Sports Industry: Women and Minorities Wanted, Future Sole paves the way for sneaker designers

As a minority woman, recent college graduate and an aspiring sports journalist there is only one thing I am searching for; an opportunity.

This post is about opportunities for minority women in the sports industry, and it touches on a special sneaker design contest called Future Sole. While the registration deadline for this contest has already passed (6/1/09), there is still an opportunity for you to participate by voting for the winner. This post (hopefully) will give you reason to do so.

In order to paint the picture for how important this program is, I decided to share a little bit about my own life.

I posses a strong desire to make a name for myself in the sports communication industry, and by myself, I mean a strong African- American woman with a high passion for sports.  The last couple of weeks I have been searching day in and day out for a fall internship. “Sports Journalism”, were my initial keywords that I typed in many search engines, which then opened my eyes to other career paths, ones that I wasn’t aware of.

I stumbled across the NCAA career center, where I discovered the sports information director profession. Immediately I took a strong interest in the position, the job sounded appealing to my interests. However, I will be honest; the fine print at the end of all of the job descriptions grasped the majority of my attention and ignited my confidence.

The fine print read somewhere along the lines of ‘women and ethnic minorities strongly encouraged to apply’, which seemed to good to be true. After more internship searching, this statement became a reoccurring theme.

There is a lack of women and minorities in the sports media industry.

As an African- American woman that is striving to become successful in the industry that I love, I plan to be a force in breaking down the barriers, race and gender combined. I am confident that  I have the same dream as many other young female athletes; when I was young, I wanted to be a professional basketball player, until recently I realized the odds of that happening were slim to none.

I  decided not to give up; I just made the decision to take another road to the same goal.

I discovered my passion for writing, media, and sports. I switched my college undergraduate major from Health and Physical Education to Journalism, because I love to write I played basketball my entire life on the high school and collegiate levels.

I now have my B.A. in Journalism at the age of 23, and can proudly say that I’m the first in my immediate family to achieve a college degree. My brother (pictured with me above) is close behind, too, set to finish his degree in the next couple of years.

This is an accomplishment that I am very proud of, however, I will always look back and wish there were more opportunities and exposure along the way to guide me toward my dreams.

With a lot of hard work and some help from others on the way, I made out alright. But as a child, or teenager, they were non-existent.

I believe one of the keys to making a way for women in sports media is opportunity. My community and childhood surroundings didn’t introduce me to women’s sports; actually my middle school didn’t even have a basketball program (those opportunities came later – in junior high, high school and college).

But one thing I learned is that it isn’t too late to make change.  I plan to give back to the young ladies in my community, which is predominately African- American, and help them broaden their horizons.

On a larger scale, there are still individuals who have become successful, and are providing chances for the youth. Future Sole is an example of such an organization.

Future Sole is a sneaker design contest that was created in 2007 to give youth the access to the footwear design industry.

“When I was growing up, there wasn’t a forum to learn about the sneaker design industry or a community to share design ideas,” said Edwards. “Many kids don’t know a career in footwear design exists, so with Future Sole I wanted to open their eyes to the possibilities and show them how they can achieve it.”

- D’Wayne Edwards, Jordan Brand Footwear Design Director

Future Sole is a nationwide high school footwear design competition co-sponsored by Nike. The contest is in its second year, and the registration ran until 6/1/09. High school students between the ages of 14-19 were eligible for the contest. While the deadline for this has past, you can still participate by voting for the winner.

Why women? Because there are only 2% women of color collectively. The contest hopes to close the demographic gaps in the industry.

Lisa Leslie of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks is a sponsor of this program, and this really speaks to her ongoing support of minority youth trying to make it in the industry.

“I believe this program will  impact many kids lives in a very positive way. I think this is an awesome opportunity for any child who’s creative and loves to draw. I am happy to be a role model and have the opportunity to give back especially in my own community!”

What that says to me is there is another avenue for creative women (especially colored women) in the sports industry to take. Last years winners were two males, while that is awesome, maybe this year can be different, and two women can win the contest.

I can remember a good friend of mine always drawing pictures of cool sneakers when we were younger; he wanted to design sneakers. If he had access to an organization like Future Sole back then, he may have been able to pursue this dream.

For more information, please visit www.futuresole.com. To vote for a winner, click here.

Women Talk Sports Blogderby: Round 1

Intro: Welcome to the very first Women Talk Sports (WTS) Blogderby, Round 1.

Every few weeks, we will “pass the torch” to a different blogger in our community who will be responsible for rounding up the best blog posts about women’s sports.

If you’re interested in accepting the torch someday, contact us and we’ll put you on the schedule. Jane from Pretty Tough will be posting Round 2 of the Blogderby on Saturday, March 7. Archives of the Blogderby will be located at Women Talk Sports. Thanks, and go female athletes!

In women’s basketball news, we learned that Lisa Leslie is now retiring form the WNBA. Lyndsey D’Arcangelo from B5 Media’s Girls Dig Sports reports on the story. Certainly sad to see her go.

ESPN columnist Mechelle Voepel discussed (on her personal blog) how Iowa State’s “super fan” Wild Bill Yungclas has decided to retire. Her perspective on super fans is quite unique – as she mentioned she’s a reporter – someone who doesn’t have the “emotional investment” in teams.

In tennis news, Ken from After Atlanta discusses Shaheer Peer’s denial into the United Arab Emirates to play a tournament. Peer was supposed to play in Dubai at the Barclay’s Dubai Championships, but the UAE would not grant Peer, who is Israeli, a visa. Will be interesting to see how this develops. Women Who Serve also wrote about this issue.

Track Mom posted about how Angela Williams has become a youth track & field icon.

Nolachick from Chicks In The Huddle gives us a little reminder of who they are – true fans of the game of football.

Soccer fan Jennifer Doyle at From a Left Wing recently discussed some research behind finding a balance between runner’s high and overtraining syndrome, a form of athletic depression.

Erin Buzuvis from the Title IX Blog discussed an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education which suggests there will be increased Title IX reinforcement under the Obama Aministration. Would be great to see that happen!

Gamechangers launched a “Beat the BS” video. Gretchen from Girls Can’t What calls it a “fantastic promotional video.”

Similarly, Rob Mars from the Athletic Women Blog said “Sometimes the best way to demonstrate the absurdity of a baseless viewpoint is to give it an unfiltered airing, a tactic used here to great advantage.”

Apryl Delancey at Women Like Sports also posted the video with little commentary, but it looks like she’s supportive. I have a different point of view about this video (I think it just reinforces what everybody already knows). But props to Nike and Ashoka for reaching out to the blogosphere community! (below is the video)

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

Talking about a different campaign – Jane from Pretty Tough tells us how we can star in Adidas new “Me, Myself” campaign, which seeks to find the “new face” of Adidas.

Chris Grant from Jetty Girl took five minutes to interview Tammy-Lee Smith, the surfing professional from South Africa. We learned that her “perfect day” is one where she’s surfing in her hometown, followed up by “flow riding session and skate sessions.”

Char from Sports Girls Play posted a video of Alicia Sacramone interviewing Dwyane Wade, Jordin Sparks, hip hop star Common and Alonzo Mourning in conjunction with the NBA All Star weekend and Gatorade’s Quest for G. Interesting to see how Alicia is making a name for herself outside of being an incredible Olympic gymnast (and knocking guys out at parties).

Ann Gaffigan at Steeple Chics discussed whether there will be gender equality at the 2012 Olympics in London. As a finalist in the Olympic qualifiers for the steeplechase, Ann has the authority to say, “[There are] 40 more events are offered for the men than the women at the Olympics? That’s 120 medals the women are not allowed to chase.”

Black Tennis Pros posted a great interview between tennis star Ahsha Rolle and USTA.com. We learned that her role models growing up were Serena and Venus Williams, as well as Lori McNeil.

Lara from Running in the Bike Lane discussed how caffeine can help post workout recovery. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I could down a cup of coffee after running 3 miles.

Helen at the Women’s Hoops Blog announced that the high school women’s basketball McDonald’s All Americans have been announced. Unsurprisingly, Brittney Griner, the high school dunking phenom, will represent the East.

Marie Hardin from Sports, Media and Society discusses how Alex Rodriguez called Selena Roberts “this lady” throughout an interview with Peter Gammons on ESPN. Hardin said he was “lobbed slow-pitch softballs instead of probing questions.”

Sara from Rock Climber Girl discussed trading injury rehab and treatment tips with fellow climbing blogger friends, including Tom, Narc, and Jon.

Patricia from Right Fielders wrote about Sarah Blewden, a former model turned amateur boxer in Great Britain.

Pat Griffin from the LGBT Sport Blog wrote about how Brooke Heike, a former basketball player at Central Michigan State University, has filed a lawsuit against CMU coach Sue Guevara for benching her and revoking her scholarship because she wore make up and because she was not a lesbian. Griffin said these allegations are “wildly improbable” because lesbian coaches do not want to call attention to their sexual orientation, as they’re afraid they will be targeted by negative recruiting.

Drag racer Erica at Horsepower & Heels discusses the significance behind signature Black & Pink racecar paint jobs.

Kim from Total Female Hockey wrote about why it’s important for girls to play multiple sports.

Hanne Lyngstad recently switched her blog, I Run Therefore I Blog, to English and wrote about sports bras.

Sheila Weaver from She Loves Sports talks about why fewer women are coaching in sports.

If you’re interested in accepting the Blogderby torch someday, contact us and we’ll put you on the schedule. Jane from Pretty Tough will be posting Round 2 of the Blogderby on Saturday, March 7. Archives of the Blogderby will be located at Women Talk Sports.

Also, if you’re a women’s sports blogger and would like to join the WTS community, please contact us.

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]

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.

What Happened to Sports Illustrated (for Women)?

When I was younger, I was an avid reader of Sports Illustrated for Women. To my recent surprise, I visited the SI for Women Web site and was shocked at what I found. This message from the editor:

“It is with especially deep sadness that we tell you the bad news: The December 2002 issue will be Sports Illustrated Women’s last. These are tough times for a new magazine, and sometimes even loyal readers aren’t enough to make the numbers add up.”

This really saddens me. The magazine only lasted two years, running from March 2000-Nevember 2002. Its primary audience, according to Wikipedia, was women, 18-34 years old, with “a passion for sports.”

What’s even more interesting to me, is that in 2002, Cleary Simpson the then-publisher for SI Women claimed that the lack of readership (and eventual failure of the magazine) is largely due to the fact that, “women are more interested in sports as participants than fans, unlike men.”

Another problem, they claim, is that women’s interest is “fragmented” across a wide variety of sports (such as soccer, tennis or running), with little to bind them as a shared audience.

Personally, I would go as far as to say it’s our cultural values that prevent magazines and publications (as well as some women’s sports) to receive the type of attention they deserve. The primary problem: men aren’t interested (unless the girls are pretty).

It all has to do with advertising, which has everything to do with money, which relates back to what we, as members of a society, deem important enough to invest in.

While our culture values the aggressive, intense competition (and fighting) in sports by men, other values such as sound fundamentals, pure technique and fluid movement (present in women’s sports) are undervalued and deemed less important. In terms of fans, we as women are incredibly left behind.

Think about it: when do you see the top female athletes? Many times, it’s in advertisements, such as models for athletic apparel.

Take for instance Dara Torres, who, while incredibly performing in the Olympic Trials at the age if 41,is also known for her swimsuit modeling on the side. Why? Think: money. Torres is often singled out for her beauty, as she was the first female athlete to appear in the Sports Illustrated (for men) Swimsuit Issue.

Another example is Lisa Leslie of the LA Sparks. When was the last time you saw her perform on TV? When was the last time you saw her in a Got Milk ad, or on a billboard somewhere? Most likely you’d suggest the latter, as she is widely known as the “face” of women’s basketball as a Wilhemina model. But what about her being the most dominant player in the WNBA? Where did that news go?

Leslie (and Torres) make their bucks as a models, not as a top performers, and this (again) relates back to what we as a society value more in a woman: athleticism or beauty? At the end of the day, we’re still a society who’d rather have our girls look good than perform great on the playing field.

Yes, as I said in my post about Title IX, there are (thank God) more opportunities for women to play, and we have come along way in almost 40 years, but we’re still not there.

We can’t even get a Sports Illustrated magazine to be successful. And part of it is our fault. I mean, to be honest, we don’t really have time to sit around and be fans of our sports. Instead, we’re out there trying to make it in corporate America, or we’re spending our free time trying to look good. Some of us are trying to raise families, make dinner, and get the kids back and forth from their sports. A lot of us spend our free time working out in the gym to stay in shape. Few of us have time to be fans of our sports. And that’s another huge reason as to why we can’t get SI for Women to be successful. And my fear is we never will have that time. That is, unless, our culture starts shifting its values.

As someone who now falls into the age category of what would be the readership for SI for women, I say it’s time we call the magazine and request its reappearance, at least on the Web. (These days print magazines aren’t generating the readership revenue they had in the past, largely due to blogs such as mine.) We need more coverage of women’s sports. I mean, seriously, if a 10-year-old girl loves women’s sports, where do we tell them to go read about it? There is a lack here. We need to know what’s being accomplished, and how great our girls are doing on the playing fields of America (and the world).

Until then, girls, we’ll continue to balk at the yearly Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated (for men) — that is, unless one of our stellar athletes is pretty enough to make it on the cover.