May 5, 2008
Hi everyone!
I know it’s been a while since the last update, but it’s only because SO much has been going on here at the Foundation. In the past few weeks, we’ve announced the hiring of our new CEO, Karen Durkin; our new logo; and the re-launching of www.WomensSportsFoundation.org. It has been an exciting time here at the Foundation, and we are all relieved and thrilled to finally get the chance to share it all with everyone! So be sure to stop by our Web site and check out the brand new I AM A CHAMPION ATHLETE section (under Tips + Tools) and let me know what you think!
Over the past few months, the Athlete Services team has been busy traveling around the world spreading the word and supporting all the female athletes out there competing. Yolanda attended the IOC’s 4th World Conference on Women and Sports in Dead Sea, Jordan, with Foundation Co-CEO Marj Snyder and Foundation President Aimee Mullins in March. Aimee had the opportunity to present a report titled, “The Role of Mothers in Supporting Sport as an Educational Tool.” Yolanda also made stops to meet with athletes and agents in Florida for the Final Four and the WTA’s Sony Ericsson Open. I’ve been busy traveling myself as usual, and as I told Yolanda, I think we’ve seen each other for a total of 48 hours the entire month of April, and it was at The Billies. In February, I watched the USA Softball team in action at the Palm Springs Softball Classic. And the Foundation led a “Chat with a Champion” event with young girls from the area. USA team members Stacey Nuveman, Jessica Mendoza and Taira Flowers took part and spread their words of wisdom and even answer some great questions from the kids. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to catch up with the U.S. soccer team in Cary, N.C., to watch the team take on Australia in a super exciting game, with the USA squeaking out a win in the final minutes, 3-2. I also met with the entire team to talk about the Foundation and introduce our mission to a bunch of the new team members. And don’t worry, even on my vacation to Whistler, Canada, I was watching female athletes dominate, as skier Sarah Burke finished up her remarkable season with a win at the World Ski Invitational. As I always say…never a dull moment!
ATHLETE PROMOTION/MARKETING
- Do You Have Your Own Web Site? - We are continuing to add athletes' Web addresses to all of the athlete bio pages on our new site. We would also love to have a link to WomensSportsFoundation.org on your site...please let me know if that is something you would be interested in. We'll pass along our new logo and link for you to use!
- We Know You’ve Got Stuff Planned! – With the summer just around the corner, I know many of you have camps and clinics planned for the upcoming year, so please be sure to send the details to me so we can post them up on our brand new Athlete Event Calendar. Be sure to check out the calendar to see what your fellow athletes are up to!
FOUNDATION HAPPENINGS
- The Foundation Goes Hollywood! – The Billies were again a success, with attendance by celebrities such as Sharon Osbourne, NFL star Tony Gonzales, actors Doug Savant and Aisha Tyler, "Dancing with the Stars" winner Drew Lachey, numerous champion female athletes and a performance for the third year in a row by Sir Elton John. We not only raised funds to help continue our mission, but also recognized the following 2008 Billie Award winners:
o Journalism Honoree: Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women’s Sports by Kathrine Switzer
o Entertainment Honoree: Chak De! India – Yash Raj Films, Produced by Aditya Chopra
o Breakthrough & Innovation Honoree: BoomBoom TapTM – Under Armour/Advertising Campaign
o 2008 Outstanding Journalist: Lesley Visser
- There is a New Chief in Town – On May 12, Karen Durkin officially joins the staff of the Women’s Sports Foundation as our new CEO. We are all very excited to have her joining the team and can’t wait to see what plans she has for the Foundation’s future. There have also been new additions to our Leadership Board with the appointments of long-time trustee Jessica Mendoza (softball) to President-elect and the newest trustee member, Laila Ali (boxing).
- It’s About Time! – The Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center, a wing of the Sports Museum of America, located at 26 Broadway, is a long-awaited showcase for all of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s programming and, of course, a celebration of Billie Jean King’s life-long vision. Visitors will come heart to heart with the stories of legends and champions and follow the path of an athlete’s mind, body and soul learning what it truly takes to be a female athlete. Here, outstanding female athletes, coaches and those who inspire them will receive the tributes they deserve. Please join us on June 9, 2008, in New York City as the Women’s Sports Foundation unveils its proudest achievement—the opening of the Billie Jean King Center in lower Manhattan. For information on how you can attend this event, please visit our Web site. And let me tell you…the Foundation staff got a sneak peak this past weekend, and this museum will give you chills as you walk through it! It was an amazing experience and a great tribute to sports!
- We Love YAS! – The 2nd annual YAS-A-THON went off without a hitch! With more than 35 people participating and a silent auction, we raised close to $30,000 in three short hours! Once again the vibe at the event was great, and all the spinners were so excited to be helping raise money for the Foundation. We even had visits from fitness expert Kathy Smith and basketball player Carolyn Moos, who both got on bikes and showed what they were made of.
HEADLINES
- NPF Makes 2008 Draft Selections – National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) and its six affiliate teams held the annual Senior Draft via conference call to select 24 of the best college players in four draft rounds. The first pick went to the Philadelphia Force, which scooped up Arizona State pitcher Katie Burkhart. To see a complete list of the draft results and information on the upcoming season, check out www.profastpitch.com.
- Making History! – In the past few months, we’ve had many milestones reached by female athletes. Gretchen Bleiler (snowboarding) became the first female action sport athlete to grace the cover of ESPN Magazine; Danica Patrick (auto racing) became the first woman to win an Indy Car Series race; and in the same week Ashley Force (drag racing) became the female funny car winner.
- Kristi is Still Dancing! – Kristi Yamaguchi has taken her domination from the ice on to the dance floor this season on "Dancing with the Stars." Be sure to check her out and help support the lone female athlete still on the show.
- Continuing to Make a Difference – University of Colorado appointed national gender equity expert and legal scholar Nancy Hogshead-Makar (swimming) as Title IX consultant. She will work with the university to review the policies and practices regarding sexual violence and harassment for Colorado students.
Even with so much already happening…there is a lot more on the horizon. The Foundation will be heading out to Washington, D.C., this weekend to support the USA Softball team’s stop in Bowie, Md., on Saturday. And then Sunday we are heading on over to the Washington Nationals' new stadium with some of the team members to have a great day at the ball park. It’s going to be quite a women’s sports weekend in D.C.; the U.S. soccer team is also playing on Saturday night at RFK Stadium. If you are in the area, make sure you check it out!
We hope all is well with everyone! Keep in touch!
All the best,
Stacy