College basketball brackets revealed

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

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

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

Barbie partners with pro golfer Brittany Lincicome to inspire girls

Even as a young girl, Barbie was never my go-to doll.  Though not a huge Barbie  fan, I’ve admired some of the marketing moves Mattel has made over the years in an effort to keep the old girl relevant. Tattoo Barbie may have been my favorite.

As part of Mattel’s latest campaign comes this piece of press:

For more than five decades, Barbie has been a perfect reflection of fashion and culture and has served as an inspiration to girls of all ages. This year, as part of the Barbie brand’s I Can Be… campaign, Barbie is empowering girls to dream it all, try it all and live it all. As part of this commitment, Barbie has partnered with 10 women who continue to serve as ambassadors of dreams and role models for girls. Named earlier this year as one of Barbie’s 10 Women to Watch in 2010, Barbie has forged a partnership with LPGA player Brittany Lincicome, the defending champion of the 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship (KNC), to excite girls about the sport of golf and encourage them to live an active lifestyle.

Other women on Barbie’s 10 Women to Watch in 2010 list include snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler,  race car driver Danica Patrick and author J.K. Rowling.

So with the announcment of Brittany Lincicome as a Barbie partner, here’s what you have to look forward to: Throughout the year Brittany and Barbie will be hosting several clinics to further girl’s education and involvement with the sport of golf. This summer, Barbie is also introducing a new line of branded golf clubs with Accu-length and additional golf accessories bringing Barbie’s signature pink style to the course in a fun way. Barbie branded Accu-length clubs will be available online timed to the KNC. Together, Brittany and Barbie are paving the way for future generations of girls to tee up.

Can’t wait to see Barbie demonstrate the perfect backswing.

This is not the first time Barbie has tried to inspire girls to take to the tee.  They licensed the name for a line of kid-sized  Barbie  golf clubs replete with “girl-favorite features and detailing including lots of pink, flowers, hearts and butterfly graphics.”

We can’t really argue with Barbie’s choice of Lincicome as a role model or their effort to inspire girls to live an active lifestyle by encouraging them to get out on the course.  The Pepto-Bismal pink? That’s another story.

And the latest “Mad Men” Barbie collection? Don’t get me started.

About Brittany Lincicome
A golfer since she was nine-years-old, Brittany Lincicome is a professional golfer playing on the LPGA tour. Prior to going pro in October 2004, Brittany was a five time Rolex Junior All- American, winner of 3 AJGA titles and a two time PING Junior Solheim Cup Team member. As a professional, she is a 3-time winner. Her wins include the HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship in 2006, the Ginn Open in 2007 and her first major victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship last year.. Brittany has represented the United States in 2 Solheim Cups and is the only player to have finished in the top 3 in driving distance each year for the past 5 years. Later this month, Brittany will be defending her title at the 2010 KNC being held in Palm Springs, Calif.

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

Pretty Tough Guide to Yoga

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

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

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

Yoga is based on its three essential components:

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

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

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

Yoga has a lot of benefits which include:

Improved mental lucidity;

Reduced stress and anxiety;

Increased flexibility, range of motion;

Reduced heart rate;

Improved muscle relaxation;

Increased physical endurance;

Self-confidence;

Decreased respiratory rate.

Yoga is also used for many health problems such as:

Depression;

Headaches;

Insomnia;

Heart disease;

Chronic pains;

Thyroid illness, and several more.

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

---

Q & A

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

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

Roster set for USA-MEX friendly matches

The US women’s national soccer team will be back in action after defeating Germany 3-2 for the Algarve Cup title in Portugal on Feb. 3. Head coach Pia Sundhage has named the 24 players that will take on Mexico in two friendly matches. The first game will be on Sunday, Mar. 28 at Torero Stadium (University of San Diego) at 2pm PT and will be aired live on FSC. The second match will be on Mar. 31 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandu, Utah and will be live on ESPN2 at 7pm MT.

All 19 players that were on the Algarve Cup roster are on this roster, and are joined by some newbies, and one other very familiar name. The 3 goalkeepers are Jillian Lloyden, Hope Solo, and Nicole Barnhart.

The defenders that played in Portugal are Stephanie Cox, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Meghan Schnur, Cat Whitehill, and San Diego’s own Rachel Buehler. They are joined by first-round WPS Draft picks Brittany Taylor, who has trained with the national team before, and Whitney Engen who gets her first call up tot he national team.

The midfield consists of  Yael Averbuch, Shannon Boxx, Lori Lindsey, Carli Lloyd, Heather O’Reilly, Megan Rapinoe, and Kristine Lilly, who will be back witht he national team since Dec. 2008 when she joined that team in the last leg of the Achieve Your Gold Tour after having her daughter.

Up top, forwards Lauren Cheney, Casey Nogueira, Amy Rodriguez, and Abby Wambach are joined by Alex Morgan and Kelley O’Hara who are both also getting the chance to get their first caps ever.

The two matches wil be the first domestic games of the year for the WNT, as well as the domestic debut of their new uniforms.

More info: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Womens-National-Team/2010/03/Sundhage-Names-24-Players-for-Matches-against-Mexico.aspx

Softball: Throwing like a girl

Softball season is underway and girls everywhere are out there practicing their skills. So you probably know that if you’ve ever been told “You throw like a girl,” it means your throw kinda sucks.

The “girl throw” refers to a wimpy style a lot of girls seem to have. Girls often face the target with their forearm cocked back and the ball in their upturned palm. Then they throw with just the arm (rather than the whole body). The action is usually limited to a quick extension of the forearm. Essentially, girls tend to “push” the ball rather than hurl it.

Well, before we go any further – let’s get one thing straight. Girls can throw. In fact, many girls can throw harder and faster than a lot of guys. Softball players like Jennie Finch can pitch a ball close to 90 miles per hour.

Some people think the reason for the “girl throw” is based on physical differences between guys and girls. Not. If you ask an orthopedist, an anatomist, or a coach of a women’s softball team, they’ll tell you that there is no anatomical reason why boys and girls throw differently.

Read more

Sporty Saturday Spotlight presents Whitney Frankovic

This Saturday the sporty spotlight shines bright on twenty-one year old snowboarder Whitney Frankovic. Check out Whitney’s in-depth interview below where she dishes about how she overcomes frustration, traveling, makeup, and much, much more.

Name: Whitney Frankovic

Age: 21

Sport(s): Snowboarding

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

High School/Middle School/College: I went to middle school/high school in North Royalton, Ohio. I am currently a senior at the University of Utah.

What’s your fave sport?

Definitely snowboarding, but I love to watch baseball too. Go Tribe!

How many years have you been playing your fave sport?

I started snowboarding in ski club with my school in 7^th grade, so it’s been about 10 years.

What was your fave sporty moment or memory?

I love traveling, especially to new resorts, so I love getting the chance to explore a new mountain.

What was the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing your sport?

Don’t worry about the other people that are out there, ride for yourself and do your own thing.

What lessons have you learned about work ethic from your sport?

Sometimes learning something new when it comes to snowboarding can get frustrating. It’s important to not get mad and loose confidence when you fall. You’ll never learn if you don’t take a few good crashes. It will be worth it when you get the trick down.

What have you learned about teamwork?

I think teamwork is great because everyone is there to support each other, push each other to excel and just be there to just have a good time with. It’s fun being around people who aren’t there to judge you, but there to give you confidence.

How do you balance school and sports?

In high school it was easy, because my home resort in Ohio didn’t even open until 3:00pm every day, so I would just head up after school. I didn’t really do much studying so there was never really a conflict with that. In college it’s a little harder. I try to schedule my classes as early as I can in the morning so I can head up to the resorts in the afternoon then study at night. Sometimes I’ll have to take a day or two off during the week to get some things done for school. I think it’s important to get school stuff out of the way, because then I’ll be worrying about it when I’m out riding.

Who’s your fave athlete, both male and female?

It’s really hard to just pick two, because there are so many great athletes out there, but I guess if I had to pick, it would be Marie-France Roy and Euro Ettela.

What’s the girliest thing you like to do? (Pretty Tough signature question)

I really like makeup for some reason. I don’t even wear it all the time, but I have tons of it! Sometimes I get up a little early and put makeup on before heading up to the mountain (haha).

Thanks, Whitney! So many amazing life lessons you’ve shared! Great stuff and best of luck with your snowboarding career.

Do you or someone you know want to be spotlighted? Send an email to Keri Mikulski at kerimikulski(at)gmail(dot)com.

Happy Saturday!

Memorable moments from female athletes at the Winter Olympics

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

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

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

Hannah Kearney (Women’s moguls)

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

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

Joannie Rochette (Figure skating)

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

Petra Majdic (Cross-country skiing)

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

Lindsey Vonn/Julia Mancuso (Women’s downhill)

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

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

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

Lydia Lassila (Women’s freestyle aerials)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After Vancouver, the baton is handed to Russia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(via USOC)

Serena inaugurates second Kenyan school

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

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