
June 11-14, PGA St. Jude Classic, Memphis, Tenn.
June 11-14,  McDonald’s LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola

Track & Field
June 10-13,  NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships

BMX
June 13-14, The ABA First State Nationals,  Milford, Delaware.

FRIDAY JUNE 12

NHL
STANLEY CUP FINAL Game 7
Pittsburgh v. Detroit, 8 pm

WNBA (All Access)
Los Angeles Sparks v. Indiana Fever, 7 p.m.
Seattle Storm v. Minnesota Lynx, 8 p.m.
Atlanta Dream v. Chicago Sky, 8:30
Phoenix Mercury v. Sacramento Monarchs, 10 pm

MLB
Minnesota v. Cubs, 2:20pm
Detroit v. Pittsburgh, 7:05pm
Red Sox v. Phillies, 7:05pm
Braves v. Orioles, 7:05pm
Mets v. Yankees, 7:05pm
Cardinals v. Cleveland, 7:05pm
Florida v. Blue Jays, 7:07pm
Nationals v. Rays, 7:38pm
Dodgers v. Texas, 8:05pm
White Sox v. Milwaukee, 8:05pm
Cincinnati v. Kansas City, 8:10pm
Seattle v. Colorado, 9:10pm
Houston v. Arizona, 9:40pm
San Diego v. Angels, 10:05pm
Oakland v. San Francisco, 10:15pm

NPF
Pride v. Bandits 7:05pm

SATURDAY JUNE 13

NBA
Lakers @ Magic 8:00pm (Championship Game?)

NPF
Pride v. Bandits 7:05pm

WNBA (All Access)
New York Liberty @ San Antonio 8:00pm
Sacramento Monarchs @ Phoenix Mercury 10:00pm

WPS
Chicago Red Stars @ Washington Freedom 4:30pm
Los Angeles Sol @ Sky Blue FC 7:00pm (NBCU)

MLB
Twins v. Cubs,  1:05 pm
Marlins v. Blue Jays, 1:07 pm
White Sox v. Brewers, 4:05 pm
Mets v Yankees, 4:10 pm
Cardinals v. Indians, 4:10 pm
Nationals v.  Rays, 6:08 pm
Braves v. Orioles, 7:05 pm
Red Sox v. Phillies, 7:05 pm
Tigers v. Pirates, 7:05 pm
Reds v. Royals, 7:10 pm
Dodgers v.  Rangers, 8:05 pm
Astros v. D-backs, 8:10 pm
Mariners Rockies, 8:10 pm
Padres v. Angels, 9:05 pm
Athletics v. Giants, 10:05 pm

SUNDAY JUNE 14

NPF
Pride v. Bandits 3:05pm

WNBA (All Access)
Atlanta Dream  @ Connecticut Sun 3:00pm
Seattle Storm @ Chicago Sky 6:00pm

WPS
Saint Louis Athletica @ Boston Breakers 6:00 pm

MLB
Mets v.Yankees, 1:05 pm
Marlins v. Blue Jays, 1:07 pm
Braves v. Orioles, 1:35 pm
Red Sox v. Phillies, 1:35 pm
Tigers v. Pirates, 1:35 pm
Nationals v. Rays, 1:38 pm
White Sox v.Brewers, 2:05 p.m.
Reds v. Royals 2:10 pm
Twins v. Cubs 2:20 pm
Dodgers v. Rangers, 3:05 pm
Mariners v. Rockies, 3:10 pm
Padres v. Angels, 3:35 pm
Athletics Giants 4:05 pm
Astros v.  D-Backs, 4:10 pm
Cardinals v. Indians 8:05 pm

No Teammates, No Problem

This story has been reported quite a bit the last couple days – and for good reason. It demonstrates the power of one.

Bonnie Richardson, from Rochelle, Texas (population 600), has accomplished what no other Texas high school track and field athlete has ever achieved: back-to-back team state championships – by herself.

The story of how tiny Rochelle High School — enrollment: 59 — won the Texas Class A girls team track championship last weekend sounds too good to be true.

For one thing, it was the Rochelle Hornets’ second straight title. For another, the only member of the team both years was Bonnie Richardson.

She successfully defended the school’s state title by outscoring 56 other schools.Her coach was interviewed for an AP article:

“I coached eight years, was blessed to have her for half of those and I doubt I’ll ever see anyone like her again,” said Jym Dennis, who also teaches history at Rochelle.

“But I’ve got to be honest,” he added a moment later. “You don’t start the year with one girl on the team and think, ‘Sure, we can defend our title.’”

Richardson is a tall, freckle-faced 19-year-old who is also the Class A, Division II high school basketball player of the year, valedictorian, National Honor Society member, and the McCulloch County Chamber of Commerce’s “Citizen of the Year.”

At this year’s championship, Richardson captured first in the long jump (17-04.50), second in the discus (126-09) and first in the high jump (5-8) on Friday for a total of 28 points. Returning to Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas on Saturday, Richardson placed third in the 200 (25.78) and fourth in the 100 (12.51) .

Richardson personally won the team championship, compiling 38 points in her five events.

In winning an outright team track title by herself, Richardson joins James Segrest who won the 2A title for Bangs in 1954 and Frank Pollard who won the Class B title for Meridian in 1976 as the only Texans to win a team title by themselves.

That Richardson won the team title was a testament to her physical talent and internal drive. Her mother, Madelynn, who teaches science at Rochelle, said Bonnie has the most self-discipline she has ever seen.

The youngest of three girls, Bonnie grew up like her sisters, a tomboy in Texas Hill Country, riding horses, climbing rocks and building forts. From the family ranch, it’s 2 1/2 hours to the big city — San Angelo or Abilene — and a 45-minute drive just to see a movie.

Since Rochelle High School has no track, Richardson practices at nearby Brady High School. There she gets to experience the “big” city where there are gas stations and a Wal-Mart.

When Richardson ramped up her performance this season, the college recruiters followed. The call Bonnie wanted most finally came from coach Pat Henry at Texas A&M, where her father, sister and several other family members went to school. She’ll be heading to A&M on full scholarship in the fall planning to major in nutrition.

After two state titles, Richardson does have one regret.

“I wish I hadn’t stuck with the same five events, that I had branched out more,” she said. “I would’ve [liked to] have vaulted, but we don’t have the money or interest in Rochelle to have a pit. I’ve never done hurdles, and I want to.”

What? No relays?

(with info from ESPN, Rivals, & Rise)

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