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.

Coach’s kids keep it all in the family

As the son of the NCAA’s winningest basketball coach, Tyler Summitt grew up making trips to the Final Four with his mom, Pat Summitt, and doing homework with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.

Now a 19-year-old freshman, he is getting the coaching lesson of a lifetime. He works as a male practice player with the Lady Vols, hoping to walk on with the Tennessee men’s team next season. Tyler’s ultimate goal is to become a college coach.

Not surprisingly, Tyler was a part of Tennessee basketball even before he was born. Pat Summitt was recruiting a point guard when she went into labor with Tyler. She caught a quick flight to Knoxville to ensure her son would be born in Tennessee and Tyler has been a fixture around the Tennessee program ever since: sitting on the bench during practice, traveling to away games and tournaments and volunteering during his mom’s summer basketball camps.

With his sights set on coaching, Tyler keeps a notebook full of practice drills and plays that he’s learned from various coaches. He picks the brains of the opposing coaches when traveling with the team. He hopes to earn a graduate assistant position with North Carolina coach Roy Williams and possibly do an internship with an NBA or WNBA franchise.

Tyler’s not the only one keeping the sport in the family. Stanford’s Joslyn Tinkle also has close family ties with a parent who coaches college hoops. Tinkle, whose team earned a number one seed in the women’s bracket, is going to be a fan for a night as she cheers for her Dad’s team in the first round of the NCAA men’s tournament. She’s  rescheduled her final exam Thursday in order to be in the stands  at HP Pavilion in San Jose to watch Montana play in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Wayne Tinkle is in his fourth season as Montana’s men’s basketball head coach and will be making his first appearance in the NCAA tournament with the Grizzlies.

Nice to see these kids keep things all in the family.

March Madness: Basketball Jokes

With March Madness upon us, the pressure is on and the stakes are high for all the teams hoping to make it to San Antonio. Whether you’re attending a live game, going to a viewing party or just talking brackets with your friends, here are some basketball jokes you might want to keep on hand this month.

Q: What do basketball players and babies have in common?
A: They both dribble!

Q: What’s harder to catch the faster you run?
A: Your breath!

Q: Why do basketball players love cookies?
A: Because they can dunk them!

Q: Why should you not play sports in the jungle?
A: There are too many cheetahs!

Q: What’s the difference between a dog and a basketball player?
A: One drools and the other dribbles.

Q: Why was Cinderella such a bad player?
A: Her coach was a pumpkin.

President Obama fills out women’s brackets for ESPN

We all know President Barack Obama is a huge hoops fans. In fact after last year’s NCAA title, Obama invited the UConn women’s team to a championship ceremony at the White House and even ended up shooting baskets with the players.  At the time, he said that as the father of two young daughters, he especially appreciated the success of female athletes like the Connecticut team.

This week Obama picked UConn to win another national championship.  In an ESPN exclusive,  Obama filled out his bracket predictions for both the 2010 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments with ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz and ESPN basketball analyst Doris Burke. This is the first time President Obama has publicly provided his bracket for the women’s tournament.

Obama’s brackets will be posted on ESPN.com shortly after SportsCenter airs his interview on Wednesday, March 17th with Katz and will appear alongside fans expected to play in ESPN Women’s Tournament Challenge presented by Capital One.

The President is predicting a Women’s Final Four of Connecticut, Notre Dame, Stanford and Tennessee to meet April 4-6 in San Antonio.

Referring to the interview, Burke said, “In just the short time I spent with President Obama, it was obvious how much of a basketball fan he is. While he has joined the rest of the nation in following the storyline of the Connecticut Huskies and their current historic win streak, I was impressed with his overall knowledge and passion for all of basketball. He is also intrigued with the potential matchup of the titans of women’s basketball in Tennessee and Connecticut.”

Don’t let the Prez be the only one having fun during March Madness. If you want to play along,  join the WomenTalkSports group for the Bracket Challenge! Here’s how:

1. Check out NCAA Games and create a user account. (name, password)
2. Click here to head to the Women’s Basketball Bracket page. (or go to D-1 Women’s basketball-picks)
3. Navigate to “Join a Group”- Join the WomenTalkSports group by entering:

group name: WomenTalkSports

password: womentalksports

It’s as simple as that, but will be loads of fun as WTS will be giving away random prizes throughout the tournament and a grand prize for the winner of our bracket challenge!

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

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

Sun announces second annual Women in Sports essay contest

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

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

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

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

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.

Women’s Basketball’s Next Superstar?

Brittney Griner has been in the news a lot lately, dunking regularly as a member of Baylor women’s basketball team and helping to redefine the college game.

But basketball’s next superstar may be playing for a girls’ prep school team in New Jersey. Even more surprising – she just took up the sport.  As CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod reports, this teenager is remarkable in more ways than one.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

It’s not every day a Bubbles Anderson comes walking through your door (after she ducks her head, of course).

That’s especially true if you’re a basketball coach.

“Once in a lifetime, 6-10, 6-11 comes your way,” said Mary Coyle-Klinger, Anderson’s high school coach.

Six-foot, ten-inches would make this 16-year-old tied for the tallest girl in the world.

Anderson wears the number 23 in a tribute to basketball legends Michael Jordan and LeBron James. “They’re so good,” she said.

But Anderson is taller than both – nearly half a foot taller than Jordan and two inches taller than James. And she’s still growing.

Her doctor says she’ll reach at least 7-foot-1 Asked how she feels about that, Anderson said, “I don’t know. It just feels normal.”

She came here this summer from Jamaica, looking for a better life and ended up at Rutgers Prep in New Jersey – on the basketball team – even though she had never played before.

She’s a natural, Pat Coyle, a former WNBA coach and NCAA star Pat Coyle and the sister of the Rutgers Prep coach Coyle-Klinger.

“If she continues to grow as a player the way she has the last three months she’s going to redefine the game because of her size and her athleticism,” Coyle said.

Establishing an identity can be the toughest part of a teenager’s life and when you’re just under seven feet tall an identity would seem to be ready made. But ask her classmates about what makes Bubbles so special. You might be surprised at the answers.

We asked a dozen classmates to describe her in one word. Among the answers: “hilarious,” “lovable,” “friendly,” “outgoing,” and “loud.”

Not one said “tall,” which is something considering that Bubbles Anderson is head and shoulders above the crowd.

Candace Parker Holiday Clinic

If you’re lucky enough to live in, or near, Los Angeles, and you’re a basketball player who wants to train with LA Sparks star Candace Parker, then you’re in luck.

Parker is hosting a one day training clinic on Dec. 28th for girls who want to improve their game and play against top competition.

Check out the flyer for all the details:

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