Why She Plays: A Book Review

Did you ever wonder what combination of traits creates the perfect player? Is it raw talent? Is it drive? Or is it simply the will to win combined with passion and pure ability? Christine A. Baker answers all this and more in Why She Plays: The World of Women’s Basketball

With a forward by the WNBA’s New York Liberty’s Becky Hammond, Why She Plays is divided into six parts (Youth Basketball, High School Basketball, College Basketball, The WNBA, USA Basketball, and Media Coverage and Women’s Basketball) and ends with an eye-opening epilogue entitled Building the Perfect Player. From women’s basketball coaches to commentators to former to current players to the extraordinary to the average, Baker dives into the mind of the female athlete and packs this paperback with valuable insights.

Sprinkling in powerful statistics and personal remarks throughout the book, Baker, a former stand out college basketball player, uses her own observations to give the book a personal touch, including this memorable quote about an athlete’s love of the game.

“The happiest, purest form of inspiration and confidence I have ever experienced is found on the basketball court. Deep within me I feel the pure magic, the sheer, unabashed joy of a high arching fade away, a perfect pick and roll, or a flawless box-out. When I cross over the threshold and step out onto a gym floor. I’m able to shut the world out completely and leave my introverted shell for forty minutes to become a vial, outspoken leader who is capable of scoring at will, who is capable of winning games and making my teammates better than they thought they could be.” (Baker, 158)

Why She Plays is a modern women’s basketball bible with an exclusive pass into the world of the elite female athlete. Baker covers more floor in the basketball world than Candace Parker covers on game day. If you’re a fan of women’s athletics, a current or former basketball player, or a parent of a child navigating the world of youth sports, pick up Why She Plays.

Reviewer Keri Mikulski is the author of Screwball and Change-up as well the upcoming Full Court Press (a Pretty Tough novel).

Video: Tribute to IAAF World Champion Women

The athletes have left Berlin – some with medals and some with heartache – but all with the sense of pride that comes from representing their countries. World records were broken,  personal bests were recorded and fans got to see elite competition between the very best track and field athletes in the world.

Some of the many highlights include:

Allyson Felix scored a hat trick by winning her 3rd World Championship in the 200m.

Brittney Reese became the third American woman in the history of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics to win the Long Jump title.

After a string of misses, Sanya Richards won her first 400m global title.

Jamaican Shelley-Ann Fraser confirmed her Olympic title winning form by adding the world 100m gold in a faster time than Beijing.

Blanka Vlasic of Croatia became the IAAF World Champion in women’s High Jump for the second time.

Oh, and in a nod to the guys, let’s not forget Usain Bolt’s two smoking hot world records.

Check out his video tribute to the Wonderful Women of the 12th IAAF World Championships:

Swimmer Natalie Coughlin among new “Dancing with the Stars” cast

Natalie Coughlin can do the backstroke and the breastroke in world record time, but can she do the paso doble or tango?

Coughlin, who has made a big splash in the Olympics, will attempt to excel in the ballroom during the upcoming season of ABC’s “DWTS.” She was among the 16 celebrities named to the “Dancing with the Stars” cast, as announced Monday morning. She’ll compete against former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay, pop singer Donny Osmond, and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin.

Other hopefuls include singers Mya, Macy Gray and Aaron Carter; actors Melissa Joan Hart, Debi Mazar and Ashley Hamilton (son of George); models Joanna Krupa and Kathy Ireland; reality stars Kelly Osbourne and Mark Dacascos (”the Chairman” on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America”); mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell; and professional snowboarder Louie Vito.

The contestants were announced on Monday’s “Good Morning America” by “Dancing” host Tom Bergeron, who also unveiled a new competitive twist.

“In the middle of our season, over three weeks, we’re going to have double eliminations,” said Bergeron. “We’ll lose about half of our cast within that period. It will be a ballroom bloodbath.”

Coughlin  represented the United States at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2008, she became the first American female athlete to win six medals in one Olympics.

After taking a break from swimming competition after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Coughlin will be extending that break with time logged on the dance floor. She appears to be in good company on “Dancing” as three Olympians have won the reality show’s coveted title. Speed-skater Apolo Anton Ohno captured the prize in Season 4, while figure skate Kristi Yamaguchi prevailed in Season 6 and gymnast Shawn Johnson won the disco-ball trophy in Season 8.

The ninth season of the hit ABC show premieres Sept. 21 with a three night event.

Update: Natalie will be paired with Alec Mazo on this season of DWTS.

Athlete Blog: Cierra Smith

(Editors Note: Fourteen year old Cierra Smith is a Pretty Tough mountain biker.  On July 16-19, 2009 Cierra joined thousands of professional and amateur racers who came to battle it out on world-class terrain at the USA Cycling National Championships)

Hi Everyone. I have been very busy this last month preparing for the U.S. Nationals in Granby, Colorado. I’ve been riding my bike as much as possible and working on all aspects of my riding.

Getting to the Nationals took two  long days of driving from Nevada, but once we were there I was extremely excited to get up on the mountain and learn the course. I had heard from some friends that the course was pretty tough and technical with rock gardens and big jumps which  made me a little nervous.  I feel I can take on anything technical because I train on hard rocky trails.  I know I can jump pretty good but wondering  exactly how big the jumps were going to be was getting inside my head and making me a bit panicked.

On Friday morning I was anxious to start practice with my teammates and see how technical the course really was.  My practice was not until  later in the day so my Dad and I went to register first.  In all my competitions this year I’ve raced in sport and expert classes, but because my racing age is only 14  I was not able to race up which meant I had to race in the junior category.  I was disappointed but wasn’t about to let that ruin my weekend.

When twelve o’clock rolled around I was all ready for practice and headed up to the trail which appeared to be built very well. It was a mix of a lot of different elements. At first it had loose dirt and rocks which transitioned into rock waterfall that led to the woods.  After coming out of the woods you came into an open area with jumps and berms. I was feeling really awesome on the course and was really confident.

Saturday morning I got to the hill and took one practice run before the race. I went up to the top of the hill with some of my friends and was waiting for the race to begin.  At this point I became extremely nervous. When it was my turn, I lined up and met my competition.  I was surprised to see there was only one other girl in my class.  Before a race I always go into my own world to focus and concentrate and this race was no different.

Once the race started, I had a awesome run. I ended up passing my competition and knew immediately I had won.  When I got down to the bottom I was overcome with happiness. I was so glad to win back my title. Standing on the podium and wearing the National Champion jersey and medal was one of the best days of my life and I hope to repeat it next year.

Thank you to all my sponsors for supporting me this year. I couldn’t have won without your help!

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!

Tubular Girls spotlighted in July issue of Vanity Fair

The latest issue of Vanity Fair (July 2009) wants you to meet the newest female stars of surfing.

The VF spread, featuring Alana Blanchard, Sally Fitzgibbons, Sofia Mulanovich and a bevy of other surfers (promoting next month’s US Open of Surfing) show that fifty years after Gidget stirred up waves in the male-dominated surfing world, a new set of young women in their teens and 20s are revolutionizing the sport, from the beaches of Montauk to Australia.

Back in April, New York photog Michael Halsband, who specializes in artists, musicians and surfers, traveled to California’s Newport Beach to shoot the coolest surfer girls.

In addition to Blanchard and Fitzgibbons you can see Sierra Partridge, Leila Hurst, Blanchard, Malia Manuel, Coco Ho, Laura Enever, Sage Erickson, Quincy Davis, Courtney Conlogue and Hailey Partridge in the magazine.

There are a bunch of photos online (including outtakes from the shoot)  and some video below. Be sure to pick up theVanity Fair issue and if you’re near Huntington Beach, California July 18 – 26, the US Open of Surfing plays center stage to one of the top stops on the ASP Tour. Put in on your calendar and don’t miss a minute of the fun.

Queen of the Hill Casting Call

Do you have what it takes to be ” Queen of the Hill? ”

Are you a top performing woman athlete in the world of extreme/action sports ready for a completely new challenge…. Are you driven to succeed, have what it takes to compete in ways you never imaged before, are you ultra confident, sassy and  fun?

Are you just waiting to show the world what you’ve got? Willing to show off your athletic body in a bikini? Well then you just might be right for the next great reality show hit. If you think you have what it takes to be the next “Queen of the Hill” and bring home the cash prize, then TKO Entertainment wants to see you!

Casting producer Michele Johnson, a retired motocross racer, writes, “This project is about celebrating the talents of fit, healthy, sassy women in the action sports world. The show is going to be based on a group of women competing to be “Queen of the Hill”, with challenges ranging from bravery, talent, beauty, brains, to cooking! I’m extremely excited to see Reality TV on a major network showcasing strong, talented, athletic women!!”

Sounds great for Pretty Tough girls who can make it to SoCal next month. Here are the details:

Casting Call Location:
OC Studio
Address will be supplied
Newport Beach, CA

Casting Call Dates:
July 14, 2009 @ 9 – TBD
July 23, 2009 @ 9 – TBD

Bring: Street Cloths, Athlete’s Sport Attire, and Bikini
[Talent will be required to display all 3 outfits for the panel]

Talent will have Q & A with Executive Producer Thomas Klein.

Talent will be filmed during the casting review by Writer / Producer Jonny Wolf

Please pre-book your attendance and arrival time with Producer of Cast – Michele Johnson mj@icon1agency.com

Information required: Full name, age, address, contact phone number, primary sport, and photo. Agency will respond to your email with confirmation and the address to the casting call location.

If the talent is under 18 she must have a legal guardian attend the casting call.

Katie Wharton – Motocross

Sport: Motocross
Home: Battleground, WA
Birth Date: 1/7/91

Favorite Athletes: Ricky Carmichael and Ryan Villapoto
Favorite Sports Drink: WATER or Gatorade
Favorite Workout Music: My ipod playlist
Favorite Place to Shop: Anywhere in the mall
Hobbies and Interests: Racing motocross, working out, hanging out with friends and family
Superstition: Every winter I break a bone (back, leg, other leg, etc..haha)…so I have become superstitious about winter time….
Best Moment: Traveling around and meeting new people at the track is always a best moment for me.
Dream Job: Super fast professional mx racer..
Favorite Books/TV Shows: I love Marry Higgens Clark books.
Pet Peeves: When people think they are all that… Oh and styrofoam!

What has been your biggest accomplishment? Racing in just this last year’s WMA cup was probably my biggest accomplishment thus far. With crashing in both motos I didn’t get solid finishes but in the end I still accomplished a lot…just the same, there are so many other accomplishments that I am also proud of as well.

What advice would you give to up and coming female athletes? I would say don’t let anyone tell you it’s a guys’ sport and you can’t succeed. Work hard and have fun!

Competitive Accomplishments: 2009 Portland International Raceway, Women’s Open 1st; 2008 Trans Cal National, Women’s B, 1st; 2008 Oregon State Championship, Women’s Open, 1st; 2008 4-Stroke Motocross Nationals, Women’s B, 1st.

Honda Award Winners – Best Female Collegiate Athletes

For the 24th consecutive year, Honda has honored the most outstanding female collegiate athletes in the nation with the Collegiate Women Sports Awards.

Winners are selected in each of the 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports by a panel of more than 1,000 NCAA administrators.

Each year, one deserving athlete is also chosen as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year to receive the coveted Honda-Broderick Cup. This  winner will be announced June 22 in New York.

So, without further ado. The 2009 Honda Award Winners are (drum roll….)

Basketball: Renee Montgomery, UConn senior

Montgomery, a four-year starter as point guard for the Huskies, was the #4 draft WNBA pick this year, chosen by the Minnesota Lynx. A native of St. Albans, West Virginia, she captained her team to an undefeated season this year, culminating with the NCAA championship in which she scored 18 points in the final game.

Other nominees included Angel McCoughtry from the University of Louisville, teammate Maya Moore from the University of Connecticut and Courtney Paris from University of Oklahoma.

Cross-Country: Sally Kipyego,  Texas Tech University senior

Kipyego has been chosen for the third year in a row as the nation’s top collegiate female cross-country athlete. The senior, who  is majoring in nursing, finished her college cross-country career with one of her school’s most impressive athletic records ever. She went undefeated in her three years at Texas Tech and is the most decorated female student-athlete in NCAA Division I cross-country history.

Field Hockey: Susie Rowe, University of Maryland senior

A native of London, England, Terrapin co-captain Rowe is a three-time first-team All-American who led her team to its sixth National title this year (third on her watch), scoring the game’s winning goal to top off her 28-goal, 74-point season, both school records. She was also named the ACC Tournament MVP for the second time, making her only the fifth two-time winner in conference history, as well as ACC Defensive Player of Year.

Other nominees include Jen Long from Penn State, Lauren Pfeiffer from University of Iowa and Shannon Taylor from Syracuse.

Golf: Maria Hernandez, Purdue University senior

Ranked #7 in the nation, Hernandez won six of 12 tournaments this season, with a low round of 67 and a 72.8 stroke average for the season. She recorded a career low of 66 on three occasions, including in 2008 to earn the best third-round score in Big Ten Championships history.

Other nominees included Carlota Ciganda, a freshman at Arizona State University, as well as University of Southern California freshman Jennifer Song and sophomore Lizette Salas.

Gymnastics: Courtney Kupets, University of Georgia senior

Winner of both a Silver and Bronze Medal at the 2004 Olympics as well as the 2007 Honda Award, Kupets was also nominated in 2006.

Other nominees include Kristina Baskett, University of Utah, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Louisiana State University and Jessica Lopez from University of Denver.

Lacrosse: Hannah Nielse, Northwestern senior

The Australian helped lead her team to its fifth straight NCAA title. She had six assists in the 21-7 win over North Carolina in the championship game. She also led the nation with 142 points and 83 assists, breaking the previous NCAA record for assists in a season (69) that she set in 2007.

Other nominees for the award included Notre Dame’s Jillian Byers, North Carolina’s Amber Falcone and Maryland’s Caitlyn McFadden.

Soccer: Casey Nogueira, University of North Carolina junior

Nogueira resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 5′6″ forward scored two second-half goals to lead her Tar Heels to an upset win in last season’s NCAA Championship game, earning her NCAA Tournament offensive MVP honors. She led the nation last season with 58 points and 25 goals, seven of them game winners.

Other nominees included Kerri Hanks and Brittany Bock, both Notre Dame seniors; and Christina Di Martino, a senior at UCLA.

Softball: Danielle Lawrie, Washington junior

The Canadian helped the Huskies win their first national championship in June. Lawrie had a nation-leading 42 wins and 521 strikeouts. The 5-foot-7 right-hander redshirted during the 2008 season to play for her country at the Beijing Olympics, where Canada came in fourth.

The other three finalists were Florida’s Stacey Nelson, Arizona State’s Kaitlin Cochran and Northwestern’s Tammy Williams.

Swim/Dive:   Dana Vollmer, University of California senior

Vollmer, who transferred to Berkeley from the University of Florida, was named the 2009 NCAA Swimmer of the Year after claiming individual titles in both the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events at the 2009 NCAA Championships and helping lead her team to its first ever National Championship.

Other nominees include Julia Smit, a junior at Stanford University; Rebecca Soni, a University of Southern California senior and Gemma Spofforth, a junior at the University of Florida.

Tennis: Mallory Cecil, Duke freshman

From Spartanburg, S.C., Cecil had a 32-4 record in leading Duke to the NCAA team title. She beat out three other finalists — Aurelija Miseviciute of Arkansas, Maria Mosolova of Northwestern and Laura Vallverdu of Miami.

Track & Field: Jenny Barringer, University of Colorado senior.

Barringer competed for the U.S. Olympic team at the 2008 Games in Beijing and finished ninth in the 3,000m steeplechase, setting an American record of 9 minutes, 22.26 seconds. She is a four-time All-American USTFCCCA and Big 12 Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, as well as a four-time Midwest Region Steeplechase Champion and three-time Big 12 Champion.

Other nominees included Sarah Bowman, a senior at the University of Tennessee, Tiffany Ofili, a senior at the University of Michigan and Blessing Okagbare, a junior at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Volleyball: Nicole Fawcett, Penn State senior

A 6′4″ left-side hitter, Fawcett is a native of Zanesfield, Ohio. She led the Lions last season to their second consecutive NCAA title, serving the championship point, and helped her team become the first-ever with a no-loss regular season record (96-0). The AVCA National Player of the Year, Fawcett was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year and is a three-time AVCA First Team All-America selection.

Other nominees included Foluke Akinradewo, a senior at Stanford University (and last year’s Honda Sports Award winner), Christa Harmotto, a fellow Penn State senior and Honda Sports award nominee for the second straight year and Destinee Hooker, a junior at the University of Texas.

Past Honda-Broderick Cup Winners

Candace Parker		2007-08		University of Tennessee, Basketball
Sarah Pavan		2006-07		University of Nebraska, Volleyball
Christine Sinclair		2005-06		The University of Portland, Soccer
Ogonna Nnamani		2004-05		Stanford University, Volleyball
Tara Kirk		2003-04		Stanford University, Swimming & Diving
Natasha Watley		2002-03		University of California, Los Angeles, Softball
Angela Williams		2001-02		University of Southern California, Track & Field
Jackie Stiles		2000-01		Southwest Missouri State, Basketball
Cristina Teuscher		1999-00		Columbia University, Swimming & Diving
Misty May		1998-99		Long Beach State University, Volleyball
Chamique Holdsclaw		1997-98		University of Tennessee, Basketball
Cindy Daws		1996-97		University of Notre Dame, Soccer

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Marching in the band as tough as playing sports

Playing oboe in the middle school orchestra probably doesn’t give me enough experience to really weigh in this subject, but a Reuters Health article today does point out some interesting parallels between band members and athletes:

The physical challenges and demands of participating in a competitive high school marching band are similar to those experienced by athletes who compete in sports like football, according to research presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual meeting in Seattle.

Today, marching bands no longer just march in precision formation, study presenter Gary Granata, told Reuters Health. “In the past 20 years, marching bands have gone to these highly choreographed visual shows, where performers are literally running around the field at very high velocities with heavy instruments while playing very difficult passages.”

“At the top levels of marching band and drum corps, you get a level of competition and athleticism that is equal to a division I athletic program,” added Granata, an exercise physiologist, registered dietitian and owner of the New Orleans-based company PerformWell.

Based on an anonymous questionnaire regarding physical demands, challenges and injuries, common responses included fatigue, muscle soreness, and injuries — the same as those  associated with competitive sports and athletics.

Nearly a quarter said they felt faint or sick to their stomach after marching band participation and more than half experienced heat-related illness.

In addition, more than 38 percent said they had suffered an injury as a direct result of participating in marching band.

The wealth of research conducted on traditional sports has led to guidelines that help ensure the safety of participants and proper methods to enhance training regimens, Granata noted. “Yet, there is essentially no research on marching bands,” he told Reuters Health, “a sport where kids participate in the heat at very high intensity levels that are incurring injuries.”

Safety guidelines and effective training regimens are needed for marching band and drum corps — a “strenuous physical activity that has rates of both participation and injury similar to competitive sports”– he concluded.

Though not great quality, this YouTube video provides some evidence of the above.

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