WPS Draft results – Tobin Heath is first pick

(via Womens Pro Soccer release)

As many had expected but the Atlanta Beat had yet to confirm until Draft Day, North Carolina’s Tobin Heath (Basking Ridge, NJ) was the first player selected in the 2010 WPS Draft on Friday by Atlanta at the Philadelphia Convention Center.  Heath was the first of four North Carolina Tarheels selected during the first round (and a total of 7 UNC players) including defender Whitney Engen at No. 4 (Chicago Red Stars/Rolling Hills Estates, CA), forward Nikki Washington at No. 5 (Los Angeles Sol/Mesquite, TX) and forward Casey Nogueira at No. 8 (Los Angeles Sol/Raleigh, NC) . The first round included 11 selections for the nine WPS teams with expansion teams Philadelphia Independence and Atlanta Beat both receiving additional picks at the end of the first round, which they traded away prior to the draft.

The first overall four picks went largely how the experts had predicted with Heath going first, the Boston Breakers then selecting attacking forward and 2008 Olympics gold medalist Lauren Cheney (UCLA/Indianapolis, IN), and 2009 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Kelley O’Hara (Fayetteville, GA) of Stanford going to FC Gold Pride with the third pick. Engen, the consensus top defender in the draft, went fourth, while Alyssa Naeher (Penn State/Seymour, CT) was the first goalkeeper selected at No. 11 by the Boston Breakers. Nogueira, predicted by many experts to be among the top four prospects, slipped to eighth and was snapped up by the Los Angeles Sol where the creative forward could partner up top with Marta for an interesting frontline.

Teams were busy with several trades towards the latter rounds, especially the expansion Philadelphia Independence. The Independence swapped their fifth round pick with Atlanta’s fifth round pick. They also sent their 49th overall selection, Jennifer Anzivino (Rutgers), to Sky Blue FC and received Sky Blue FC’s seventh round pick in return with which they selected local Philadelphia prospect Danielle Collins (William & Mary). Boston also traded up for the 56th selection that belonged to Los Angeles, choosing Gina DiMartino (Boston College) in that slot and giving LA future considerations in return.

After North Carolina, Santa Clara was second among colleges with five selections, UCLA and Wake Forest each featured three selections among the draftees.

The draft festivities included a Commissioner’s Welcome from WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci and appearances from NSCAA President Randy Waldrum, NSCAA Executive Director Joe Cummings and Los Angeles Sol goalkeeper and WPS All-Star Karina LeBlanc. Draft day began with a panel of coaches discussing the growth of the global professional women’s game including Boston Breakers Head Coach Tony DiCicco and North Carolina Head Coach Anson Dorrance.

2010 WPS Draft
FIRST ROUND
1. Atlanta Beat – Tobin Heath, M, UNC
2. Boston Breakers # – Lauren Cheney, F, UCLA
3. FC Gold Pride – Kelley O’Hara, F, Stanford
4. Chicago Red Stars – Whitney Engen, D, North Carolina
5. Los Angeles Sol # – Nikki Washington, F, North Carolina
6. Sky Blue FC – Brittany Taylor, D, Connecticut
7. Washington Freedom – Nikki Marshall, D/M/F, Colorado
8. Los Angeles Sol # – Casey Nogueira, F, North Carolina
9. Los Angeles Sol – Kiersten Dallstream, F, Washington St.
10. FC Gold Pride # – Ali Riley, D, Stanford
11. Boston Breakers # – Alyssa Naeher, GK, Penn State

SECOND ROUND
12. FC Gold Pride # – Becky Edwards, D/M, Florida State
13. Philadelphia Independence – Malorie Rutledge, M, LSU
14. Los Angeles Sol # – Michelle Enyeart, F, Portland
15. Chicago Red Stars – Jessica McDonald, F, North Carolina
16. Boston Breakers – Jordan Angeli, D, Santa Clara
17. Saint Louis Athletica # – Kristina Larsen, F, UCLA
18. Washington Freedom – Carly Dobratz, M, Washington State
19. Saint Louis Athletica – Ashlyn Harris, GK, North Carolina
20. FC Gold Pride # – Kaley Fountain, F, Wake Forest

THIRD ROUND
21. Atlanta Beat – Blakely Mattern, D, South Carolina
22. Los Angeles Sol # – Kiki Bosio, F, Santa Clara
23. Atlanta Beat # – Shameka Gordon, D/M, West Florida
24. Chicago Red Stars – Kelsey Davis, GK, Portland
25. Los Angeles Sol – Estelle Johnson,  D, Kansas
26. Sky Blue FC – Katie Schoepfer, F, Penn State
27. Washington Freedom – Beverly Goebel, M, Miami
28. Saint Louis Athletica – Amanda Poach, M, Santa Clara
29. Sky Blue FC # – Melissa Clarke, M, LSU

FOURTH ROUND
30. Atlanta Beat – Jill Hutchinson, F, Wake Forest
31. Philadelphia Independence – Kelly Henderson, D/M, Boston College
32. FC Gold Pride – Erin Guthrie, GK, Rutgers
33. Chicago Red Stars – Michele Weissenhofer, F, Notre Dame
34. Boston Breakers – Katherine Reynolds, D, Santa Clara
35. Sky Blue FC – Danielle Johnson, D, Ole Miss
36. Washington Freedom – Kristi Eveland, D, UNC
37. Saint Louis Athletica – Veronica Perez, M/F, Washington
38. Los Angeles Sol – Mary Casey, GK, Maryland

ROUND FIVE
39. Atlanta Beat – Mallori Lofton-Malachi, GK, South Florida (traded to Philadelphia)
40. Philadelphia Independence – Carrie Patterson, F, Georgia (traded to Atlanta)
41. FC Gold Pride – Ashley Bowyer, M/D, Ohio State
42. Chicago Red Stars – Sophie Reiser, M/F, Columbia
43. Boston Breakers – Cynthia Morote-Ariza, F, Loyola-Chicago
44. Sky Blue FC – Meagan Snell, F, Santa Clara
45. Washington Freedom – Lauren Robertson, GK, Ohio State
46. Saint Louis Athletica – Carolyn Blank, M/D, WVU
47. Los Angeles Sol – Lindsay Browne, M/F, Clemson

ROUND SIX
48. Atlanta Beat – Kasey Langdon, F, Oklahoma St.
49. Philadelphia Independence – Jennifer Anzivino, D/M, Rutgers (to Sky Blue FC)
50. FC Gold Pride – Eilzabeth Harkin, D, Arizona State
51. Chicago Red Stars – Fiona O’Sullivan, M/F, San Francisco
52. Boston Breakers – Carly Peetz, D, Nebraska
53. Sky Blue FC – Kelly Isleib, M, Utah
54. Washington Freedom – Mara Osher, D/M, Boston University
55. Saint Louis Athletica – Sarah Teegarden, M, Wisconsin-Milwaukee
56. Boston Breakers – Gina DiMartino, M/F, Boston College (pick traded from Los Angeles Sol)

ROUND SEVEN
57. Atlanta Beat – Shaneka Gordon, F, West Florida
58. Philadelphia Independence – Caitlin Farrell, D, Wake Forest
59. FC Gold Pride – Lauren Wilmoth, D, UCLA
60. Chicago Red Stars – Jackie Santacaterina, M, Illinois
61. Boston Breakers – Casey Brown, D, Boston University
62. Philadelphia Independence – Danielle Collins, D/M, William & Mary
63. Washington Freedom – Caitline Miskel, M/F, Virginia
64. Saint Louis Athletica – Elisabeth Redmond, M, Duke
65. Boston Breakers – Taryn Hemmings, F, Denver

#via trade

read more at womensprosoccer.com

PUMA unveils new WPS match ball

The official 2010 PUMA WPS ball has been bouncing through Philadelphia all week and was finally unveiled tonight at the NSCAA Soccer Convention.

Those following the ball’s  journey through Philly found it first on the famed stairs that Rocky ascended in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. On Day Two of the  ball’s journey through the City of Brotherly Love, it made a pit stop at the Italian Market where it found company amongst the spaghetti squash and rutabaga. The new WPS game ball next bounced over to Pat’s King of Steaks on Day Three for a quick snack and to weigh in on the argument Philadelphians have been having for centuries (who serves the best cheese steak).

The mysterious sphere then made it’s way over to the Philadelphia Convention tonight just in time for its big moment. And it was at the NSCAA Convention, where WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci unveiled the new WPS Official Match Ball as PUMA athlete and Los Angeles Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc made her “first save” on the new ball, snaring a practice shot on one of the clinic fields at the Convention Center.

After securing the ball’s “first save”, Leblanc walked over and presented PUMA’s WPS PWR-C 1.10, the Official Match Ball of the 2010 WPS Season, to Commissioner Antonucci.

The WPS PWR-C 1.10 features a unique 20-panel construction developed with the aim of improving both shooting speed and flight distance. The ball is abrasion-resistant and water-repellent and, for the first time in PUMA’s history, high-frequency molded instead of hand-stitched, providing improved stability of form and less water uptake.

PUMA’s new ball comes with a two-year shape guarantee and features an innovative take on the jasmine green colorway first seen in the WPS Official Match Ball developed for the league’s inaugural year. The WPS PWR-C 1.10 will be showcased on-field throughout the 2010 WPS season and will be used for the first time in a regular season game when the Washington Freedom kick off against the Boston Breakers on Saturday, April 10 at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

Play on…

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.

Coke looking for teens to join Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay

Not often would parents and teachers encourage teens to miss a few days of school, but when a once-in-a-lifetime experience is the reason, there’s no need to worry about detention or losing driving privileges.

Next January, Coca-Cola will offer 10 lucky teens in the U.S. a unique “show and tell” opportunity to share with their friends and family – carrying the Olympic Flame. Coca-Cola is searching for teens who exemplify positive living in their community to carry the Flame in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay when it visits Calgary on January 18-19, 2010.

“Coca-Cola is committed to making a positive difference in the world by rethinking the way we live and work,” said Bill Kelly, senior vice president, Coca-Cola Trademark Brands, Coca-Cola North America. “As a presenting partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, we are using this opportunity to recognize some outstanding teens who personify positive living and serve as sources of inspiration to their friends, family and community.”

Joining the 10 teen torchbearers in Calgary will be Olympians and Coca-Cola “Ambassadors of Active Living” Shawn Johnson and Steven Lopez. Johnson is a four-time medalist in women’s gymnastics from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and Lopez has medaled in men’s taekwondo in three consecutive Olympic Games. Both athletes will participate in the Relay and meet with the teens to share their Olympic experiences and speak about the importance of living positively.

Selection Process

For the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola is seeking potential torchbearers who champion positive living, which is defined in the following ways:

• Balanced Living – staying active and physically fit while having fun with family and friends
• Community – working to make good things happen for people throughout the community
• Recycling – helping the planet by recycling or donating time to a recycling program in the community or school

To participate, nominators can visit www.livepositively.com and submit an essay that expresses, in 200 words or less, why the nominee is a champion of positive living. Nominations will be accepted through May 31.

All eligible entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and torchbearer selections will be based on how the candidates exhibit positive living through:

• Showing leadership to inspire others to a make a positive difference
• How the nominee’s work has inspired others to live positively or created sustainable results
• The breadth and depth of the impact of the nominee’s activities on the community

If you’re not yet ready to compete in the Olympics, this could be the next best thing. Or if you know someone who’s a champion of living and deserves the honor – be sure to nominate them.

Iranian women skiers to participate in Olympics

October 23, 2008 – Iran’s women skiers will take part in the winter Olympic for the first time, the Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported.

Iranian women will participate in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. They took part in the ski on grass held in Tehran and Lebanon’s Asian junior championship both last year, snatching gold and silver medals, said the president of the Iranian Ski Federation.

Iran had two ski coaches after Iran’s revolution but 500 coaches work in the country at the present, Isa Saveh Shemshaki added.

It may be uphill for the skiers from Iran, who aren’t as well known as other international competitors.  But skiing is a popular sport in Iran and there are some great resorts near Tehran where skiers can train.

Situated in the Alborz mountain range near the peak of Damavand (a giant dormant volcano), the Dizin ski resort is Iran’s highest in altitude. Coming in at almost 14,000 feet Dizin is currently the largest ski resort in the Middle East. Shemshak is the host to the nation’s hardest and the steepest slopes

Until recently, ski slopes were segregated, with women skiing on one side and men the other.  It is still illegal for men and women to ride a lift together or share a gondola.  And of course women must remain covered which shouldn’t be much of a problem on the slopes. 

The announcement that women skiers will participate in the Olymics is good news and definitely a step in the right direction. Bring it on girls.

FYI: If you’re interested in learning more about how Muslim women are taking up sports, check out this paper on Islam and Women’s Sports.

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010.

Best seats in the house: $285,000 for 2010 Games

October 3, 2008 – If you’ve got some spare change in your wallet, you might consider joining wealthy supporters of the 2010 Winter Games who are being offered an Olympic dream.  Members of the Vancouver 2010 Club receive 100 prime tickets to the events of their choice, a car and driver, concierge service and even a spot in the torch relay.

Among the benefits:

* 100 premium tickets to any event, including up to eight tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies, a guaranteed four tickets to prime events such as the gold-medal finals of men’s and women’s hockey, curling, figure skating, speed skating and snowboard.

* Premium seating at every victory ceremony.

* A vehicle and driver for four for the Olympic period.

* Admission for two to the International Olympic Committee’s “prestigious Opening Ceremony” of its annual session.

* The right for one person to run in the torch relay, and to keep a torch and torch-relay uniform.

* Entrance to other hospitality functions.

* Contribution of 100 event tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Charitable Ticketing Fund. 

The cost: $285,000. Not including a tax of $14,251. But hurry, because there are only 100 packages available.