After Atalanta

Well I am. I played last night for the time in a couple of weeks. Not too badly considering. But according to a recent article in The Boston Globe , women over 30 are taking up in the game. Women, apparently, who are looking for a way to combat the ennui of stay-at-home momdom?? The article certainly makes that implication by highlighting a woman who took up the game decades ago when her kids went to school and her husband was at work. The heteronormativity just keeps on flowing throughout the whole thing. Writer Matt Porter does address though that not every woman playing tennis is a wife and mother who stays at home. He discusses working women's leagues. Of course the way he puts working women in quotation marks certainly has multiple connotations. Because it seems like women who work are always going to just a little less...something (moral, nice, sweet, feminine--pick an adjective) than women who stay at home meeting the needs of others without getting paid for it. What's ...

I went to yoga for the first time in a long while on Saturday. I have been through various phases in my fitness life some of which have included a lot of yoga. For example, when I was in school in Iowa I would go several times a week. In part because I liked building flexible strength and in part because I really needed those last five minutes of class in corpse pose where I imagined the faces of my advisors on apples that gently fell to the ground and rolled away. But that was pretty much as meditative as I ever got. No offense to all the yogis out there, but I just never got into all the Eastern philosophy. So I seek out classes that do not include this as a huge component. The class on Saturday fit this particular bill. It lacked a little bit of the athleticism I am used to, but my calves didn't care because they have been tight on the verge of snapping and thus anything was going to help improve that situation. Unfortunately my instructor probably wasn't as concerned about...

So said my tv-watching companion the other night when a car rental commercial featuring John McEnroe aired. The National worker was explaining to tennis's bad boy all the perks of choosing National. Guesses as to the punchline? Yep. "You cannot be serious!!" How much money has this man made off of that line? And his bad behavior generally? Can you imagine a female athlete benefiting to such an extent--and so long after her playing career was over--if she was marketing bad behavior? Are female athletes even able to capitalize on bad behavior? Can you imagine a black female athlete being able to? A gay female athlete? Note that this is not a call for equity in successfully marketing unsportspersonlike behavior. It's more disgust at how unquestionably accepting we are of it. And not just accepting but supportive. Because you know if companies thought McEnroe's bad boy history would negatively affect their products, they wouldn't use him and they certainly would n...

I have seen about five different articles about the Gap's recent acquirement . The company is buying Athleta, a women's sports apparel company that I have never heard of. Has anyone else heard of them? Gap and Old Navy do have some sports-type clothes but Athleta is sport-specific. Haven't been able to figure out whether there will be Athleta stores like there are Banana Republics and Old Navys. But they allegedly carry cycling gear so that makes me happy. Women's Sports Foundation just released a report authored by a University of Arizona professor that tracks the spending of athletic programs over ten years. Titled Who's Playing College Sports, John Cheslock, the study's author, reports many things, including that the increase in spending on women's sports has been less than that on men's sports. Not surprising but still disturbing when you consider that women's participation in the same time has increased by 20 percent whereas men's has only ...

It's the first full day of fall, people. You know what that means for sports fans. No, not football. Hockey! It's right around the corner. My Wildcats take the ice soon soon soon. That's the good. But I have come across some not-so-good regarding hockey in the past few days. First, I was listening to an old episode of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me in the car on Sunday and in the segment in which a caller has to tell truth from fiction there was a story about a hockey school that teaches kids--kids!--how to fight. I know hockey is pretty violent, but that was not the story I picked. I was wrong. It's true . A former NHLer has a one-day camp in Canada that teaches pee-wee hockey players how to fight on the ice. Lovely. Also lovely is the continued practice of the University of Kentucky men's hockey team that promotes itself with posters featuring models or actresses posed in only a hockey jersey. Former models include Ashley Judd, who was the first and wanted to do som...

Because of columns like this . It sounds innocuous enough with the title "WPS commissioner knows what challenges lie ahead." But writer Jamie Trecker, the soccer guy for FOX Sports online, proceeds to engage in snarkiness (I know, I know, pot calling the kettle black and all) about the prospects of not just a professional soccer league but a professional women's soccer league--in the United States. He implies that the WUSA failed because of general hubris among players such as Julie Foudy and women's soccer supporters like journalist Christine Brennan. That they were naive to think that the 1999 World Cup would fuel a league. Of course he fails to engage in any kind of discussion of sexism, not even a liberal examination of what, say, would have happened to the popularity of soccer in the US if the men's national team had even the modicum of success the women's team has had over the years. Yet, despite this lack of a strong national team, we have what, three, ...

This article/feature highlights the dominant Dutch Paralympic tennis team and provides some very convincing reasons as to why the team is so successful. The long of the short of it: they get a lot of support from the Dutch tennis federation, which does not distinguish between wheelchair tennis and able-bodied tennis. Also a factor: tennis the second biggest sport in the country with most towns have more than one club. (This does seem curious to me given the comparative lack of Dutch able-bodied tennis players.) It also seems that the Netherlands are much better than say, here, getting newly-disabled people into sports. (I do wonder though if that may change here given the high numbers of disabled soldiers returning from war.) But apparently disabled people there are highly encouraged to participate in sports and are given sport wheelchairs. Sounds like the Netherlands could provide a solid model for other countries to emulate.

If you have ever been stuck in traffic in Boston--specifically on (or because of) Storrow Drive, you may be interested in this bike ride on Sunday (21st) morning called HUb on Wheels . Storrow Drive is shut down and you ride your bike on it. It's ten miles on Storrow but there is a 30-mile and 50-mile option that takes you around the city but in such a way that there is reduced car traffic. (There's a link to the route map on the left-hand side of the page linked above.) Registration is still open. At least it was as of last night when I signed up; and is only $50. (It';s $55 for same day registration on Sunday morning.) The money (you can give or fundraise more) goes to bringing more technology to the Boston Public Schools.

...is USA Today today. There's an article on the new audience demographics in sports that marketers are clamoring for: women. Women are watching more men's professional sports, which has lead specific products for the female fan like better-fitting t-shirts (unfortunately they often come in pink). But marketers are even paying attention to women's sports, like professional basketball, which are starting to be seen as viable advertising venues. And, of course, the Olympics have always attracted more women. Of course the advertisers seem to think all women are the same and want to see the same thing. So when it became clear (like 4 years ago in Athens) that Michael Phelps--a man--was going to be the biggest story in Beijing, the powers-that-be started to put the female spin on it. They introduced his mother. So if you started to get a little annoyed at all the shots of Debbie Phelps, know that they were all for you women. And this woman was indeed over Debbie Phelps by the ...

Things are getting exciting if you're a fan of women's soccer. Women's Professional Soccer announced yesterday which national teams are heading where in 2009 when the league launches. I was surprised to see Kristine Lilly on the Boston Breakers roster. That's her former team, of course, but I had thought she might be hanging up the cleats. Guess not. Fine with me. I'll be there to see her and Angela Hucles and Heather Mitts. Wonder if Bri Scurry will be back in goal for Boston??? Abby Wambach is headed back to the Washington Freedom. I was kind of surprised by this. I thought she might be going to the NY/NJ team as she is from NY (Rochester though--not the city). That team though will not be hurting for star power though with Olympic standout Natasha Kai along with Heather O'Reilly and veteran Christie Rampone. Article linked above says Wambach is in rehab right now trying to gain back the 15-20 pounds of muscle she lost post surgery. Yikes! Abby, if you need a ...

If you look over to your left, you will see a banner asking you to save BITCH Magazine. BITCH is an independent magazine that is described as a "feminist response to pop culture." And it rocks. Sure there isn't a whole lot about sport in there--ok I have never seen anything about sport in there but maybe if it stays in business, we can suggest a sport/physical activity issue. But they won't be in business much longer unless they get some cash fast. The magazine needs $40,000 by October 15. So if you can--donate! And if you're not a subscriber--do it. At least purchase a subscription for someone in your life--magazines make great gifts!--if you're not interested. Though I don't know why you wouldn't be.

...that I meant to post on this weekend but didn't quite get around to. I was buoyed from my usual cynical position by three things that happened Friday evening, which was a very good thing because I had being having a crappy day until then. Anyway, the first thing (only because I am talking about it first--all three happened within about an hour of each other) is that NPR covered the Paralympics. It was a segment on, I believe, All Things Considered. The stars of the games including US swimmer Erin Popovich . The disqualification of an Irish soccer player because he was too able-bodied, and the doping scandals(there were four athletes sent home for steroid abuse). Then I heard on that same NPR station--not sure if it was local or national news--that the Basketball Hall of Fame has formed a committee to look into basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, particularly during segregation. It will review records of teams, players and coaches who have historically b...

It's been months and months since I have done a "find what you're looking for?" column. Largely because I got exasperated with all the hits I get from that freakin' Family Guy episode that disses the WNBA. Seriously, sometimes I think half my hits come from people searching for something related to that episode. Also, I don't feel the need to acknowledge how many people come here looking for "naked pics of (fill in female athlete of choice)" or "(fill in female athlete of choice) lesbian." But there appear to be some new ones so I thought I would share. 1. Nancy Lieberman seems to be a hot topic right now. Sure I always got the occasional "Nancy Lieberman gay" search, but since her oh-so-brief stint in the WNBA this past July there seems to be some renewed interest. One has to do with her training. There was a little montage about it during the Detroit Shock versus the Phoenix Sun game the other night. Okay, yes, it's impressi...

I'll let you in on a little secret: I really want to learn how to surf. Several years ago when surfing reality shows seemed to be their own little subset of reality television I tuned in every week. I have my own copy of Blue Crush . The lifestyle is attractive though I am far too much of a creature of habit (to put it somewhat euphemistically) to ever be able to be so casual about things. And I happen to think surfer girls are cute, cute, cute. And so if I can become a surfer girl maybe I could be cute, cute, cute too. So listen up any women out there who feel similarly--or don't feel similarly and just want to learn how to surf--there are camps out there for women who want to become surfers. A company called Northwest Women's Surfing Camps offers two-day camps for beginners of all ages in Oregon, where the founder lives. (There will be a week-long retreat in Hawaii in April of next year.) And it's really comprehensive with yoga sessions, lessons in surf etiquette and ...

Here's an excerpt from the statemen t from LPGA commissioner Carol Bivens about the now rescinded language policy: The LPGA has received valuable feedback from a variety of constituents regarding the recently announced penalties attached to our effective communications policy. We have decided to rescind those penalty provisions. After hearing the concerns, we believe there are other ways to achieve our shared objective of supporting and enhancing the business opportunities for every Tour player. In that spirit, we will continue communicating with our diverse Tour players to develop a better alternative. The LPGA will announce a revised approach, absent playing penalties, by the end of 2008. Hmmm..."valuable feedback from a variety of constituents." Carol Bivens, have you been reading my blog?? More likely State Farm called her up and said they were not too pleased to be associated with such a xenophobic, reactionary organization.

South African Natalie Du Toit,who competed in the open water swim in the Olympics a few weeks ago, just earned her first gold medal of Paralympic Games. She is expected to win a few more by the time the games are over. The medal came in the 100M butterfly. She set a world record with her time. The above link also recaps other events at the Paralympic Games which began this past weekend. The US Paralympic team seems to be just as dominant as the US Olympic swimming team. The US won four gold medals in the first day of the meet.

And it what you know about paralympic sports consists of having watched the documentary Murderball and some awareness of wheelchair basketball and/or wheelchair tennis, then you should (like I did) check out this article in The Telegraph that goes though all the medal sports in the Paralympics providing their history, the events offered, which disabilities are accommodated, and how. What I find impressive is the organization of all the events and how they meet the needs of so many athletes. Too bad we won't get to actually see much of it.

...the LPGA "backed off" it's English-only policy. (Not that I really would have started an office pool in part because I don't have an office.) But it would have been interesting. 'Cause I was wondering how long this new policy would last especially as people who have a little more invested in the tour, like number 1 Lorena Ochoa and sponsor State Farm, started speaking out--albeit somewhat tentatively--against aspects of the policy. So now they will go back to the drawing board and come up with a new policy by the end of the year, according to tour commissioner Carol Bivens, who made the announcement this afternoon. The news came just before a scheduled press conference by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in which they were going to demand the tour rescind the policy. The center still believes the LPGA owes its players and its fans a huge apology though. No kidding.

So if you've ever ordered anything from Amazon.com you have probably received emails like this "(NAME), we think that customers who ordered (this title) might be interested in the new release (new release's title)." Amazon is always trying to figure out what you want. And given the inter/multidisciplinarity of my field, I present a particular challenge to Amazon's computer-generated recommendations. The other day I got one stating that if I liked Feminism and the Female Body: Liberating the Amazon Within , that I might now like the new release, GameFace: The Kickass Guide for Women Who Love Pro Sports . They couldn't be more wrong. And the fact that Amazon believes that these two books are similar is astounding. The simple tag: women and sports does not make these books similarly appealing. Feminism and the Female Body is about the potential for social change and empowerment through physical activity. It invokes radical feminist theory, addresses issues of ra...

LPGA commissioner Carol Bivens has spoken--just when people were starting to question her silence. Perhaps this was part of the impetus. Bivens today issued a memo/letter to "LPGA Constituents" of which I am apparently one because I receive the LPGA e-newsletter. But you too can read it in its entirety here before you check out what everyone has to say about it. I can't imagine it will alter anyone's current opinion (pro or con) of the policy. There is no new information. There are no changes. There are no new explanations of the organization's rationale behind the policy. Bivens does feel the need to point out that it is "something most players want and fully support." When you are the only game in town--at least the most profitable one--and you control an athlete's ability to earn money in her sport, and the athletes don't seem to have much power in your organization (for whatever reason), one cannot really expect they are going to come out pub...

I was reading Fat Louie's post about the LPGA policy and then the link to a post at Racewire where a commenter felt that part of the impetus behind the policy was complaints by male amateurs that their pro-am partners could not speak English well enough and thus were not entertaining. Commenter notes the sexism inherent in such a belief. Women are there for entertainment, including female athletes. But the racism is also incredibly scary. Everyone knows the policy is directed at the Asian golfers. And most are familiar with the stereotypes about Asian women as compliant and entertaining. And some, though probably fewer, know about the various histories of Asian women serving the needs of foreign men including as comfort women in World War II, as prostitutes--throughout time, as mail order brides, etc.

Here's the update: The LPGA is getting a lot of crap about their new language policy that threatens suspension to any player who cannot pass an oral English competency test. Other sporting organizations are taking the opportunity to boost their reputations noting that they don't have language requirements. That they provide translators. That their athletes will often learn English of their own accord; without pressure. Here's an example from the tennis world. This NYT piece discusses the business side of the decision and quotes a confused Libba Galloway, the tour's deputy commissioner, who is "puzzled" by all the attention the new policy is receiving. But it also notes that Commissioner Carol Bivens hasn't spoken up publicly in support of it. Methinks she is throwing Galloway, who has been the public mouthpiece for the policy, under teh bus. I had some concern when the story first broke about all the players rushing to show their (nearly) unequivocal supp...

Okay so I didn't realize that the current dearth of coverage of the Paralympic Games was because they haven't actually started yet. I had thought that the Paralympic Games occurred immediately after the Olympic Games and I do believe this has happened in the past (Salt Lake City, for example). But not this time. The Games don't start until September 6. In the meantime, check out this article about the first Jordanian, Maha Barghouti, to win Paralympic gold. She did so in table tennis in Sydney, 2000. She is headed to Beijing to compete. Barghouti was named Arab athlete of the year in 2001 and Jordanian sportsperson of the year in 2002. I think those awards are pretty interesting in lights of a few things. First, we seem to think the (dis)abled athletes need categories of their own. Second, when there are not separate categories (I'm not going to get into the whole separate but equal debate here) sometimes it appears that the inclusion of (dis)abled athletes smacks a li...