Sports Doing Good Newsletter, #7

May 7 – May 13

Welcome to week seven of the Sports Doing Good newsletter. This week we bounced between stories involving the super-famous (Kobe Bryant) and the unknown (6-year old baseball player), the retired (Shaquille O’Neal) and the newly professional (Bryce Harper), offensive stars (Josh Hamilton) and defensive ones (Tyson Chandler) and global partnerships (IOC and the Paralympic movement) and grassroots projects (hockey in Anaheim). In all cases, we were inspired, amazed, comforted, and/or entertained. In other words, it was all good news.

We want to send a special congratulations to a great student and intern Eli Goodrich (yes, good is in his name) who graduated with honors this weekend from Farmingdale State College. We also send out congratulations to the graduates of Farmingdale State College, Georgetown University, Emory University School of Law, Emory’s Goizueta Business School and all other graduates around the country. Your hard work has you set for even greater successes in the future.

Please continue to send along your stories. You are both our audience and our best source of stories. Finally, if you think others would like to receive the newsletter, please feel free to forward it on or have them contact us directly at sab@sportsdoinggood.com.

So enjoy. And have a good week.

Fun Doing Good:

Shot of the Year? Van Persie’s strike is surely up there. (video)
Congrats to EPL champs Man City but the goal is from an Arsenal Gunner. For more, please click here.  http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=db9e62f7-b3ed-4e7f-a0e1-87021f4fd24b&src=v5:share:facebook:&from=shareembed-syndication

J.R. Smith gives Knicks fans something to cheer about (video)
Miami dominated the series but Smith gave the fans something to remember. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4UfF3zmr7uI

Bryce Harper , Jr? Six-year old turns unassisted triple play.
The kid will be showing this to his kids’ kids! http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/move-over-mlb-6-old-little-leaguer-turns-144924879.html

Worth another look. Thanks to all of the moms out there.
In light of Mother’s Day, a 2-minute ad worth watching over and over.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NScs_qX2Okk#!

Athletes Doing Good

Ex-NBA star Shaquille O’Neal earns doctorate degree in education at Barry University in Fla.
Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal is a doctor now.O’Neal received his doctoral degree in education from Barry University alongside 1,100 other students during commencement ceremonies Saturday.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/higher-education/ex-nba-star-shaquille-oneal-earns-doctorate-degree-in-education-at-barry-university-in-fla/2012/05/05/gIQA52LK4T_story.html

Bryce Harper joins softball game at Washington Monument (video)
So these folks from the World Wildlife Foundation and the Alliance to Save Energy were playing slow-pitch softball on the Mall in Washington, D.C., on Monday night when a certain Washington Nationals rookie sensation happened by. What’s a 19-year-old Major League Baseball player going to do on his first day off in the bigs? Bryce Harper just couldn’t help himself. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/bryce-harper-joins-softball-game-washington-monument-video-045831708.html

Kobe Bryant is selling his mask on eBay for charity
This is your chance to own a piece of NBA history. For a basketball fan, this is an amazing, one-of-a kind sports artifact. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation’s Youth Homelessness Initiative, the primary goal of which is to have a measurable, positive impact on the critical issue of youth homelessness in Los Angeles. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/kobe-bryant-selling-mask-ebay-charity-134534718.html

Josh Hamilton Mashes 4 Home Runs
Tuesday night in Baltimore, Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton batted five times and came away with four homers and a double. That’s one of them productive games, and for your convenience we have video of his feat. Or video of his four feats. http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/5/8/3008598/video-josh-hamilton-four-home-runs

Chandler Named NBA’s Top Defender
Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks is the recipient of the 2011-12 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, the NBA announced today. Chandler becomes the first player in franchise history to earn the honor. http://www.hoopsworld.com/chandler-named-nbas-top-defender

Additional Story
Dara Torres: Not Slowing Down for Age or Arthritis http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/celebrities/d/dara_torres_not_slowing_down_for_age_or_arthritis.aspx?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=lifestyle_arthritis

Events Doing Good:

18th annual WISE Women of the Year Awards Luncheon
Women in Sports & Events (WISE), the leading voice and resource for professional women in the business of sports and events, will hold its 18th annual WISE Women of the Year Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. This year’s honorees are Gail Hunter, Senior Vice President of Events & Attractions, NBA; Marla Miller, Senior Vice President, Special Events, MLB, Kim Williams, Chief Operating Officer, NFL Network.  Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by visiting www.wiseworks.org.  Ticket prices are $175 for members and $225 for non-members.  http://wiseworks.org/handler.cfm?cat_id=21645&art_id=69821

Organizations Doing Good:

IOC extends Paralympic commitment through 2020 Games
The 2018 and 2020 Paralympic Games will be staged in the same city as the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) agreed a new co-operation deal that will increase financial support for the Paralympic movement. http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/185499/ioc-extends-paralympic-commitment-through-2020-games

More Than $3.5 Million Planned Toward MLB All-Star Themed Initiatives and Projects
Major League Baseball will host a series of community and charitable initiatives and projects leading up to the 83rd MLB All-Star Game that will leave a legacy benefiting Greater Kansas City and beyond. This MLB All-Star Summer community effort will complement the midsummer celebration of Baseball and the Kansas City Royals, impact the lives of underserved youth and local veterans, support cancer research, highlight the importance of environmental consciousness and honor the history of Negro Leagues Baseball.  http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120419&content_id=29099756&vkey=pr_mlb&c_id=mlb

People Doing Good:

Umpires host charity auction to benefit kids
It’s that time of year again when it’s great to show umpires that you care. The fourth annual UMPS CARE Charities Online Auction got under way on Friday, and if the previous three years were any indication, the bidding will be brisk between now and the 8 p.m. ET closing on May 13. Major League Baseball umps will offer more than 200 ticket packages, signed items and one-of-a-kind VIP experiences at MLB.com/UmpsCare, with proceeds helping to provide MLB experiences for children awaiting adoption, Build-A-Bear Workshop experiences for children coping with cancer and college scholarships for deserving young adults who were adopted as children. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120503&content_id=30313352&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

Jim Harbaugh knows he owes a lot to mom
Fifty-five years ago, someone snapped a photograph of a third-string quarterback watching his team from the bench with a cheerleader standing behind him. It could have ended up an ordinary picture — one of the countless extra snapshots of life — thrown away because it had no meaning to the ultimate story. But it holds special meaning for Jim Harbaugh. The cheerleader is his mother, and the player is his father. http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/2358/jim-harbaugh-knows-he-owes-a-lot-to-mom

Teams Doing Good

Oregon’s spring game begins and ends with very cool military tribute. (video)
At the conclusion of the spring game, several members of the United States Armed Forces lined one of the sidelines of Autzen Stadium while players lined the other. The two parties met at midfield where the Ducks remove their commemorative jerseys from their pads and put the jersey back on before meeting the servicemen and women out on the field. Then they take the jerseys off and trade them for a coin given by the military member. The players later autograph the jerseys and then show the members of the military around their awesome locker room and facility. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/video-oregon-spring-game-honors-local-military-jersey-054509445.html

Ducks Host Weekend Events To Grow Grassroots Youth Hockey
The Duck’s efforts to grow the game of hockey in their market continue with a major event on Saturday. While the team hosts its fifth annual S.C.O.R.E. (Scholastic Curriculum of Recreation & Education) Street Hockey Shootout for fourth grade students in the Honda Center parking lot, the inaugural Anaheim Ducks i3 (interscholastic, inline, initiative) roller hockey playoffs will take place on the arena floor for fifth- through eighth-graders. Nearly 400 students from 20 local schools are expected to compete in the tournaments. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2012/05/11/Ducks.aspx

Inaugural “Live On Kings Court” Concert Featuring Blues Traveler Raises $55,000 for Children’s Charities
The Sacramento Kings on Friday hosted its inaugural community benefit concert, “Live on Kings Court” featuring Grammy Award-winning band Blues Traveler. More than 3,000 fans attended the event, which raised $55,000 for six local children’s charities. http://www.nba.com/kings/news/press_release_050112.html

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Our goal is to have Sports Doing Good be a portal housing original content and excerpts from and links to the increasing number of articles, websites, video, and other media that showcase the good in sports and society. We aim to celebrate those concepts, activities, events, and individuals by highlighting them for a wider audience. Much of the news today, whether sports- related or not, is incredibly negative and increasingly polarizing, biased, and quite annoying. We are trying to refocus some of the discussion on the good, with a focus on sports.

Our mission is to have Sport Doing Good be a consistent, and significant, contributor to the areas of sports, social responsibility and development. We look forwarding to partnering with other stakeholders in producing content, in creating and/or sponsoring athletic and service events, knowledge sharing, and conferences/seminars, and even having a commercial arm that could be the source of innovative social businesses.

 

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Contact Information~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sarbjit “Sab” Singh
sab@sportsdoinggood.com
516-287-7141

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