Hopes for 2015

Stacy: I was so excited to see girls in sports receiving so much attention in 2014. Shredded by Karen Avivi won the SCBWI Spark award and Mo'ne Davis was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Sports Illustrated for Kids. My hope for 2015 is to see more publishers recognizing the value of this genre and to see more girls in sports celebrated.

Anna: 2014 forced me to take risks and believe in myself in ways for which I never planned. I just came back from a week of learning to surf that really tested my strength of body, spirit, mind, and heart. It was incredibly rewarding. (For more on the surf trip and more pictures you can check out my personal blog annaejordan.com) I hope for all of our readers a 2015 full of supported risks and the learning that comes with taking those risks.

Robin: My hopes for 2015 are for more people to get off the couch and start moving. I've been inspired by the athletic feats of so many this year, and look forward to setting some of my own records this coming year. I'll be training for my first triathlon and shedding the remaining pregnancy weight. (If you remember, I started training and finally got comfortable in the water when I had to put training aside for my pregnancy and my prenatal exercises.) Writing-wise, my hope is to finish revisions of my current manuscript. Revise another, and draft an idea that's been bouncing around in my head for the last month and a half. Happy 2015, everyone! I hope you'll set goals and reach for them!

Kris: I love Robin's hopes directly above me--I need to get myself off the couch and moving! I had a little bit of a scare with a thrown back recently, and it's been a wake-up call that I need to strengthen my core. While I don't see myself training for a formal competition or surfing, like my amazing colleagues, I would like to get back to the gym and lose a few pounds and build up some strength. My biggest dream will be realized this year. My debut novel (Any Way You Slice It--yes, it's a sporty girl book) will be out in April. I can't wait to show you all the cover in the next few weeks and for it to be out in the world. I love being a part of the sporty girl movement--I'm the poster child of a non-athlete who loves Sporty Girl books--I hope to see more of you participating in your own level of moving and getting healthy!

Please share your own hopes and dreams in our comments!

A Look Back at Women's Sports in 2014

2014 was a good year for women in sports. Children and adults all over the world were introduced to the possibility of a girl who plays baseball as Mo'ne Davis hit the scene. She was not the only girl in the Little League World Series (there was another girl in the series this year), but she was the first to receive national attention when she pitched a shut out game. Her picture appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and she was named Sports Illustrated Kids' Sports Kid of the year.



Mo'ne was not the only women to do great things this year. ESPNw has named 24 other Impact Women of the Year including Brittney Griner, a 24 year old WNBA all-star, Ronda Rousey, a 27 year old bantamweight champion, Maya Moore, a 25 year old WNBA MVP, and Michelle Wie, a 25 year old Women's Open Golf Champion. You can see ESPNw's full list here.

Sports on Earth has also named their top 10 women in sports of 2014. You can see their list here.

On the other side, the Boston Globe put together Nine Women's Sports Stories that Deserved More Attention in 2014. Make sure to check them out.

At Sporty Girl Books we have followed stories through out twitter feed @sportygirlbooks and out Facebook page. Follow our blog and both of those sites for more Sporty Girl news in 2015.

See you next year!


Did you have a favorite athlete or sports story of 2014? Tell us about it in the comments.

Sporty Girl Books of 2014: Perfect Gifts for the Holidays

With today being the first day of Hanukkah and Christmas less than ten days away, I've created a list of sporty girl books published in 2014 to help with last minute gift giving.  You're welcome:)

Middle Grade

Eliza Bing is (Not) a Big, Fat Quitter by Carmella Van Vleet (Tae Kwan Do)*

The Secret at Haney Field: A Baseball Mystery by R. M. Clark (Baseball)

Pack of Dorks by Beth Vrabel (Tae Kwan Do)*^

Dance Divas: Two to Tango by Sheryl Berk (Dance)

Young Adult

Being Sloan Jacobs by Lauren Morrill (Figure Skating and Hockey)*+

Take Me On by Katie McGarry (Kickboxing)
Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Mirranda Kenneally (Running)*

Relax, I'm a Ninja by Natalie Whipple (Martial Arts)*
In Deep by Terra Elan McVoy (Swimming)

Adrenaline Crush by Laurie Crompton (Daredevil/Thrill Seeker)
Girl on a Wire, by Gwenda Bond (Circus)

Gold Metal Winter by Donna Freitas (Figure Skating)

I've heard good things about all the books on the list, but the books with an * are the ones I've personally read and can recommend
+ Books I've reviewed (click on + to read review)
^ My nine year old's favorite read of the year

Looking for more ideas? Here's a Goodreads list of Athlete Girl Novels (includes ones not published in 2014)
And, of course, you can follow the link at the top of our blog to our list of Middle Grade and Young Adult Sporty Books.

I'm sure I've missed some out this year. Please share ones you've enjoyed. I'm also interested in books for younger readers (picture books, early readers, and chapter books) so feel free to share those and help me with my last minute gift giving.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Kwanza!

Holiday Suggestions

It’s been a busy year for the bloggers at Sporty Girl Books. We've had babies, signed with agents, got book deals, and been busy at our day jobs. We've been writing, reading, and caring for our families.

Many of us haven’t had time to start shopping. I’m always about giving books as gifts whenever it’s possible.

So…I’m opening the forum here for suggestion! What are your favorite sporty girl books that came out in 2014? They might be books that we already have on our suggested reading list, or they might be things that we’ve missed and need to add. 

Go!

I'll do a recap from the suggestions we get!

Donate to help girls on #GivingTuesday and Every Day

My parents kept a large pottery bowl on top of a tall cabinet. The bowl was shallow and wide and throughout the year, they'd place in it all the letters asking for money. Come the beginning of December, they'd cull through the bowl, recycle duplicates and winnow down the pile to decide where their giving money would go.

Most of the giving I do takes the form of volunteering my time, baking for sales, and buying poinsettias and such for organizations in which my kids are involved.  I may not have that wide, shallow pottery bowl, but I still care about where my money goes and how it can best help others.

One of the things I want my money to do is to help advance opportunities in sports for girls and women. As I mentioned in my review of Blumenthal's, Let Me Play, the progress of women in education and in business has paralleled the progress of women in sports. Here are a few larger organizations that we've mentioned on Sporty Girl Books you might want to consider today on #GivingTuesday or any time of the year.

Women's Sports Foundation:
Founded in 1974 by tennis legend, Billie Jean King, the Women's Sports Foundation is dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. Their programs include Sports4Life, a national effort to increase the participation and retention of African American and Hispanic girls, ages 11-18 in developmental youth sports programs and GoGirlGo!, an award winning curriculum and sports education program, that works to improve the health of sedentary girls and keeps girls involved in physical activity by supporting programs and organizations that work with girls. Donate here.

The Girl Scouts of America:
From building healthy girls to creating healthy leaders, the Girl Scouts are encouraging girls to participate in GirlSports, a program that promotes group and individual sports as an opportunity to gain vital leadership skills. They offer Legacy Athlete badges that signify good sportsmanship, cross-training knowledge, coaching skills, and more. They can upload their own stories and be inspired by sports trailblazers. Donate here. 

Baseball for All:
Justine Siegal made history in 2011 when she became the first woman to throw batting practice to an MLB team. Her organization, Baseball For All, fosters, encourages, and provides opportunities for girls to participate in baseball. They educate the public concerning the importance of providing equal opportunities and provide resources for girls who are told they are not allowed to try out for a school team. "If you tell a girl she can't play baseball what else will she think she can't do?" Donate now.

We Need Diverse Books:
If you read this blog, you probably know a little bit about this issue. Bottom line, all children should be able to see themselves in a book. This organization supports diverse authors in classrooms, internships in publishing, diverse books and programming, diversifying classrooms, and developing educational kits for libraries and schools. The organization's main goal is to promote non-majority narratives and many of our athletic girls fall into this category in one way or another. Donate now.

Leave a comment below with a link to your favorite #GivingTuesday choice so that other readers can check them out!

I am woman, hear me roar

We girls have incredible bodies. We can run, swim, race, hurdle, climb mountains, swing between uneven parallel bars, and carve snow with the best of them. But, for me, the most amazing thing our bodies can do is give birth. It's raw and real and hard, but extremely rewarding, work. Our bodies change and grow, often in exciting proportions, and then, through all kinds of different methods (from scheduled caesarean sections, to medicated hospital births, to birth centers, and natural birth in our own homes), we deliver this baby we were able to grow and nourish inside ourselves.

To quote Jim Gaffigan, one of my favorite comedians, "Truly, women are amazing. Think about it this way: a woman can grow a baby inside her body. Then a woman can deliver the baby through her body. Then, by some miracle, a woman can feed a baby with her body."

Doesn't that make us sound pretty dang incredible? Never, have I felt more powerful and more in touch with the person that I can be than when I'm in labor and then holding my newborn child.

In a society that often causes us to question our bodies and our abilities, midwife Ina Nay Gaskin inspires me to believe in myself and the power of women. A few of my favorite quotes are below:

We are not lemons. Just as we can train to run that 10K or even to swim the English Channel, we can train do this birthing thing.

Me after having baby number five this September.

What's your favorite thing we, as girls, can do?

Playing with the Boys - Guest Post By Ellie and Karina

My guests this week are Ellie and Karina. Ellie and Karina play soccer with their town's U10 girls travel team. They also are often the only girls in their grade playing soccer with the boys at recess. They have written a story they would like to share with you called Girls Do Sports Too.

Girls Do Sports Too!

by Ellie and Karina

Have you ever been told by a boy that girls play sports weaker than boys? That is NOT true! Our names are Karina and Ellie, and we are going to tell you why that is wrong.

On the first day of school in 3rd grade we walked into school together. We met our teacher, had writing class, and then had recess.

At recess, we decided to play soccer being the only girls there. As we approached the soccer field, one boy came up to us and said, “Girls can’t play, they're horrible at sports. Go away.” 
“Why not?” we asked the boys. 

The boys answered, “Because they’re slow, not strong, and not athletic.”

“We’ll prove you wrong by showing you a soccer game.”

"Deal!” said the boys. “The best two boys have to play Ellie and Karina.  We’ll play you tomorrow at lunch recess.”

The next morning we walked into school and saw the boys sitting on a bench. “Hey girls be prepared to get crushed at soccer!” The boys laughed.

We nodded to each other, “Ya right.” We had gym, writing, then lunch and recess. At gym we practiced soccer and that was helpful.

After two hours it was time to get the game started. It was the two of us playing two other boys.

We started with the ball. We passed the ball back and forth, then the boys took the ball away from us. They almost scored a goal, but Ellie defended it.

She passed to me and I was zooming up the field while she followed me. I gave a big kick .... and I scored!!

“Nice goal,” Ellie told me as she gave me a high five.

The boys started out with the ball, since we scored the awesome goal. They started dribbling up the field but my foot touched the ball and it went out. The boys had the throw in. 

“Sorry Karina,” Ellie shouted to me. Ellie thought to herself that the boys must have have a far throw in, so she moved back. The boys threw the ball quickly but instead she trapped it. 

Suddenly Ellie started sprinting up the field the boys started coming. The boys were coming right for me and she saw Karina wide open so she passed to her. Our teacher yelled “Two minutes.” Karina was about to score a goal but then the whistle blew. “Nice try,” Karina told them. 

“Ouch, bad loss,” screamed the boys watching the game. 

We did it! We proved the boys wrong. Girls are as equal as boys.

The lesson in this story is to always have courage that you can beat the boys. Also that boys are not better than girls at sports.

What do you love about playing soccer?

Karina and Ellie: We love playing soccer because it’s a fun experience and a good exercise

Why do you think more girls don't play sports at recess?

Karina and Ellie: They are embarrassed that they might lose or mess up against the boys. Also because they think boys are better and they don't have the courage.

Is there anything that the school or teachers could do to get more girls to play?

Karina and Ellie:  Probably no, but the teachers could always make sure the boys don’t say no when girls ask to play.

What else do you love to do?

Karina and Ellie: We love sports! We also love to cook, go outside, paint, and play with friends.

What advice would you give a girl who wants to play with the boys at recess?

DO IT!!!!!!! don’t be afraid and have courage

Discover Your Inner Athlete: A Girl Scout Program

On Saturday, October 25, I had the opportunity to attend an Adult Learning Conference sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. The theme for the day was Discover Your Inner Athlete: Lessons in Courage, Confidence, and Character. 

So you know I was excited about the opportunity!

As one of the adult volunteers for a 6^th grade Cadette Troop, I’m always looking for things to try with my girls. I was excited for the opportunity to explore ways to bring the athletes and non-athletes in my troop together.

The keynote speaker for the day was Whitney Post, whose athletic achievements include 4-time member of the US Women’s National Rowing Team and alternate for the US Olympic team (2000), lightweight double—among others. Her list of amazing achievements is here: http://lifealivecoaching.org/about-me/

 

Because it seems like so many kids I know have been playing a sport since pre-school, it was refreshing to hear that Whitney didn’t start rowing until College. Her non-sports achievements include co-founding a number of organizations, including The Body Self and Eating for Life Alliance. She’s also the Director of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s GoGirlGo! Boston.

Whitney’s keynote talk was titled “The Top Ten Things to Appreciate about Being a Female Athlete.”

At first, there was an uncomfortable silence or perhaps a giggle or two in the room. As an auditorium full of Adult Girl Scout Volunteers, we came in many sizes and shapes. I don’t always identify as an athlete, so I found myself looking around nervously. I don’t think I was alone in wondering who identified as an athlete.

It didn’t take long for Whitney’s intention to be clear, however. The first item on her list was “everyone is capable of engaging their athleticism.” Whether it’s walking down the street, taking a Zumba class, or running a marathon, we all have a way to engage our own version of athleticism. Finding a way to communicate this larger definition of being an athlete is our challenge with young girls.

One of my favorite take-aways from Whitney’s talk is this: Find the JOY in your exercise. In other words, figure out what you like and do that. She also shared a quote from Susan B. Anthony from 1896 that I’d never heard.

Bicycling has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled womanhood.

Imagine, athleticism as a means for independence. It is an amazing and empowering idea. Think about all the things exercise and athleticism does for our girls. Confidence. Joy. Health. Character.

Later in the day, during a break-out session, I had the chance to explore more concepts of bringing out our inner athlete. I identify as a golfer, but I don’t always think of myself as an athlete—after taking part in this workshop, I’m going to start!

I met a woman who plays softball, one who curls, and one who participates on a roller derby team. One woman in the group was a salsa dancer, one was a country line dancer, and one was an avid Zumba class participant. Out of about 15 people, not one of the group participated in the same sport. It was an amazingly diverse list of activities.

Remember, these are all adult Girl Scouts. I’m always proud to be an adult Girl Scout, but on this day, I was proud to be amongst this very cool group of diverse athletes.

So…below in the comments…what do you appreciate about being a female athlete?

Battle of the Sexes: Equality and relationships

My kids have discovered The 70's Show and are binge watching the program on Netflix. In the "The Battle of the Sexists" episode, next door neighbors and love interests Donna and Eric play a series of basketball and air hockey games. Eric loses to Donna and feels emasculated. His male friends don't make the situation any better with their teasing. Through the course of the show, Donna tries losing on purpose to make Eric feel more manly but can't really stomach her own fakery. In the end, they finally agree not to keep score when they play against each other.

So it is still the same for girls?

Many women will agree that their daughters have a much more level playing field in sports, and education (see last week's post on the book LET ME PLAY) but what about in hetero love and relationships. Is there still a series of male/female game playing that encourages girls to be less than they are? Do they lose on purpose in athletics, dumb down in class, deny their own sexual desire all because they don't want to drive the boy away?

From my adult experiences, I would guess, yes. What do you think? And if you agree, is this only a hetero experience or does it carry over into homosexual relationships as well? Are there YA books you've read that show this dynamic?

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Sporty Book Review: Let Me Play, by Karen Blumenthal

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Nonfiction, history in particular, gives us a deeper understanding of the foundation upon which our experiences are built. Such is the case with Karen Blumenthal’s 2005, LET ME PLAY.

I finished this book a week ago but it has seeped so deeply into my consciousness that I continue to bring it up whenever possible. While the focus of the book is Title IX and its effects on sports programs for girls and women, it is much, much more. It is a book about how policy and politics matter to all of us.

The book, appropriate for grades five and up, begins with an easy-to-read survey of the early fight for women’s right from Seneca Falls in 1848, to Women’s Suffrage, to a quick summary of the 1930’s and 1940’s, to the effect of war on women and work. This quick historic review sets the stage for the 1963 Equal Pay Act and the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Blumenthal concentrates on Representative Edith Green and Representative Patsy Mink who worked tirelessly drafting, honing, and defending equal educational opportunities for women throughout their long tenures in the US Congress. The original intent of the Education Amendments of 1972 was not to equal the playing fields but the classrooms—educational programs for schools receiving federal money including admissions, scholarships, and teaching salaries. The opening of physical education and athletic programs was an unexpected bonus for all the girls and women who had been turned away from little league, track meets, swimming pools, and more.

LET ME PLAY highlights key political and sports players in sidebars called “Player Profiles.” In “Instant Replays,” we learn about key historical events. Throughout the book “Scorecards,” show statistics comparing the numbers of male and female participants in sports, admissions to undergrad, and admissions to select graduate programs. These statistics show the consistent progress of women in athletics and education. While these “Scorecards” are understated, they are inspiring and empowering to the reader.

There are many current female athletes, girls and women alike, who are ignorant about the fight that got us the freedoms we enjoy today. These athletes might not remember a world where the adults or men in women’s and girl’s lives wouldn’t let them play soccer, basketball, softball, rugby, or field hockey—a day when being feminine and fertile was more important than a woman’s talents and dreams. Those days were not so long ago, and many of the issues from the 1960’s, The Equal Pay Act, are still being challenged and fought in 2014. LET ME PLAY is the book that reminds those who may have forgotten, and teaches those who never knew, that we owe our freedoms to women and men who came before us.

Researching Concussions

In between fiction projects, I recently took a nonfiction assignment. I’m writing about concussions. It’s a very timely subject, but writing for a fourth and fifth grade level is a little tricky on this serious subject.

Did you know that according to the CDC girls are most likely to get a concussion while playing soccer or while biking than any other activity? *

Boys are more likely to suffer from concussions while playing football. 

The takeaway from all the research I’ve been doing is this:

• Ask some key questions if you suspect a concussion.

a.     Do you remember what happened?

b.     What is the date?

c.     Can you remember the last play?

• Observe the person.

a.     Do they seem dizzy?

b.     Can they walk in a straight line?

c.     Do they appear “off” in any way?

d.     Do they complain of a headache?

If you even suspect a possible concussion—even if the person says they are okay—ask them some questions and observed their behavior. If they seem “off” in any way, make them sit out the game and get medical assistance as soon as possible. A second hit after a first concussion, can be devastating and, sometimes, deadly.

I don't have a publication date for my book, but it will likely be next fall.

I recommend Robert Cantu’s book CONCUSSIONS AND OUR KIDS: http://robertccantumd.com/concussions-and-our-kids/

*CDC facts about Concussions: http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/sports/facts.html