“Mobilizing Generation 2.0…” in the female sports world

Today marks the first day that an assignment is due for a digital political advocacy class that I’m enrolled in as part of my John’s Hopkins Masters of Arts in Digital Communication degree.  As such, I’m required to post blog postings about our readings. To put a unique spin on my writings, I decided to integrate the concept of digital advocacy with my current blog promoting women’s sports. 

This combination, I hope, will present a new understanding of female athletes - one which is quite different than the sports industry of male athletes. I hope new strategic insight will mobilize an entirely new community to support  our industry.  

My first assignment is to read and reflect upon a book titled Mobilizing Generation 2.0: Technologies to recruit, organize, and engage youth by Ben Rigby. It’s important to note the youth focus, because it’s a unique one that I’m not always exposed to. However, I feel young female athletes of America are the answer to the ongoing question of “who is our market?” in women’s sports.

Below are some of the top strategic insights I pulled from the book that apply to engaging America’s female athletes with the women’s sports industry…

1) Understand Web 2.0 technology is “a conversation”
To reach the youth audience, I strongly agree with Rigby that the answer is NOT to simply integrate Web 2.0 technology as “another communications outlet for content/information that already exists.” Rather, leaders in this industry need to first understand the fundamental principle that Web 2.0 is ”conversational media” - meaning that it’s “authentic, immediate – more human.” (p. 52)

Read more

ESPN features “The Selling of Candace Parker:” Can she transcend women’s sports?

Today, ESPN released a cover story with Candace Parker as part of their complete package of features for Women’s History Month 2009.

The story is well written, clear, inspiring and balanced. What’s great about it is the focus – a story about how Candace Parker is going to be marketed in the WNBA.

Parker is demanding a different kind of attention… the kind that focuses on her talent and her story, not her sex appeal. And that is the most promising thing I’ve heard about the future of women’s sports in a long, long time.

ESPN’s Allison Glock features Parker as one of the best, which is the attention that Parker deserves, as she’s set some serious milestones for women’s basketball over the past decade.

Glock says that Parker will “will transcend her sport:”

She will be a bigger Mia Hamm, a more accomplished Danica Patrick. Patrick is nowhere near the best in her field, but she doesn’t need to be, because she is hot enough to pose for Maxim. While that works for her, Parker wants more. She wants to be a champion, too, like Maria Sharapova, who earns upward of $25 million a year — the most of any female athlete — of which only a small fraction comes from playing tennis. Parker won’t be satisfied until she is a household name. “I wouldn’t mind being the female MJ,” she concedes. “I want to have major crossover appeal.”

What Parker doesn’t deserve is a focus on her sex appeal, which is something that’s started to happen. The focus on sex appeal has to do with female athletes appearing in Playboy and other like-minded disgraceful publications, largely due to the fact that those publications are willing to pay up.

Playboy-like publicity has serious repercussions for female athletes, as it promotes a focus body image. We learned that surfer Layne Beachle frequently suffered chronic fatigue and depression due to the focus on her body image in her career. We’ve also heard stories of female gymnists and volleyball players suffering the same kinds of symptoms as the result of their portrayal in the public eye.

So the question becomes, if Parker really is the next “female Jordan” who will transform athletics, will a “sex appeal” be necessary to get the attention of sports fans?

In my opinion, as a society, we should say no. Because we can do better than that. The athletes themselves should speak up and demand more than that, and Candace Parker is the first “big name” to do this.

Glock says:

“Team Parker has so far avoided the cheesecake route. They have higher aims. They want the all-American money, and the all-American money comes to the athletes people love, not the athletes people want to sleep with.”

What’s incredible about Parker is her story. How she got here. What she’s accomplished. Her personality (I’d love to follow her on Twitter). Her attitude. Her dedication. And most important, her talent.

Just the other day, social media guru Seth Godin (who I love to read) wrote about a difference between PR and publicity. He said the best way to get sustained attention is to communicate the stories of the clients, not simply generate publicity (which anyone can do). The stories, he said, are the ones that sell – they’re the ones that keep people coming back, because they’re real, meaningful and lasting.

And that’s the direction where women’s sports needs to head, and it looks like Parker is going to take them there.

It’s going to be great to hear stories about her baby traveling around with her to games, etc. Because that is new, different and real.

My absolute favorite quote by Parker is how she will deal with the new baby, which she is expecting in July.

“Basketball is calming to me. Whenever anything goes on in my life, I go shoot. As long as I can shoot, I’m okay.” And the baby? “The baby will be along for the ride, with me on trips, at the court.” She sighs. “You don’t hear about male players doing that, do you? Women, we just have to balance more things. It’s harder for us. That’s just the way it is.” She offers a weary smile before adding, “For now.”

Great attitude to take, Candace. I love it.

It’s very promising to hear that Parker’s sponsor (Adidas) seems to understand that Parker has a great story to tell:

Jim Gatto, head of global sports marketing for Adidas — which is releasing Parker’s player-edition shoe, the TS Ace Commander, in 2010 — sees her as an athlete who inspires women at all levels. “She was in our ‘Me, Myself’ campaign,” he says of the all-us-girls-are-in-this-together promotion. “We thought we could build stories around her. She has global reach.” Gatto says Adidas has been tracking Parker her whole career. “She always fit the brand values: authentic, inspirational. And not just from a basketball standpoint.”

With increased attention to her story (her inspiration), she’ll go far, and she just might take the rest of women’s professional sports along with her. In only one year, she has already done great things for women’s professional basketball.

“Candace is already delivering for the Sparks. LA’s season ticket sales were its highest since 2005; twice as many were sold after draft day as before. Home attendance was up 10% for the season, and road crowds were three times bigger for the Sparks than for other WNBA teams. The WNBA’s TV ratings finished up 19%, and Parker’s jersey is by far the league’s best seller.”

That’s awesome to hear.

Parker is the future of women’s basketball, and if she demands attention in the right ways, she just might transcend her sport, and set a precedence for women’s sports in general. Parker is incredibly marketable, she’s got a great story, and she’s not going to sell her body for money.

I wish the WNBA, Parker’s agent and Adidas the best of luck in generating some much-needed publicity to an awesome sport and its most promising chance at creating a new era of marketing for female athletes.

Candace Parker is expecting…

…not another national championship, or WNBA title. Instead, she’s expecting a baby.

According to ESPN:

Candace Parker is expecting her first child this spring, and the WNBA star will keep working out leading to the 2009 season.

The announcement was made Wednesday by the University of Tennessee, where Parker starred before going on to the Los Angeles Sparks. Her husband is Shelden Williams of the Sacramento Kings.

Hat tip to Jane from Pretty Tough for the story…

A salute to female athletes in 2008

Here’s a special treat – a homemade video that I created with Jane from Pretty Tough this week. I hope you like it! Please feel free to embed or slap on your Facebook page.

These women worked hard this year, and they certainly deserve the credit.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQUog8xS2FA

USA Today, female athletes, milestones and progress

In today’s issue of USA Today, we earned an entire section of the paper. Its title: “Women in Sports.”

I almost jumped out of my chair when I started reading. Seven complete pages of content and photos of women who have completed milestones in sport.

The cover article is particularly interesting.

Heather Tucker published a groudbreaking article in the world of women’s sports. She discussed the heroines of milestones of the past, heroines of the present and obstacles that lie ahead for the future of female sports. If you haven’t done so already, please go check it out here.

She discussed Billie Jean King’s defeat of Bobby Riggs in 1973 in the “Battle of the Sexes,” a day after Title IX was passed.

She said, “King, who accepted Riggs’ challenge to play a televised match at the Houston Astrodome, soundly defeated him in three sets and put a damper on critics’ voices that women could not compete with men.”

Awesome. Totally awesome. I wish I were alive for that moment. Even though I wasn’t I know that what she did affected my ability to compete and succeed in sports twenty years later.

Tucker then pointed to Candace Parker, calling her a hero of today’s image of women’s sports due to her ability to beat five male competitors in the 2004 McDonald’s All-American Game, including Josh Smith, who won the NBA dunk contest the nest year.

She also mentioned Danica Patrick’s milestone in her “breakthrough” Indy-car race in Japan in April, when she became the first woman to triumph in a national oval-track touring circuit (Indy Racing League or NASCAR).

Then, Tucker talked about perceptions, and how the above milestones have inspired and influenced young women to compete on the playing fields today.

She said, “Perceptions of what women are capable of and what they can offer have been elevated thanks in part to these stars.”

Then, she wrapped up by highlighting the challenges that lie ahead, such as coaching, managing and team ownership, areas of influence that women have yet to solidly break through in terms of a “glass ceiling” in sports.

This is an incredibly crafted article. In my opinion, it’s too short. A lot of names are missing from this list of heroines. It takes much more than three influencers to break barriers. It takes an army, and decades of time and struggle.

Hopefully one day we’ll get there. Until then, articles like these will help keep the spirit alive. Thanks USA Today.

Other stories include player profiles on Jackie Joyner Kersee, Pat Summit, Mary Lou Retton, Janet Guthrie, Anny Meyers Drysdale, Nancy Lopez, Leslie Visser, Dot Richardson, and Brandi Chastian.

A separate article discussed sports marketers and how their altering their pitches as more female fans tune into sports. That particular article along warrants another post from me. I’ll be back in just a moment with more. (so excited!)

Jaime Nared Takes On The Boys (and America)

14-year-old Jaime Nared is making headlines across the country. So far, she’s been on ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN’s Headline News and featured in Thursday’s New York Times as well as big time sports blogs like The Bleacher Report. Why? Because she’s breaking barriers.

Gender barriers… in basketball.

The NY Times calls her “12 going on Candace Parker.” At 6 foot 1″, Nared is catching attention for her participation on Team Concept boys’ team in Portland, Oregon.

All was cool until a game back in April, when she scored 30 points. Suddenly, Jaime got a call from her coach who informed her that she was banned from planning on the team.

Interesting coincidence.

Apparently, Team Concept played in a league called Hoop, a private gym that runs the league that Team Concept plays in. All of a sudden, after her performance scoring 30 points, the league cited a previously unenforced rule against mixed-gender play.

Timing seems a little bit too perfect, doesn’t it?

Only problem now is the GIRLS don’t want her playing with them, either. Poor kid.

Girls teams don’t want her playing because she KILLS. Apparently, the last time she played against girls her age, the final score was 90-7. Her coach equated her participation with girls her age like Shaq playing on a high school team.

By forcing Jaime to play against girls her own age, she’s not getting any better.

The NY Times even says, “Playing with boys is a standard part of girls’ basketball training. Often it’s where talented girls can find the game best suited to their skills.”

So it is going to take some pushing.

It’s not surprising to me that there’s a strong-willed mom behind this effort.

When Jaime’s mother, Reiko Williams, heard that her daughter had been kicked off the boys’ team, she says she felt she needed to act. “I have three daughters,” she told the NY Times. “The world is going to give them pink and dolls. My two older daughters, Jackie and Jaime, want to play basketball. I feel it’s my job as a parent to help them be the best they can be at what they choose to do.”

After the league cut Jaime from the boys’ team, Jaimie’s mom called the Portland media. Then, a trail of media coverage and support followed.

When I read the NY Times article on Jaime last week, I sent it around to some of my blogger friends. One asked me whether I think Jaime should be allowed to compete with older girls or if she should compete against boys her age.

My answer..

Playing with the boys got her on Good Morning America.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rBbZ01FrKA]

I say stick with the boys.

Best of luck, Jaime!

Oprah Welcomes Olympic Athletes for Premier

Only two things can get 150 U.S. Olympic stars in one city at one time: the actual Olympics, and, of course, the most powerful woman in the world: Oprah.

Oprah’s season premier couldn’t have been staged any better as she called for the country’s greatest athletes together for a “welcome home” celebration on her show in Chicago. Supposedly, the spectacle drew a crowd that stretched around nearly six city blocks.

Accourding to Pretty Tough, Oprah welcomed gold medalists Nastia Liukin, Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh, Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker and members of the gold medal Women’s Basketball Team, cyclist Kristin Armstrong and fencer Mariel Zagunis. Also, silver medalist Jennie Finch & members of the Women’s Olympic Softball Team, the silver medal Women’s Water Polo Team, and more.

The show is said to air on Monday.

Check out this AP story for more information:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c71u0bs599Q]

WSF Sportswoman of the Year Contest

The Women’s Sports Foundation is holding a poll/contest on their Web site to select two champion athletes (one team, one individual) for their Sportswoman of the Year Award.

Award winners will be announced on October 14, 2008, and honored at the Annual Salute to Women in Sports Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Cast your vote by midnight, September 2, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of five items autographed by your favorite sportswomen.

The nominees for the “team” category are:
- Patty Cisneros
- Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova
- Sandra Kiriasis
- Jessica Mendoza
- Hannah Nielsen
- Candace Parker
- Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh
- Marta Vieira da Silva
- Hayley Wickenheiser
- Venus and Serena Williams

The nominees for the “individual” category are:
- Mao Asada
- Veronica Campbell-Brown
- Natalie Coughlin
-Ashley Fiolek
- Allison Fisher
- Yelena Isinbayeva
- Nastia Liukin
- Lorena Ochoa
- Lindsey Vonn
- Rebecca Ward

I guess I’m a fan of the Olympics (or that’s what’s on the top of my mind) because I voted for Misty-May Treanor for the “team” category and Nastia Liukin for the “individual” category. I know the contest is based on more than just Olympic performances, but I just couldn’t help myself.

I encourage everyone to vote!!!

Suspensions Handed Out for WNBA Fight

The wrath has been disclosed in response to Tuesday night’s mayhem fight in the WBNA.

Detroit Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn as well as 10 players were suspended for contributing to the fight that made headlines across the world. In total, four were ejected from the game on Tuesday night, and now eleven people received suspensions.

Here’s a quick recap of what happened (from ESPN): [Candace] Parker and [Plenette] Pierson got tangled up and fell to the court. Deanna Nolan tackled Parker and Mahorn appeared to push [Lisa] Leslie to the court. [Delisha] Milton-Jones responded by punching Mahorn in the back.

(The last part is my favorite!!!)

Plenette Pierson of the Shock was suspended for four games, the harshest penalty, for initiating and escalating the fight. Mahorn was suspended for two games, as were Shannon Bobbitt and Murriel Page of the Sparks. Sparks’ Candace Parker and DeLisha Milton-Jones, meanwhile, were banned one game each.

According to ESPN, here’s what the WNBA has to say about it:

“The WNBA and its players represent all that is good about sports: passion, hard work and sacrifice,” WNBA president Donna Orender said in a statement released by the league. “On a nightly basis our players display extraordinary skill, athleticism and competitive fire. The events Tuesday, however, were inexcusable and in no way indicative of what the league stands for. We hold our players to a very high standard and these suspensions should serve notice that the behavior exhibited at the end of Tuesday’s game will not be tolerated.”

Though I would never approve of the behavior exhibited the other night, I have to say, ladies – you did a great job of showing the world that you have aggression, a value that is coveted in the highly-popularized sports of our male counterparts.

Mahorn did an excellent job of making himself look like an asshole.

The disciplinary action is well-deserved for all.

Fight Breaks Out in WBNA

In a game last night between Detroit and Los Angeles, a fight broke out. It seems like there was a long of pushing and shoving, but it boiled down to Candace Parker of the LA Sparks and Plenette Pierson of Detroit Shock. The benches cleared on this one.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE4s3C93Ex4]

Well, this is one way we can draw fans and attention. (Not so sure if it’s the type of attention we want, though)

Best Athlete: Show Her The Money!

Check out the size difference between ESPY winners Candace Parker and David Beckham. Parker was awarded “Best Female Athlete” and Beckham was awarded “Best Male Athlete.”

I thought this picture from a recent USA Today article was priceless. Special thanks to Rob Mars from Athletic Women Blog for calling attention to it.

I seriously wish that in the same article, they’d call attention to not only their physical differences, but also to the difference in the size of their wallets.

Candace Parker earns a base salary of $44,064 + endorsements (which aren’t much in the USA).

David Beckham earns $250 million (he signed a record $1 million-a-week five-year deal for MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy in January 2007), making him the highest paid athlete in North America.

Hmmmm…. do we see any difference in values here? We have a long way to go, ladies.

Women COVERED at ESPYs!!!

Thank you, ESPN!!! You covered women’s sports at the ESPY’s. On Thursday night, you gave these girls what they deserve – public attention and admiration, something they don’t always see. Also, thank you to the Women’s Sports Foundation, who bring the blow information (and other great information) to their site.

Inaugurated in 1993, the ESPY Awards honor the moments we remember, the athletes who inspire us, and the teams we won’t soon forget while raising money for the V Foundation, basketball legend Jim Valvano’s cancer research charity. The winners of the coveted ESPY Award are decided solely by the online voting from fans; categories include best team, best moment, best game, and best male and female athlete.

The outstanding women up for best female athlete were Lindsey Vonn, Lorena Ochoa, Candace Parker and Danica Patrick.

Parker took home the award, who is in her rookie season in the WNBA, playing for the L.A. Sparks. She was recognized for playing through her shoulder injury to lead Tennessee to its second consecutive championship.

Other female athletes recognized for their extraordinary achievement on Wednesday night included Lorena Ochoa as best international female athlete, Maria Sharapova for best female tennis player and Parker again for best college athlete. The softball players of Central Washington, who carried an opponent from Western Oregon around the bases to score the winning run after an injury disabled her, took home the ESPY for Best Moment. [I personally think her fame can be attributed to Web 2.0, the blogosphere and the use of social media - her YouTube video (link above) is incredibly popular]

Gretchen Bleiler, a snowboard icon who took home the ESPY for best female action-sports star, commented on the importance of the recognition of women and their success. “Women enjoy watching other women perform. It’s inspiring to see females being recognized and achieving their goals,” she said.

AWESOME night for women’s sports. Should hopefully draw some attention, and anticipate a good response from fans.

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