April 2009
Hi, everyone!
I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me, but
don’t worry, we’ve been plenty busy trying to keep up with all of you. Since
the beginning of the year we have been criss-crossing the country, from Boston Boston,
to Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, to Los Angeles Los
Angeles, to Washington D.C. Washington,
D.C., to Aspen Aspen
to New YorkNew York. It has been an
amazing few months. I’ve celebrated with Torah Bright (snowboarding), Ophelie
David (skiing), Jenny Jones (snowboarding), Sarah Burke (skiing) and others as
they took gold at the first Winter X Games with equal prize money for all the
female competitors. I joined Grete Eliassen (skiing), Jessica Mendoza
(softball), Angela Ruggiero (ice hockey), Donna de Varona (swimming), and Lillian
Greene-Chamberlain (track & field) in their Title IX lobbying efforts in DC
on National Girls and Women in Sports Day. And most recently I headed out to Los
Angeles to help raise some money at our 3rd Annual
YAS-a-thon, which is always one of the most fun events of the year! You
can see what we’ve up to along the way in our Athlete
Photo Gallery. You can also keep up with what we are doing daily on
Twitter; visit http://twitter.com/WomensSportsFdn
to start following us.
ATHLETE MARKETING
- We Know You Were a Cute Kid! – We are continuing to collect photos of
when you played sports growing up. So head over to your parents’ houses or
break out the old albums and look for the cutest pictures you have. You can
send them to me electronically or through the mail.
- What Gets You Moving? – When you hit the gym or go for a run…what’s
playing on your mp3 player? Inquiring minds want to know what gets you moving!
Send me your favorites.
- 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, so please let me know if that is
something you would be interested in. We'll pass along our logo and link for
you to use!
- We Know You’ve Got Stuff Planned! – With the
spring and 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!
WSF HAPPENINGS
- YAS does it again! - The 3rd Annual YAS-a-thon in Los
Angeles once again went off without a hitch!
With more than 75 people participating in three locations and a
silent auction, we raised more than $40,000 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, Foundation President Jessica Mendoza, boxing champ
Laila Ali, BMX freestyle rider Cory Coffey and motocross star Tania
Satchwell. While all the athletes jumped on a bike to show their support, Tania
became the first athlete to ever complete the entire three hour spin-a-thon!
GoGirlGo!
- 2009 Athlete Advisory Panel – We are excited to announce the athletes
that have been named to the 2009 Athlete Advisory Panel. It is made up of a
small group of athletes who have been invited to take part and represent the
Foundation on a daily basis as well as be a voice for all athletes within the
Foundation. It is co-chaired by our president, Jessica Mendoza (softball),
and past president, Aimee Mullins (track & field). And the panel
members are Gretchen Bleiler (snowboarding), Sarah Burke (skiing), Jennie Finch
(softball), Angela Hucles (soccer), Stacey Nuveman (softball), Heather O’Reilly
(soccer), Angela Ruggiero (ice hockey) and Brenda Villa (water polo).
- Laila is our Facebook Friend…Are You?!
- CBS Early Show contributor and Women's Sports Foundation Trustee Laila
Ali took to the airwaves and allowed viewers to watch her first foray into the
world of Facebook and social networking. While creating her first
personal Facebook page on the air, Ali showed her support for Equal Play
when she selected the Foundation as the organization she champions the most! Be
sure to visit the Foundation’s Facebook Cause
Page and show your support too!
HALL OF FAMEFAME UPDATE
- Great News! - Micki King (diving) was elected to the board of The
Olympians Association (USOA) from 2009-2012.
- Way to Go Rusty! - Rusty Kanokogi (judo) has been selected as the
recipient of the prestigious award, "Emperors Honor of the Rising
Sun," by the government of Japan
and recognized for being the Mother of World Women's Judo.The ceremony was
held at the Japanese Ambassador's residence in New
York. This award, the highest honor bestowed to a
foreigner by the Japanese government, is given to an individual whose work has
had an extraordinarily positive impact on Japanese society. Kanokogi is
one of 75 people to receive the award this year, along with Americans
Tommy Lasorda and Walter Mondale.
HEADLINES
- Coach Stringer is in the Hall: Rutgers women’s
basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer joins Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John
Stockton and Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan in the Naismith Basketball Hall of
Fame Class of 2009. Stringer is the first basketball coach, man or woman, to
take three different teams to the Final Four – Cheyney
State (1982), Iowa
(1993) and Rutgers (2000 and 2007). To see more, check
out: http://www.scarletknights.com/basketball-women/news/release.asp?prID=7678
- You’re “Superstars”: Jennifer
Capriati (tennis), Brandi Chastain (soccer), Kristi Leskinen (skiing) and Lisa
Leslie (basketball) will be taking on the competition while they compete
against other male athletes and celebrities to see who is the next “Superstar.”
The six-episode series premieres on June 23 (8:00-9:00
p.m., ET) on ABC. For more on
the new show, visit: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4084932
- Ice Hockey Star Angela Ruggiero Makes “Her”-story: Angela Ruggiero made history at the 2008
Women’s Four Nations Cup. Ruggiero has now surpassed the former record holder Cammi
Granato who had played 205 and has become the all-time leader in games played
for Team . Ruggiero
began playing in 1995 when she was just 15 years old. She hopes to make her
fourth Olympic Games in 2010. She is currently pursuing a master’s in sports
management at the University of Minnesota
while training with the team. To see more on Angela, visit: http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=TU_02&id=245092
- Do you have the need for speed? – Lyn St. James (auto racing) will be
hosting her annual “Need for Speed” Experience in September. If you want the
chance to drive real open-wheel Indy-style race cars, check out: www.LynStJames.com
for more details.
The Foundation, as most companies and people are these days,
is trying to work within the new challenges that are facing us all. With that
being said, any little thing you can do to help promote the Foundation’s work
and your involvement is incredibly critical and appreciated. Whether it’s just
telling someone you know who supports women’s sport to check out www.WomensSportsFoundation.org,
telling another athlete about us, telling your sponsors or just finding a way
to talk about the Foundation on your blogs or Web sites. You all continue
to amaze us with your support, and we know that it won’t be any different in
the future! Thanks for all you do!
All the best!
Stacy