Sept. 22 – Sept. 28, 2013

Welcome to week seventy-eight of the Sports Doing Good newsletter. This week’s stories include:

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Homeless to Business Owner: How One Running Club Helps People Make Dramatic Changes
In 2007, Anne Mahlum started Back on My Feet in Philadelphia. She uses running to help homeless men and women change the way they see themselves so they can make real changes in their lives.
(Video – http://youtu.be/6WCD8L5EDtc)

Yale Quarterback Uses Google Glass To Give First-Person View Of Game
As far as the football program at Yale goes, Digital Surgeons’ David Salinas hopes Google Glass could help better connect fans. “We thought how cool would it be to do a Google Hangout and bring the fans into the game,” Salinas told the Register. “Google said explore and that’s what we’re here to do. We think it’s the perfect pair for Yale’s culture, intelligence and athletics.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/yale-google-glass-quarterback_n_3950332.html?ir=Sports
(Video – http://vimeo.com/74788021)

Erin Bundy, Indiana Student-Athlete and Community Role Model, Named 2013 Winner of The Gold M Award
Erin is involved in serving people in many ways. She launched a service project called Step Forward for Haiti, which has collected thousands of pairs of new shoes to send to people in Haiti. Closer to home, she worked as a volunteer with the American Health Network (which distributes the shoes she collects for Haiti) to provide free physicals to students at her school, and with Aeropostale on their Jeans for Teens project, collecting jeans to send them to kids in need.
http://www.prlog.org/12217703-erin-bundy-ind-student-athlete-and-community-role-model-named-2013-winner-of-the-gold-award.html
(Video – http://vimeo.com/75539551)

GoPro Video: Alex Gray Rides In A Golden Barrel
Think surfing’s not for you because of the intimidating big waves, action-packed adrenaline, and terrifying wipe-outs? This video will change your mind.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/27/gopro-alex-gray_n_4005702.html?ir=Sports
(Video – http://youtu.be/DpWWtp70U9k)

Players protest NCAA by marking gear for #AllPlayersUnited movement
“Players will continue to wear the APU throughout the season and spread the word,” Huma told ESPN. “They’re taking the reform effort to television, which has never been done. They’ve been using their bodies to make money for the people who run NCAA sports. Now, for the first time, they’re using their bodies to push for basic protections at the very least.”
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/georgia-tech-players-protest-ncaa-marking-gear-202120848–ncaaf.html

Taking a stand: Union High coach suspends entire football team in lesson about character
So the coach and his staff gathered the team together after Friday night’s loss to Judge Memorial Catholic High School and told them he was concerned about some of the players’ actions and behavior off the field. He then instructed them all to turn in their jerseys and their equipment. There would be no football until they earned the privilege to play. (Wednesday night the team found out all but 9 of the 41 varsity players had been reinstated.)
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865587020/Taking-a-stand-Union-High-coach-suspends-entire-football-team-in-lesson-about-character.html?pg=all

Barbara Peterson plays Wii bowling against members of the Union football team at the Uintah Basin Rehabilitation and Senior Villa in Roosevelt on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

Greatest kiddie-football coach ever is familiar face
“Coach” is Joe Gibbs, the legendary three-time Super Bowl champion coach. He’s once again patrolling the sideline, and watching him diagram plays for kids is like watching Eric Clapton give guitar lessons. Joe Gibbs is one of those rare men who has reached the mountaintop in not one, but two hyper-competitive sports.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl–the-greatest-kiddie-football-coach-in-history-is-a-familiar-face-002000202.html

Joe Gibbs is still coaching football, though his players now are 9- and 10-year olds. Yahoo Sports

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces 2013 Winners of the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today named the San Francisco 49ers, Tony Hawk Foundation (THF), and LA84 Foundation recipients of the 2013 Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy. The award celebrates and promotes those in the sports world who are improving lives by leveraging the unique influence of sports. The class of 2013 winners joins an elite list of past honorees who are unwavering in their commitment to give back to their communities.
http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/newsroom-content/2013/09/robert-wood-johnson-foundation-announces-2013-winners–of-the-st.html

Mariano Rivera exits Yankees game to heartwarming ovation
Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera is overwhelmed with emotion as he receives a heartfelt ovation upon exiting his final career game at Yankee Stadium
(Video – http://youtu.be/rHtknNbcL6g)

Child makes heartwarming request so he can push disabled brother in a 5K
A 10-year-old boy from Oklahoma wrote a touching letter to a local news station asking for help in getting a jogging stroller that would allow him to push his older brother, who has cerebral palsy, in a 5K race. But young Tobias Bass wasn’t looking for money or a gift from News 9, he just wanted to borrow the stroller for the race. “I want help for someone who can still laugh on life,” he wrote. In exchange, Tobias said he’d push any child who wanted to run a 5K.
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/09/5k-race-disabled-brother-tobias-bass/

THE NEXT 10 STORIES

Brandon Bass is diving in; To help Boys & Girls Club inspire city youths, Celtics forward learning how to swim
According to the nonprofit USA Swimming Foundation, 70 percent of black children and 60 percent of Hispanic children do not know how to swim, compared with 40 percent of white children. Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 14…“It’s an essential skill,” says Josh Kraft, president and chief executive of the Boys & Girls Club of Boston.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/09/26/boston-celtic-brandon-bass-learns-swim/ADL3pHh00HmTFSiqfXrfFN/story.html

Celtics forward Brandon Bass begins swimming lessons in Waltham Friday along with youths from the Boys and Girls Club. Lane Turner/Globe Staff

Magic Johnson launches movement to combat high school dropout rate
“I’ve been so blessed in my life,” Johnson continued. “All you want to do is help these incredible young people achieve their goals in life. Young man, you’ve changed. You’re headed in the right direction.” With that he promised Cross a scholarship to pay for college, drawing applause.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/22649423-418/magic-johnson-launches-movement-to-combat-high-school-dropout-rate.html

Haman Cross, 18, a student at the Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academy, at 3222 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Chicago, hugs Earvin “Magic” Johnson on Wednesday at the launch of the Friends of Magic organization. | Ashlee Rezin~for Sun-Times Media

‘The Mets Volunteer Challenge” with New York Cares
Inspired by the outpouring of support for Hurricane Sandy relief, the Mets launched ‘The Mets Volunteer Challenge” with New York Cares this summer to encourage our fans to participate in meaningful volunteer projects throughout the city. The team’s goal to deepen the public’s engagement in the community and reinforce our team’s commitment to public service was met with flying colors!
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/community/volunteer_challenge.jsp

Party Like a Good Sport: Good Sports Launches Special Fundraising Platform to Help Kids Get Each Other in the Game
The national nonprofit, which provides athletic gear to disadvantaged kids nationwide, is offering a “Party Playbook” for kids and families, complete with easy-to-create flyers and party invitations, which include the Good Sports logo and fact sheet. Invitations can be customized by color or by favorite sport, including baseball, softball, football, lacrosse, soccer and basketball. A related Pinterest page provides fun and creative party ideas.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/9/prweb11163568.htm

NHL Hockey Season Starts with Hope for Hungry Families
In Central Florida alone, there are 700,000 people struggling with hunger, and 250,000 are children. In a collective effort to check hunger in the area, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced today a new partnership initiative with The Mosaic Company. Benefiting Feeding America Tampa Bay and other local food bank partners, the Goals for Food initiative will connect the success of the Lightning team to feeding hungry families across the region.
http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=684357

Magic Players Host Local Youth at Movie Screening
Brenda Scott, the facility manager at the Rosemont Community Center, said the Magic once again proved that they are much more than just a basketball team by investing in the well-being of the community. Many of the students in Rosemont’s after-school program are considered at-risk kids, and for Magic players like Harkless and Harris to show an interest in them it could almost be viewed as a life-changing event, Scott said.
http://thehotspotorlando.com/2013/09/26/magic-players-host-local-youth-at-movie-screening/

Magic players Tobias Harris (left) and Maurice Harkless (right) sit with youth from the Altamonte Boys & Girls Club and the Rosemont Community Center as they prepare for the private screening of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 on Wednesday, September 25. Photos taken by Gary Bassing.

Coaches, Players Who Came Through Independent Leagues Will Have Roles in American League’s Postseason
The constant search this column undertakes to find meaningful stories on current or former Independent Baseball personnel has once again resulted in some nice nuggets heading into major league baseball’s postseason with the further tip that every fan of the unaffiliated game should lean heavily to the American League starting next week.
http://seamheads.com/2013/09/27/coaches-players-who-came-through-independent-leagues-will-have-roles-in-american-leagues-postseason/

Fitness tips from one of standup paddling’s biggest names; Paddler and ocean lover Gillian Gibree gives insight into her workout and diet routine
No matter if you’re a dedicated water person, or have never set foot in the ocean, Gibree’s moves can be adopted by all fitness levels at all locations. Diehard SUP fans can start incorporating these moves on the board or the sand. “To me, there is nothing like working out at the beach,” Gibree tells GrindTV. “Listening to the surf, feeling the sunshine, and having the soft sand under my toes makes getting my fitness on that much more exciting.”
http://www.grindtv.com/lifestyle/pro-active/post/fitness-tips-from-one-of-standup-paddlings-biggest-names/

Step one of the side plank crunch as performed by Gibree. Photo by Shadow Van Houten

Chat with Chris Paul on the role of athletes in the community
This is what I’ve always said with charitable giving. Monetary value is nice. But the most valuable thing I have is my time. Going to schools and just showing up and giving those kids your full attention for however long is probably the most valuable thing you can do, especially as a pro athlete.
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/49013/clippers-chris-paul

Two NBA Teams May Put Fans’ Names on the Court
“The teams, Cleveland and Milwaukee, intend the plan as another benefit tied to their year-round membership and fan-loyalty clubs. Details are still being finalized and must be approved by the league, but the program would allow for the names of the season-ticket holders who are part of the loyalty clubs to be placed on the apron that surrounds the playing floor — or possibly even on the playing floor itself.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1767631-two-nba-teams-may-put-fans-names-on-the-court

Mike McGinnis/Getty Images