January 2016 Round Up

One month down for 2016 and one month closer to the summer olympics. Media coverage of women in sports tend to increase in Olympic years. Let's look at some of the stories that were in the news this month.

The Ladies Gaelic Football Association and Lidl, a European grocery-store chain that has become the league’s official title sponsor, put out a fake product #Ladyball to highlight the ridiculous attitudes towards women in sport. "Soft touch, Eazi-play, Fashion driven."

When the Twitter outrage reached a fevered pitch, people were informed of the hoax. On their website, LGFA president said, "Through the “Ladyball” initiative Lidl has demonstrated their innovative and dedicated approach to supporting our sport. We hope to see everyone who spoke so passionately in women’s defence in this debate, channel that same energy into pitchside support during the coming season." Will they be able to turn hashtags into attendance? I hope so. There's a great article about this from the Washington Post with image captures of tweets, print ads, and video. Take a look!

From NPR came this great piece about the National Women's Hockey League who are in the midst of their first season. Some of the highlights include discussion about low pay, and flexibility in scheduling so that the women can all have other jobs. Says Dani Rylan, Founder and Commissioner, "You don't want to compare a league in its infancy to a league that is about to have its centennial." Sigh. The lack of pay equity doesn't seem to be keeping the players from amazing hockey though...

Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills football team promoted Kathryn Smith to the position of quality control-special teams. She will be the NFL's first full-time female assistant coach. Smith acknowledged that her job as quality control-special teams coach is an "amazing opportunity" on a personal level. Originally, the Bills didn't even make a big announcement thinking it was just a run-of-the-mill promotion.  Smith has years of experience both with the Bills and the Jets, but that didn't stop talk radio and Twitter degrading and demeaning her accomplishments. Maybe start listening to Spain, Jane, and Kate on ESPN's radio show The Trifecta. Here's the most recent show that includes a piece about Kathryn Smith's hiring.  

Finally, the African Women In Sports Forum opened in Algiers earlier this month. According to the website AllAfrica.com, "On the forum's first day, the participants will focus on the global effort for women's development, sports and Olympic movement, sustainable financing for the development of women and sport in the 21st century as well as the sustainable supervision of African women (role of sports federations)."

Don't forget Girls & Women in Sports Day coming up on February 3rd! Check here for events near you. In my town of Brunswick, ME I found this event:

"Bowdoin College will host its annual Girls & Women in Sports Day Event on Sunday, February 7 at Farley Field House.

The free-of-charge event is designed to introduce young women to a wide range of sports. Participants will rotate through sport stations at timed intervals. Sports scheduled for this year are: Basketball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Rugby, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.

The program will run in two age groups: K-3rd grade (11am-1pm) and 4th-HS (1:30pm-3:45pm). After each clinic, the participants are invited to have pizza and snacks with Bowdoin student-athletes."

Have a great February!

Leading the Way with Books that Let Readers Know, “That could be me!”

I was watching an espnW video on Impact25 that highlights 25 women who led the way and had the greatest impact on women’s sports this past year. I clicked the pause button when it showed little girls straining over the barricades at the U.S. Women’s World Cup champions ticker tape parade to catch a glimpse of their heroes. The newscaster observed they no doubt thought to themselves, “That could be me…that will be me!”

It was another reminder of how important for girls of all abilities and diversity to see themselves in all media formats that show sports like movies, news outlets and, yes, books. Which leads to an important date coming up: February 3. This year marks the 30th anniversary of National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), a national observance celebrating the achievements of women and girls in sports. Across the nation, communities and organizations will be hosting events to highlight their female athletes.

This year’s NGWSD theme is Leading the Way. I thought how could we help our blog readers get involved? Many of you are not only fans of sporty girl books but are already leading the way as authors, coaches, educators, and parents who support and encourage girls and women in sports. My hope is to increase awareness of this annual celebration.

Get started at the official website: NGWSD.ORG

* Click on Resources to find a link to their free Event Action Kit with activity ideas like the Book Club (below), a sample media alert and press release (note: helpful sample formats!), poster and logos, plus information on Title IX.

* Click on Events and see if there are any events in your region. Many of those listed are sports clinics and several are basketball-related. If you are an author of a book for sporty girls, email the contact person and offer to read a chapter or provide a copy as a raffle prize. Another idea, do a write-up for your local newspaper and be sure to include a high-resolution image of your book and your website in your byline. If you have a social media platform, share the celebration and promote the event with the hashtag #NGWSD.

Several of the NGWSD events are clinics with collegiate women athletes sharing their time and talent with younger girls, something I always like to see since it binds the local community and has a positive impact. These two events listed below in Minnesota and New York immediately stood out because they involve books and writing.

Minnesota - Free activities for children in grades K-6 includes a mini basketball camp and a book reading by author Shelly Boyum-Breen (Shelly Bean the Sports Queen series) is scheduled for Saturday, February 6 at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN.

For more information: www.csbblazers.com

New York - Calling all young writers! The Department of Sport Studies at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY is sponsoring their 7th annual NGWSD Essay Contest for children in these divisions: K-2; Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, and Team. The contest format includes a suggested theme and word count.

For more information: http://sportforeverygirl.com/essay-contest-guidelines

Were you aware of National Girls and Women in Sports Day? Are you participating in an activity to promote and celebrate NGWSD? Share in the comments section below!