April 20 – April 26, 2014
Welcome to week one hundred eight of the Sports Doing Good newsletter. This week’s first 10 stories include:
- The 2014 TIME 100: The Athletes Matter
- Tribeca: Allen Iverson Documentary Trailer Debuts (Video)
- Huge Turnout at Arizona State for 10th Annual Pat’s Run Honoring Pat Tillman
- Besting Ruth, Beating Hate: How Hank Aaron made baseball history
- This Sikh American NCAA basketball player learned from his mother
- Sport/Life to Present European Footbag Tour
- Bernard Hopkins, a boxing artist; The 49-year-old fighter makes history one more time.
- Missouri Tiger Taylor Gadbois’ stolen treasure
- love.fútbol and Brazilian Soccer Star Hernanes launch campaign to build community soccer fields for children with no safe place to play (video)
- Oklahoma City Thunder’s Serge Ibaka launches fundraising campaign to protect kids in the Congo
Introduction
Team sports are great for they give us opportunities to work with others in achieving common goals. Our collective efforts, as the adage goes, are greater than the sum of their parts.
The importance of teamwork, however, does not negate the reality that much of what we see and admire in sports is about the individual athlete. When we marvel about things we have seen in sports, it is often about the skill, technique, determination, and will of the athlete. They have a special ability to influence the outcome of an event and to make an impact that often goes beyond the field of play.
Acknowledgement of such individual greatness and influence is relatively common. One such example is TIME magazine’s listing of the 100 most influential people in the world. Athletes on the 2014 list include: footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, basketball player Jason Collins, NFL star Richard Sherman, tennis champion Serena Williams, and young golfer Lydia Ko.
In addition to the TIME athletes, other individuals featured this week include: former NBA star Allen Iverson; former pro football player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman; home run king Hank Aaron; college basketball player Darsh Preet Singh; boxing champion Bernard Hopkins; college student-athlete Taylor Gadbois; Brazilian soccer star Hernanes; and NBA player Serge Ibaka; amongst others.
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The 2014 TIME 100: The Athletes Matter
Whether you’re in the stadium cheering like crazy for them, or sitting on the couch screaming in disbelief because someone just pulled off the seemingly impossible, great athletes can inspire you. They can move you. Sometimes even to tears. The influence of the five athletes in the 2014 TIME 100 extends far beyond the playing field.
http://time.com/73927/the-2014-time-100-the-athletes-matter/
Cristiano Ronaldo
Tribeca: Allen Iverson Documentary Trailer Debuts (Video)
The trials and tribulations of former NBA star Allen Iverson are set to be examined in a documentary making its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday. The trailer for Iverson, from director-producer Zatella Beatty, presents the point guard as a player whose “style shocked the league” throughout his 14-year career in the NBA.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tribeca-allen-iverson-documentary-trailer-698525
(Video, http://youtu.be/qzCtfarMEA8)
Huge Turnout at Arizona State for 10th Annual Pat’s Run Honoring Pat Tillman
Tillman’s enlistment after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is an enduring symbol of American patriotism. Before becoming an Army Ranger, Tillman was an Academic All-American at Arizona State. Pat’s Run honors Tillman’s dedication to education by awarding 60 military veterans and veterans’ spouses with scholarships.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2042815-huge-turnout-at-arizona-state-for-10th-annual-pats-run-honoring-pat-tillman?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national
Besting Ruth, Beating Hate: How Hank Aaron made baseball history
Hank Aaron made sports history on April 8, 1974. On that day he broke Babe Ruth’s total home run record — something few thought could ever be done — but swinging that bat came with a great personal risk. CNN takes a behind the scenes look at how this sports legend was made.
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/04/us/hank-aaron-anniversary/?hpt=hp_t3
Hank Aaron is met by his Braves teammates and his own mother who grab the slugger at home plate to celebrate his breaking baseball’s total home run record on April 8, 1974, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. (AP photo)
This Sikh American NCAA basketball player learned from his mother
Winkey’s the definition of a basketball mom: She brought orange slices to games, cooked dinners for the team, and came to every single game. “Quite a few times, I’d get wild over there, thump the floors couple of times,” she says. “I’ll say, one time I even got the call changed by the ref in one of the high school games — so that was cool!” She has season passes for the San Antonio Spurs team and she says when she can’t make it to a Spurs game, she has an app on her cell phone that keeps her updated on the scores.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-04-24/sikh-american-ncaa-basketball-player-learned-his-mother
Darsh Preet Singh stands next to his college basketball jersey on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, part of an exhibition on Indian Americans. Singh is the first Sikh American to play basketball in the NCAA while wearing his turban.
Sport/Life to Present European Footbag Tour
We are pleased to announce that Sport/Life will be sponsoring a footbag Eurotour this spring. Five of the world’s best footbag players will travel to five countries in Europe, promoting the sport in many fun and unique ways. Our top competitors and world champions will be competing at major tournaments and challenging local stars, such as the seven-time world champion Honza Weber.
http://sportslashlife.com/sportlife-present-european-footbag-tour/
Bernard Hopkins, a boxing artist; The 49-year-old fighter makes history one more time.
Yes, yes, Hopkins is old. We know that. But he doesn’t keep winning because of his age. His years of experience give him an advantage, of course, but only because he is able to ally them to a remarkable ring intelligence. He is, it is fair to say, no longer blessed with especially blistering hand speed, and yet he is able to disguise his movement so well, and steer his opponents into positions that are so disadvantageous for them, that once he has figured out his punch of choice for the evening, he is able to land it repeatedly and almost at will.
http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/10811229/bernard-hopkins-boxing-artist
Missouri Tiger Taylor Gadbois’ stolen treasure
“My mom was my role model,” Taylor said. “I looked up to her in everything. I told her everything. She was my mom, but she was also a really good friend of mine. We hardly ever would fight, and if we did fight, it was probably about sports because she would want me to do better. But honestly, she’s amazing.” Jordan is a younger facsimile of her mother in how she approaches life.
http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/10828853/espnw-taylor-gadbois-missouri-tigers-leader-steals-outrun-mother-leukemia
Her mother’s tutelage helped Taylor Gadbois become the most prolific base stealer in major college softball. Ben Walton.
love.fútbol and Brazilian Soccer Star Hernanes launch campaign to build community soccer fields for children with no safe place to play
“Soccer is more than a game,” said Hernanes, who plays for Italy’s Inter Milan. “This is a part of me and my history. I believe in love.fútbol and it’s how I want to leave a legacy in the world. This is a movement, formed by professional soccer players and fans who believe in the power of the sport to make the world a better place.”
http://www.prizeo.com/prizes/hernanes/a-trip-to-the-world-cup?utm_content=lovefutbol&utm_campaign=hernanes&
(Video, http://youtu.be/jpTOM93n9mw)
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Serge Ibaka launches fundraising campaign to protect kids in the Congo
The U.S. Fund for UNICEF today announced a new fundraising campaign with Oklahoma City Thunder power forward/center Serge Ibaka. The NBA player and recipient of the April Kia Community Assist Award, has pledged $315,000 to the “UNICEF Gets Boys and Girls in the Game” project for the renovation and expansion of two orphanages in Brazzaville, Congo. Ibaka, whose home country is the Congo, has also pledged a donation of $500 for every blocked shot he records during the 2014 NBA Playoffs.
http://www.unicefusa.org/news/releases/oklahoma-city-thunders-serge-2.html
THE NEXT 10 STORIES
Nav Bhatia: Raptors Fan in Bad Times Tastes the Good
“This season has been very special because nobody expected this,” said Bhatia, whose sizable commitment to the Raptors includes roughly $300,000 a year on game tickets, many of them for fellow Torontonians with South Asian roots. “Basketball has given us a way to connect to the mainstream. We might look different, but we have the same passion for the game.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/21/sports/basketball/a-die-hard-fan-is-loving-the-raptors-success.html?emc=eta1
Nav Bhatia, who has been a Raptors season-ticket holder since they began in 1995, is not afraid to chide opponents. Credit Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times
Olympic legend Joyner-Kersee trains with Palestinian women
The American, considered one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, came to the West Bank to encourage women to be physically active despite cultural restrictions and lack of opportunities. In her workshop, women jumped over low hurdles, did sit-ups and then competed in a good-natured race. Most wore long pants and yellow T-shirts with the slogan “Run for Health, Run for Hope,” while a few participated in their traditional long robes over sneakers.
http://www.theolympian.com/2014/04/17/3090678/joyner-kersee-trains-with-palestinian.html?sp=/99/103/
American track and field great Jackie Joyner-Kersee, center, jogs with Palestinian women in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, April 17, 2014.
Pittsburgh Steeler Helps Shine a Light on His High School Football Team With Generous Gift
Hayward-Bey has made it a priority to help others now that he’s in the position to do so. “I came from a single mother household and I like to give back. I’m all about education and the school system,” he says. He has donated to both McDonogh and the University of Maryland, and was involved in a program called Dare to Dream that brought middle-school students to college football games to get them excited about continuing their studies.
https://shine.yahoo.com/ellen-good-news/pittsburgh-steeler-helps-shine-light-high-school-football-202200109.html
Hundreds paddle out for surf icon Hobie Alter
Hundreds of surfers and rowers have honored Hobie Alter’s request by paddling out in the Pacific in his memory. Alter, who died in March at age 80, revolutionized surfing by developing the foam surfboard that was lightweight and maneuverable. He was also credited with bringing masses to the water with his “Hobie Cat” sailboat.
http://news.yahoo.com/hundreds-paddle-surf-icon-hobie-alter-214414934.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory
Former NBA star Tracy McGrady makes Sugar Land Skeeters as pitcher
“He’s just done what needed to be done since the idea came about,” Gaetti said. “He showed enough progress. He showed enough ability, and we’re going to see where this goes.” The 6-foot-8, seven-time NBA All-Star seemed thrilled, even if the last time McGrady played organized baseball was when he a Florida high schooler.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24537325/p-tracy-mcgrady-makes-sugar-land-skeeters
(Video, http://youtu.be/5u3QEOibu8g)
Athlete Summit Prepares Team USA For Life After Sport
The three-day conference covered four tracks: careers, financial management, personal development and education, and featured more than 30 speakers including employers, sponsors, human resources professionals, financial planners and athletes. Of the 200-plus members of Team USA who descended on Washington, D.C., earlier this month for the Best of U.S. Awards Show and White House Visit, 81 remained for the summit.
http://www.teamusa.org/News/2014/April/21/Athlete-Summit-Prepares-Team-USA-For-Life-After-Sport#.U1a3Rwp8VHc.email
(L-R) David Black, director of strategic partnerships for Hilton Worldwide, and David Pauldine, president of DeVry University & EVP for DeVry Education Group, speak during the 2014 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Athlete Summit on April 4, 2014.
Rick Reilly Commentary: Some Truths I’ve Discovered
There is nothing as steadfast as a fan’s love for his team. Players shuffle like cards. Stadiums change names yearly. Uniforms change colors like Times Square billboards. But fans stay true game after game, year after year, generation after generation.
http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/10827775/reilly-some-truths-discovered
No other sporting event compares to the Barcelona Summer Olympics. Michel Gangne/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: The Relays That Never Stopped Running
When the Penn Relays kick off Thursday, with an expected 22,000 runners and 110,000 fans crowding into Franklin Field in Philadelphia for the three-day event, it will be held on the same site for the 120th straight year. It is quite a run, so to speak, for an event that started as a single relay and was aimed at keeping the University of Pennsylvania’s track team from falling into oblivion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/sports/the-relays-that-never-stopped-running.html?ref=sports&_r=0
Wilt Chamberlain competed in the shot put for Philadelphia’s Overbrook High School in 1955. Chamberlain’s athleticism was so well rounded that he ran the quarter- and half-miles for his high school track team, as well as competing in the shot put and high jump. Associated Press
A Face of a Brutal Sport Is Trying to Change Its Image
“Teaching martial arts is moving us toward a more peaceful society,” he argued, “because fighting creates confidence, and confident people tend not to make dumb decisions. They tend to feel more comfortable in their own skin and not feeling like they have to prove anything.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/25/sports/a-face-of-mixed-martial-arts-is-trying-to-change-its-brutal-image.html?ref=sports
Jon Jones, the U.F.C. light heavyweight champion, will defend his title Saturday. Credit Gregory Payan/Associated Press
Sport and development in urban planning: Bridging a gap
Safe urban settings and designated areas for physical activities that value the person over the vehicle, encourage more people to be outside, foster community pride, and promote more activities and sustainable jobs. People are safer in urban spaces that are actually used; busy parks for example are safer than empty parks. There is a lot of potential for collaboration between cities and grassroots sports and urban organisations to work together to make a lasting difference in their communities.
http://www.sportanddev.org/?6881/1/Sport-and-development-in-urban-planning-Bridging-a-gap
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