July 2 – July 8

Welcome to week fifteen of the Sports Doing Good newsletter.

It is said “age is but a number.” We agree. There are no age restrictions when it comes to sports doing good. And this week certainly proves it. We have a 4th grader with incredible handle; Sports Illustrated’s photo gallery of 14 rising stars in sports; more than 200 Israeli and Palestinian kids and teens participating in a special longboarding program; a 19-year old baseball star thinking about his backup career plans; two 40+-year old swimming champions trying to extend their incredible Olympic careers;  and a documentary showcasing senior citizens competing in a world ping-pong championship.

We also feature stories this week including: a New York Knick returning home to run a camp; two NFL players and Notre Dame alums leveraging a first-time event to raise funds for their foundations; a dodgeball tournament that earns sustainability recognition; Major League Baseball’s extensive array of programs tied to its All-Star game in Kansas City; the NBA’s leading position when it comes to diversity in its management ranks; the relaunch of the AVP; the extension of a successful badminton program to Timor-Leste; the IOC’s commitment to providing athletes a path to success after their playing days are done; Arne Duncan and Billie Jean King speaking about Title IX; and MLB’s Houston Astros launching a ground-breaking comprehensive community outreach program; amongst others.

A quick reminder about two administrative matters. In addition to our Sports Doing Good heading, we are now including some photos/images in each newsletter. Please make sure to allow images from Sports Doing Good to be seen by your email system. (you should see a button or link allowing you to view the images). Also, in addition to email stories, please feel free to send stories via Twitter. Our address is @sportsdoinggood.

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So enjoy. And have a good week.

Fun Doing Good:

Meet Mike Miles, the elementary school Allen Iverson (video)
Meet a fourth-grader named Mike Miles. You probably haven’t seen him before, but if his first highlight reel is any indication, this is almost certainly not the last time you’ll be seeing his name. http://tinyurl.com/849rlz7

It is hard predicting the future, but it looks bright for these young athletes
Sports Illustrated identifies fourteen potential game changers.  http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/highschool/06/25/high-school-future-game-changers/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_bf3_a3

A picture of calmness
Emma Coburn (far right) won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase during the U.S. Olympic trials. Compared to her fellow runners, she looks mighty relaxed, and dry. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1207/leading-off-070112/content.15.html

Athletes Doing Good

Bryce Harper, firefighter: Nationals rookie wants EMT certification in offseason
Just in case baseball doesn’t work out for him, 19-year-old Bryce Harper says he wants to get his EMT certification this offseason so he can become a firefighter…But as Harper told Nats fans in an online chat (via DC Bog), there should always be a backup plan: “I’d probably be a firefighter. Ever since I was growing up, I wanted to be a firefighter or a baseball player. Going into the offseason, I’m going to get my EMT and do the firefighting thing so I have something to fall back on.”  http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/bryce-harper-firefighter-nationals-rookie-wants-emt-certification-205000344–mlb.html

Full speed ahead with NHRA diversity
Another milestone in NHRA diversity has bitten the dust. Erica Enders has become the first female to win a national event in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class. Enders, a 28-year-old who started in Junior Dragster at age 8 and in Pro Stock in 2005, broke down the barriers by defeating four-time champion Greg Anderson in the finals of Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill.  http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_21008612/fifth-gear-louis-brewster-full-speed-ahead-nhra

Shump’s Return Home: Independent Spirit
Back in his hometown with the sun shining bright on a summer day in Illinois, Iman Shumpert struts into Oak Park and River Forest High School projecting an air of unflappable confidence. This brash style should not be mistaken for cockiness or a lack of respect.  Shumpert developed a strong mindset from an early age that fueled his rise to the NBA.  To discover how a young Shump became one of the top rookies last year, one must look to his parents, Odis and L’Tanya.  The two important figures in Shumpert’s life were on hand during his first annual basketball camp at the same high school where he helped the Huskies win three conference titles. http://knicksnow.com/videos/1546/shump-s-return-home-independent-spirit

Janet Evans finds something else at Olympic swimming trials
Amanda Beard, Natalie Coughlin and Dara Torres came to the U.S. Olympic swimming trials for a ticket to London. Evans, the fourth woman in the quartet of oldies but goodies, came for the experience, and the affirmation. “I’m proud I had the courage to try,” she said. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/30/sports/la-sp-0701-oly-swim-janet-evans-20120701

NFLers Quinn and Ndukwe joining forces to hold raffle around Notre Dame’s football game in Ireland
On September 1st, the University of Notre Dame travels to Dublin to take on Navy and kick off the 2012 college football season. This historic trip is a once in a lifetime experience for all Fighting Irish fans and former Notre Dame stars Brady Quinn and Chinedum Ndukwe want you to be there! The Notre Dame in Ireland Raffle, which will run until Friday July 13, 2012, is raising money to support the 3rd and Goal Foundation and the Ndukwe Foundation. http://www.ndinireland.com/

Additional Story
Dara Torres: ‘Pretty good for a 45-year-old’ http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/blog=the-medley/post/dara-torres-finishes-fourth-at-trials-says-shes-done-swimming.html

Events Doing Good:

Longboarding For Peace In The Middle East; Search-Spark-Stoke Tour 2012 Coming to Israel and the West Bank
A unique peace building initiative will take place throughout the month of July, bringing the joys of longboard skateboarding to children and teens in Israel and the West Bank. The Search-Spark-Stoke Tour 2012, created by Michael Brooke, publisher of Concrete Wave Magazine, will teach as many as 200 children and teens in Israel and the West Bank how to longboard while establishing relationships between the Israeli and Palestinian participants. http://skateboard.about.com/od/skateboardinglifestyle/a/Longboarding-For-Peace-In-The-Middle-East.htm

Dodging Diabetes® Charity Dodgeball Tournament Achieves ReSport Certification
Council for Responsible Sport Executive Director Keith Peters announced today that the 2012 Dodging Diabetes® Charity Dodgeball Tournament earned the basic level of certification, making them the first ReSport Certified sustainable dodgeball tournament. Event organizers earned 31 of 37 ReSport Certification credits applied for by recycling, composting, reducing waste and purchasing sustainable supplies. http://www.councilforresponsiblesport.org/dodging-diabetes-dodgeball-tournament-achieves-resport-certification/#more-1107

Leagues Doing Good

MLB All-Star Week projects to benefit Kansas City community and beyond are most extensive in Midsummer Classic history
Initiatives include Habitat for Humanity home builds in communities devastated by tornadoes and renovations to baseball/softball fields, veteran and youth facilities; Approximately $4 million benefits local and national organizations.  http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120705&content_id=34492962&vkey=pr_mlb&c_id=mlb

Canada Post to Release Stamps to Celebrate 100th Grey Cup
Canada Post is set to kick off the release of a special run of domestic stamps to celebrate the Grey Cup’s 100th anniversary. Eight stamps will be released Friday — one for each CFL team — along with a souvenir item that will offer all eight logo stamps on one sheet. Canada Post also plans to release nine commemorative stamps in August. It’s one of the largest single-year issues produced by the corporation in years. The 100th edition of the Grey Cup will be played Nov. 25 at Rogers Centre. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=399291

The 2012 Racial and Gender Report Card: National Basketball Association
The 2012 NBA Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC) was released today and showed that the NBA continued its leading position in the sports industry with its commitment to and record for racial and gender hiring practices during the 2011-2012 NBA season. http://web.bus.ucf.edu/documents/sport/2012-NBA-RGRC.pdf

New AVP Hits The Sand Running, Serves Up Big Time Pro Beach Volleyball Plans For 2012 And 2013 Seasons
New 2012 AVP Cincinnati Open, New 2012 AVP Championships in Santa Barbara, CA, Four New ‘Majors’ for 2013 and Increased Prize Purses Mark New Owner’s First Steps Toward Solidifying AVP’s Leadership Position in Sport http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-avp-hits-the-sand-running-serves-up-big-time-pro-beach-volleyball-plans-for-2012-and-2013-seasons-161248855.html

Media Doing Good:

The Brutally Competitive (and Totally Adorable) World of Over-80s Ping Pong (movie trailer)
Seniors like 100-year-old Dorothy Delow battle for the gold at the table tennis World Championship in Ping Pong, a feature documentary by Hugh and Anson Hartford. The documentary follows eight players from around the globe to the competition, which took place in China last year. More than just a heartwarming sports documentary, the film is a “cross-cultural look at old age.” For more, including the trailer for the movie, please click here.  http://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2012/07/the-brutally-competitive-and-totally-adorable-world-of-over-80s-ping-pong/258988/

 Organizations Doing Good:

Badminton peace project launched in Timor-­?Leste
One year after “Badminton por la Paz” was introduced in Colombia, Peace and Sport and the Badminton World Federation (BWF) are launching “Badminton ba Dame” (Badminton for Peace in Tetum language) A new project using badminton and its values to teach peace culture to young people in Timor-­?Leste by facilitating dialogue and social cohesion. http://www.peace-sport.org/images/pdf/cp_badminton_ba_dame_EN.pdf

IOC announces extension of IOC Athlete Career Programme agreement
The deal, signed by IOC President Jacques Rogge and Adecco Group CEO Patrick De Maeseneire at the IOC’s headquarters in Lausanne, ensures that athletes around the world will continue to receive a wide range of assistance aimed at helping them transition smoothly into life after sport. Adecco worked with the IOC to implement the ACP in 2005 and since then the programme has provided career development and job placement services to more than 10,000 Olympic athletes from over 100 countries. The programme is based on providing athletes with three key tools: education, life skills and employment.
http://www.iwf.net/2012/07/05/ioc-announces-extension-of-ioc-athlete-career-programme-agreement/

USA Water Polo “Teams Up” With Jamba Juice In The Fight Against Childhood Obesity
Jamba Donates Water Polo Balls to Local Schools and Partakes in Water Polo Clinic as Part of U.S. Olympic Water Polo Team Send-Off Event  http://www.cnbc.com/id/48078804

FIFA extends cooperation with the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry
As world football’s governing body, FIFA is not only in constant contact with its member associations but also with international development agencies, non-governmental organisations and various other stakeholders who wish to use the game of football to effect positive social change…The cooperation between FIFA and the WFSGI will focus on the fight against child labour and forced labour, as well as on improving working conditions and environmental protection. http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/marketing/qualityprogramme/news/newsid=1659755/

Additional Stories

Coaches Across Continents launches Kicking4CHANGE with Standard Chartered and Liverpool Football Club. http://coachesacrosscontinents.org/2012/04/13/ground-breaking-partnership-called-kicking4change-with-standard-chartered-bank/

Craig Bellamy Foundation Youth League reaches its grand finale! http://www.craigbellamyfoundation.org/cbf-youth-league-reaches-grand-finale/

Time for IOC to stand firm against Saudis  http://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2012/07/05/column-time-for-ioc-to-stand-firm-against-saudis

People Doing Good:

Arne Duncan and Billie Jean King speak about the incredible impact of Title IX (video)
Secretary of Education and Harvard basketball alum Arne Duncan ’87 speaks about the incredible impact of Title IX on education and athletics since its inception in 1972. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIRV3YEPKxs&feature=colike And to hear from Billie Jean King, please click here. http://youtu.be/tkxQFwjSbAk

Teams Doing Good

Astros announce Community Leaders Program; Program dedicated to the refurbishment of Houston city parks and revitalization of youth baseball in Houston
The Houston Astros and the City of Houston are collaborating  with Houston-based corporations on a plan to build or refurbish youth baseball and softball fields in disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout the city. The companies that have currently committed to this program are National Oilwell Varco, Halliburton, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Calpine Corporation, Champion Energy Services, Schlumberger and Nabors Industries. The Astros plan to have 12 corporate partners in the Community Leaders Program, which will ultimately contribute $18.0 million to the City of Houston over the next five years. http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120627&content_id=34020354&vkey=pr_hou&c_id=hou

Chicago Cubs dedicate new classroom at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
The new 350-square-foot classroom, donated by Chicago Cubs Charities, will serve as the focal point for all of the hospital’s education-based programming, providing a wide variety of learning and enrichment activities to keep children engaged while in the hospital. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120616&content_id=33402336&vkey=pr_chc&c_id=chc

Jobs Doing Good

Up2Us: Marketing Director
Up2Us is looking for a leader who is capable of managing many aspects of the organization’s Marketing, PR, and Communications needs. This leader will be expected to work closely with a strong management team and to effectively call upon and motivate other staff and consultants where necessary. For full posting and how to apply, please visit http://www.up2us.org/uploads/sbyd%20job%20docs/Up2Us%20Marketing%20Director.pdf