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.

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.

Golfers Creamer, Gulbis get signature shoes

Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis are two of the LPGA’s biggest crossover stars. Even if you’re not a golf fan, you may recognize Gulbis from  reality TV shows  like “The Apprentice” or her many magazine covers. Creamer’s Citizen Watch commercials ran during NFL games providing mass exposure and she reps Kraft Foods among other corporate brands.

Now, each of the fashionista players has designed a signature golf shoe for TaylorMade-Adidas. Creamer, known for her pink outfits and hair ribbons (she’s often referred to as the Pink Panther) has a pink shoe (surprise) with the graphic of a bow on the sides and insole. The shoe will even come with optional lace ribbons instead of normal shoe laces.

The red leather Gulbis show has rhinestones embedded in the ankle collar, tongue and heel. There is a detachable lace tag with hr swan logo, which also appears on the insole. In Latvian, Gulbis means “swan.”

According to corporate reports, these shoes are the first line of signature female golf shoes produced for the mass market. The Signature Natalie shoe will retail for $100 and the Signature Paula for $120.

These shoes are so cool that they might be a reason to take up golf if you don’t play.

What’s new at the Olympics?

For a non-Olympic year, the Olympics have been in the news a lot lately.   There’s the controversy over whether female ski jumpers should be allowed to compete at the next Winter Games, the debate over which new sports should be added to the programme  and the choice of venue for the 2016 Games.

So let’s review (don’t worry – there won’t be a test).  The next Olympics takes place in Vancouver in February 2010. The Winter Games feature a lot of popular sports, including figure skating, skiing and snowboarding, as well as more obscure sports like curling and skeleton.  We’ll start to profile all the events soon so you’re up to speed on all the action.

The biggest story relating to the Vancouver Games concerns a group of women ski jumpers who aren’t being allowed to compete (despite the fact their male counterparts have been doing so for decades). After appealing to the IOC (International Olympic Committee), they’ve taken their complaint to the courts.  IOC President Jacques Rogge has repeatedly denied the women’s requests and their  case is scheduled to be heard in the BC Court of Appeal Nov. 12 & 13 – just three months before the start of Games.

The next Summer Games will take place in London in 2012.  Baseball and softball were both  dropped for the 2012 London Games in a move many believe discriminated against Americans who dominated in both sports. Japan, however, won the last gold medal for softball and eliminating the sport from the Olympics was a huge blow to women around the world who play the game.

What has been added to the 2012 Games is women’s boxing.  According the the IOC, the  change reflects the IOC’s desire to continually refresh the Olympic programme and its commitment to increase participation by women. Kind of ironic given their stance on women ski jumpers. And their recent pressure on Muslim countries who fail to support the participation of female athletes.

The Sochi Winter Games 2014 seem to be relatively drama-free although there are  activists protesting Russia’s politics who have demanded the 2014 Winter Olympics be moved from Russia to a new site. Despite the protests, the Sochi Games are moving forward with new venues and attractions currently under construction.

The most recent Olympic fanfare had to do with the venue of the 2016 Games. A number of cities vied for the chance to host the games including Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio.  Chicago appeared to be a top choice and President Obama and TV Queen Oprah Winfrey appeared before the committee on behalf of their city.  Much to their dismay, Chicago was voted out on the first ballot and the Games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro – making it the first time the Games will be held in South America.

Golf has successfully scheduled a tee time for the 2016 Olympics. The sport returns to the Games  for the first time since 1904 amid the spectacular backdrop of Rio de Janeiro’s sand and sea. Golfers will compete for Olympic medals, but the greater promise for the sport is that the game catches on in countries where golfers are few and golf courses are even fewer. Michelle Wie, for several years the world’s best known female amateur player, helped lobby for golf to be included.  She told the IOC  that putting golf in the games would give young girls everywhere something new to aspire to.

Rugby also got the nod for the 2016 Games after a campaign of its own to show off the sport to a wider audience. The IOC  voted to include rugby sevens featuring 12 men’s and women’s teams.

The two sports share an Olympic history of sorts, both making their debuts at the second modern games in Paris in 1900. Golf was played again only in 1904, while 15-a-side rugby was in three more games, the last the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Both golf and rugby had to make some concessions to win their respective vote. Golf promised the IOC it would not stage any other major championships during the Olympics, while the Rugby Sevens World Cup will be canceled.

So, stay tuned. Despite the fact that the next Olympics are still four months away, there seems to be no lack of drama relating to the Games.

Natalie Gulbis throws out first pitch at A’s game

We’ve written about a lot of ladies throwing out the first pitch this baseball season.  LA Sol Soccer player Marta,  golfer Michelle Wie,  and Sparks players Delisha Milton Jones and Tina Thompson graced the blue carpet by throwing out the first pitch at a Dodger Game.  Serena Williams showed up to toss the pitch out at a recent Yankees game while  Jackie Joyner Kersee and Cammi Granato had the honors at a pair of Chicago games. And tonight, golfer Natalie Gulbis threw out the first pitch at an Oakland Athletics game.

So that got us thinking? What’s the story behind the ceremonial first ball? According to Wikipedia, the first pitch is a longstanding ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor (dignitary, celebrity, former player, etc.) throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from his/her place in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team. At some point, this morphed into the guest standing in front of the pitcher’s mound and throwing towards (but rarely reaching) home plate, though sometimes he or she may stand on the mound (as a pitcher would). The recipient  is usually a player from the home team.

Tonight’s pitch looks like a fast curve ball.  You throw, girl.

It’s a girl for Annika Sorenstam

Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorentam wrote in her blog that she and husband Mike welcomed daughter Ava Madelyn McGee at 3:30 am Tuesday morning. Baby weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces and was 19 inches long.

Sorenstam said both her and her daughter were doing well and that she was “very excited” about the new addition to the family.

The 38-year old Swede, widely regarded as the best female golfer of all time,  retired from the LPGA Tour last year after 72 victories and 10 major titles, saying she wanted to start a business and a family.

We think she’ll make a Pretty Tough mom.

Golfer Michelle Wie throws out the first pitch

On Saturday, August 8th, golfer Michelle Wie threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium when the Los Angeles Dodgers played the Atlanta Braves.

Before taking the mound, 19-year old Michelle took part in a putting contest against Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton in the dugout!

She said she was having a great time this year on the LPGA tour as a rookie, and was honored to be selected to the US Solheim Cup team.

Check out more pictures from the day.

Alexis Thompson: A new golf star is born

The U.S. Open may be over but it will not soon be forgotten. South Korea’s Eun Hee Ji curled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win the event on Sunday, beating Taiwan’s Candie Kung by one stroke for her first major title. The 23-year-old golfer finished even-par 284 at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to take home the trophy and a prize of $585,000.

American Christie Kerr, seeking her second US Women’s Open title in three years, seemed on the verge of winning the competition all weekend. Heading into Sunday’s final round  Kerr was two shots ahead of the field sitting at -2 for the tournament but the 12-time LPGA winner fell out of the lead for the first time since Friday and finished in a tie for third place.

In addition to the drama at the top of the leaderboard, there was a young teen player who also pumped some excitement into the tournament.

Two years after becoming the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, and after two missed cuts, 14-year-old Alexis Thompson pushed her way up the leaderboard Friday and moved into contention at the big time tourney.

Whether or not you seriously follow golf, it’s hard to ignore such a tremendous accomplishment from such a young athlete. The ninth-grader from Coral Springs, Florida, who is an avid fan of Hannah Montana and MTV, is  the youngest person to make the cut at the Open since Marlene Hagge did it in 1947 at age 13.  Thompson entered Saturday tied for ninth place.

Displaying a solid all-around game and course management that defied her age, Thompson eased her way around the Old Course, shooting a second-round 73 for a two-day total of 2-over 144.

On Saturday, Thompson made pars on her first two holes of the day before bogeying the next three holes and beginning her slide down the leaderboard. Although her round ultimately ended in disappointment, Thompson hit shots that wowed the gallery and showcased her potential.

Though the young teen has quite a bit of competition experience, playing the U.S. Open was different on a myriad of levels. At a typical American Junior Golf Association event,  Thompson’s play wouldn’t be beamed worldwide via television.  She wouldn’t have adults twice her age standing outside the gallery ropes in anticipation of an autograph.  And she wouldn’t be ushered to waiting national journalists for post-round interviews.

The dream for Thompson capturing the U.S. Women’s Open title will  have to wait until another time but this experience in the big leagues should bode well for her future.  She is definitely one player to keep an eye on.

Check out her website for more info.

Softball players aim to impress IOC leaders this week in Switzerland

The leaders of seven sports hoping to join the Olympic program are in Lausanne, Switzerland this week making key presentations to the IOC .

All seven candidates – baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens, softball and squash – are seeking a place at the games from 2016 onward after being rejected by International Olympic Committee members in 2005.

Olympic softball player (and current WSF president) Jessica Mendoza is joined in Switzerland by Michele Smith and other international softball athletes to make the case to reinstate the sport.

She’s confident the IOC will make the right decision but implores everyone to visit www.backsoftball.com to show their support.

For more background on the IOC decision to drop softball in the first place, Women Talk Sports has just posted a great podcast with sports journalist Christine Brennan discussing the Olympic Committee’s decisions to remove Softball from the Olympic Summer Program in the first place as well  as its refusal to add women’s Ski Jumping to the Winter program. In the interview, Brennan states, “Jacques Rogge, the IOC President, is in danger of having his legacy…be that he did more damage to women’s sports than any IOC President.”

There are a number of other sports hoping to make it into the games as well. Squash and karate were closest to Olympic status four years ago, after baseball and softball were voted out of the 2012 London Games.

Both advanced past golf, roller sports and rugby sevens in successive rounds of voting, but finally fell short of the required two-thirds tally of IOC members.

Hoping to bolster golf’s bid, Annika Sorenstam also arrived in Lausanne to plead the case for her sport.

World Karate Federation president Antonio Espinos said his federation had worked hard since Singapore to improve its marketing and appeal.

No votes will be cast Monday when each of the sports gets a 45-minute slot to impress the Executive Board. All 15 members, led by President Jacques Rogge, have received a report from the program commission which vetted the seven last November and attended major events.

The board meets again in August at Berlin to choose two from seven that will go before the full IOC membership for approval at their October session in Copenhagen. Voting rules have changed and a place on the program awaits either or both shortlisted sports which get a simple majority.

The IOC wants sports with universal appeal, which will not burden a host city with added costs and have a proven record fighting doping.

International Softball Federation president Don Porter said his sport would support the Olympic movement’s values.

“The ISF has made tremendous progress in the last few years, pushing forward our vision of a clean, inclusive, and accessible sport that enriches the lives of tens of millions of people around the world” Porter said.

Baseball suffered four years ago from a perception that the major leagues were slow to embrace drug testing and could not deliver top players to the games. Its presentation team Monday includes Donald Fehr, leader of the Major League Baseball players’ union, and Jean-Pierre Moser, anti-doping manager for the International Baseball Federation.

Squash proposes to play in mobile glass courts it will donate to the host, and has secured pledges from top-ranked men and women players that an Olympic medal would be the sport’s highest honor.

“We feel that we fit the bill for the IOC’s requirements” said World Squash Federation president N. Ramachandran.

Karate and squash will point to having world champions from all continents.

“We estimate to have 100 million supporters and we always have full venues at our events” World Karate Federation president Antonio Espinos said. “Karate can be organized in any venue of the sports already on the program.”

The IOC is said to prefer adding one individual and one team sport, which could favor rugby sevens after it scored well with program commission observers at its World Cup event in March.

Is Maria Verchenova the Maria Sharapova of Golf?

 Generally I’m not a fan of labels or comparisons.  But Maria Verchenova, a young female golfer from Moscow, is being compared to her compatriot Maria Sharapova. These comparisons, not surprisingly, are based as much on Verchenova’s beauty as her athleticism.  So who is Maria Verchenova?

Despite a lack of golfing opportunities in Russia during her childhood, Verchenova took to the game at a young age. In 2004 she won the Russian Amateur Championship and did the same again in 2006.  In 2007 she qualified for the Ladies European Tour (LET), and has since cashed in all but one “regular” tour event she’s played so far.  Verchenova has also recently qualified to play in the upcoming Women’s British Open.

As the first Russian to earn full-time membership on the Ladies’ European Tour, she’s had a number of strong finishes, including a Dubai Ladies’ Masters performance in which she briefly dueled with Annika Sorenstam for the lead.

Before turning pro, Verchenova was the Russian amateur champ in 2004 and 2006, and also won the amateur championships of Austria, Latvia and Slovenia.

Golf365 had a recent interview with Verchenova and lead with this:

Gymnastics, athletics, tennis – all of these sports have been conquered and graced by the ladies of Russia in the last 40 years.

What all of the successful athletes in these sports have shared is a natural flair for sport, a determination to make the most of their talent, a passion for competition and a beguiling nature that has captured the imagination of the world.

And where the likes of Svetlana Khorkina, Yelena Isinbayeva and Maria Sharapova have already travelled, golf’s Maria Verchenova hopes to follow.

In the interview, Verchenova talks about her role in the game:

 Russia doesn’t have programs such as Korea, Japan, countries in Europe or the U.S. have. We have support in tennis and hockey but not in golf so this is something we have to work on. It has been tough for me to get to this level considering the difficulties which came to me along my young career. I wish I could have had more support and experienced people to rely on in the past. But the exciting part is that I can be this person for the next generation and this is priceless! I will do all my best to be a good pioneer and give back.

Verchenova, who has done modeling shoots,  has admitted that Russian tennis star Sharapova is a role model.  Yet Verchenova is very clear about what she takes from her admiration of Sharapova:

I am looking at Maria, not because of the way she looks but because of the way she plays. I think Russian women are strong mentally. They are trying really hard and they are achieving things.

We love the fact that Verhenova brings a a potent dose of style and beauty to the game but hope that when we hear about her in the future it will be primarily because of her talent. Let her game do the talking, as this is her stated goal.

Being attractive shouldn’t be a burden for an athlete. In fact physical beauty can open doors; it’s foolish to deny that. But it shouldn’t define who Verchenova is as a golfer or a woman.  We look forward to following what is hopefully a long and successful career.

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