Feb. 23 – March 1, 2014
Welcome to week one-hundred of the Sports Doing Good newsletter. This week’s first 10 stories include:
- International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (April 6)
- This Winter Paralympic Ad Will Make You Want To Win (VIDEO)
- Professional Athletes Join Movement To End Slavery With Strong Public Display
- Weinstein Carnegie Exclusive Interview: Rico Roman, Sled Hockey
- Working man: Baltimore Ravens’ Elam working in sales at the mall
- LeBron James gave all of his Miami Heat teammates WWE championship belts
- Orioles Prospect Knows Plenty About Frank Robinson After Buck Showalter’s Assignment
- “He can play”: An Interview with Darsh Preet Singh
- Kosovo Gets a Game, but Still Struggles to Build a Team
- Utah Jazz’s Greg Miller bounces into ‘Undercover Boss’ (video)
Introduction
Every week we have at least a couple of stories of not-so-famous athletes – at least not famous yet – achieving glory for a special play or game or their sustained excellence in their chosen sport. There is something special about seeing those who play for the sheer joy of the game, achieve their goals. But just because we often feature such athletes does not mean we are ignoring the most famous amongst us.
LeBron James – you’ve heard of him, right? – is involved in one of the stories we are including this week. He is also involved in a fun skit that we did not include amongst the 20 stories in the newsletter, but do provide the link to right here. World famous are certainly out there doing great things and we are more than happy to highlight their efforts to help their community, special individuals, or those in other parts of the world.
In addition to LeBron, we are excited to present: Paralympian Rico Roman; Matt Elam of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens; Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter; college basketball player Darsh Preet Singh; Utah Jazz CEO Greg Miller; and Brooklyn Net Jason Collins; amongst others.
Please continue to send along your stories. You are both our audience and our best source of stories. Our Twitter handle is @sportsdoinggood, and you can find us at www.facebook.com/sportsdoinggood.
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@sportsddoinggood.com. (If you do not want to receive the newsletter anymore you can use the Unsubscribe button at the end of the email)
So enjoy. And have a good week.
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (April 6)
To acknowledge the upcoming International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on 6 April, ICSSPE is publishing a Special News Edition on the topic. The Special News features 20 contributions from actors around the world participating in the SDP movement! It also includes a Foreword by the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace.
https://www.icsspe.org/media/special-news
This Winter Paralympic Ad Will Make You Want To Win (VIDEO)
Athletes in the Paralympic Winter Games struggle, hurt and persevere — to win. That’s the message of a powerful commercial from Samsung Mobile that highlights the feel-bad moments required to experience the feel-good ones. (The Paralympic Games run March 7-16 at the same Sochi, Russia, location as the Winter Olympics.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/28/samsung-paralympic-ad-sport-doesnt-care_n_4874500.html
(Video, http://youtu.be/k4_ce3OV7rg)
Professional Athletes Join Movement To End Slavery With Strong Public Display
Sports fans may have noticed certain athletes had red X’s on their hands during competition this week, and it turns out there’s a good reason for the bold statement. Kyle Korver, Jennie Finch and Colt McCoy were just a few of the sports figures to tweet photos of themselves with the X drawn on their hands. As Korver explained after the Atlanta Hawks’ game against the Celtics on Wednesday, the gesture is part of the End It Movement, which is fighting against slavery across the world.
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/good-sports/201402/professional-athletes-are-joining-together-movement-end-slavery
Weinstein Carnegie Exclusive Interview: Rico Roman, Sled Hockey
I’d go to Brooke Army Medical Center to get work done on my prosthetic leg and other soldiers would also be there rehabbing. I’d ask them if they knew what sled hockey was and to come and try it out. Many of them were just like me: they were hesitant. I’d tell them that I didn’t know much about the sport before I tried it either, and now I’m on the Paralympic Team going to Sochi. When they heard that, it convinced them a little more. Sometimes they just needed to be pushed a little bit, just like I was. I wanted to get them involved as well.
http://weinsteincarnegie.tumblr.com/post/77915150793/weinstein-carnegie-exclusive-interview-rico-roman
Working man: Baltimore Ravens’ Elam working in sales at the mall
Elam, a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 draft, is spending his offseason as a part-time sales associate at a Finish Line store in Gainesville, Fla., before he returns to the team in April. He says he works about 20 hours per week, helping customers with shoes and occasionally stocking shelves. His goal is to open his own sports merchandise store.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10525714/matt-elam-baltimore-ravens-working-part-mall
The Ravens’ Matt Elam, right, a first-round pick in 2013, works as a sales associate at a Florida mall. (Baltimore Ravens)
LeBron James gave all of his Miami Heat teammates WWE championship belts
One month after receiving a real-deal WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt from “Snitch” star Dwayne Johnson (better known, perhaps, as The Rock), LeBron James apparently decided he felt a little weird being the only guy in the locker room accessorizing with 20 or so pounds of gold around his waist, so he decided to hook his Miami Heat teammates up with the finest pants-stabilizers a sports-entertainment professional could ever want.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/lebron-james-gave-all-of-his-miami-heat-teammates-wwe-championship-belts-200436927.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory
Dwyane Wade tags in LeBron James, who is wearing appropriate ring attire. (AP/Lynne Sladky)
Orioles Prospect Knows Plenty About Frank Robinson After Buck Showalter’s Assignment
“He was coming down the hall and I was walking Frank out of the locker room. I go, ‘Hold on a second, Frank. Josh, do you know who this is?'” Showalter explained to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “He says, ‘No,’ and I said, ‘OK, by this time tomorrow I want a page on Frank Robinson. “I said, ‘You go home, you research it and you come back tomorrow and have it on my desk. Frank got a kick out of that.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/josh-hart-frank-robinson-buck-showalter-report_n_4855642.html?utm_hp_ref=email_share
(AP Photo/Rob Carr) | ASSOCIATED PRESS
“He can play”: An Interview with Darsh Preet Singh
Starting February 26, the Smithsonian Institution will be displaying the jersey of Singh, the first turbaned Sikh American to play basketball for an NCAA program. He spoke with us about his remarkable journey, including the challenges of traveling through the South and the relationships he has forged with teammates and coaches.
http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2014/02/25/he-can-play-an-interview-with-darsh-preet-singh/31056
Kosovo Gets a Game, but Still Struggles to Build a Team
“It is a historic moment for the new country,” says Bunjaki, who fled Kosovo as a young medical student in the early 1990s before earning his professional soccer coaching credentials in Sweden. “We have a lot of players around Europe who are part of different national teams and this makes it more difficult,” he added. While Switzerland’s Kosovar players were not called, several players who have represented other national teams will play Wednesday, Bunjaki said, including Albania’s first-choice goalkeeper, Samir Ujkani, who played in that match against the Swiss in 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/01/sports/soccer/kosovo-gets-a-game-but-still-struggles-to-build-a-team.html?hpw&rref=sports&_r=0
Since 2008, the Football Federation of Kosovo has pushed, without success, for their own national team stocked with their own players. Credit James Montague for The New York Times
Utah Jazz’s Greg Miller bounces into ‘Undercover Boss’ (video)
“It was a very eye-opening experience for me to see firsthand some of the challenges that our employees are faced with,” Miller said. “Not only were we able to help them in what I think are very meaningful ways in their personal lives, but my experience inspired me to work with my family to create a new resource for our employees organization-wide that wouldn’t exist were it not for my experience with ‘Undercover Boss.’?”
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment2/57580665-223/miller-boss-undercover-employees.html.csp
Utah Jazz CEO Greg Miller expects his team to return to former greatness. (USATSI)
THE NEXT 10 STORIES
Jason Collins jersey sales proceeds going to LGBT groups
The NBA will donate proceeds from the sale of Jason Collins jerseys to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, the league announced Friday night. The league said donations will total no less than $100,000. The NBA also will auction off Collins’ game-worn, autographed jerseys to benefit the same organizations.
http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/10535186/nba-donate-jason-collins-jersey-sales-proceeds-lgbt-advocacy-organizations
Jason Collins – “I’m so fortunate to have met Matthew Shepard’s parents and brother tonight after @BrooklynNets win tonight in Denver”
College students broadcasting Islanders ‘living out a dream’
WRHU’s production already has been showcased on WCBS (against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium), as well as on WFAN and ESPN Radio for playoff games last spring. “That was the ultimate tribute to the students and the job they do,” King said.”Those [stations] are three of the biggest stages in this city that you can have.”
http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/neil-best/college-students-broadcasting-islanders-living-out-a-dream-1.7233528
Hofstra’s Julian Coltre, left, and Dan Savarino pose before they call the Islanders’ game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014. (Credit: Richard T. Slattery)
NBA All-Stars size up latest data-analysis tool
The pilot program that riveted Bosh, called SportVU, records every movement and action of a player during a 48-minute game. In all, 792,000 data points for the game’s participants are plotted. With a few clicks, an athlete can be evaluated based on their shooting, spacing on the court, speed, dribbling and other factors. A video component of each play is available in a small screen within the program.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/02/18/sap-data-analysis-technology-nba-all-start-game-chris-bosh/5553139/
(Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports)
The EPL’s Manchester United joins forces with Google for pioneering Front Row scheme
In a world-first initiative entitled Front Row, United fans will have the opportunity to cheer on their team live during the club’s game against Liverpool on March 16, appearing live via Google+ Hangout – the free, multi-person video call feature – on Old Trafford’s digital hoardings. Fans will be invited to share a picture on the Google+ communications platform, along with the tag ‘#MUFrontRow,’ which showcases their love, passion and commitment to the club.
http://www.sportbusiness.com/sportbusiness-international/united-joins-forces-google-pioneering-front-row-scheme
How one small business helped Team USA win six Olympic medals in Sochi
More than 5,000 miles away from the action, deBot and his 20 employees watched over the past few days (and often well into the nights) as several of the sleds they equipped with state-of-the-art carbon fiber technology barreled down the ice tracks and into the history books during the Winter Olympics, bringing home a record number of “sliding” sport medals for Team USA.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/how-one-small-business-helped-team-usa-win-six-olympic-medals-in-sochi/2014/02/24/9e8398ec-9d58-11e3-9ba6-800d1192d08b_story.html
That sled they’re in? Hans deBot and his company played a big role in making it go faster. Jae C. Hong/AP
Tim Miles saw promise in Nebraska because he has rebuilt far more forlorn programs
“Tim is a heck of a coach, but he’s unbelievable rallying the fans and student body,” Smith said. “That’s always been a huge strength of his. One comment we’ve gotten at Nebraska is, ‘Wow, he’s willing to talk to anybody.’ Well, yeah, why wouldn’t he be? They’re just not used to it because there are so many more egos at this level and some guys won’t do that.”
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/tim-miles-mastery-rebuilding-projects-began-long-turning-155350424–ncaab.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory
10 Tips to Fool Yourself Into Getting Fit; How to trick yourself into exercising when you’d rather skip it
On days when it seems impossible to make it through your to-do list, the motivation to get on a treadmill or take a yoga class may simply not be there. But what if you could “trick” yourself into getting active? We polled top trainers for their best stealthy tips to get their clients moving on days when they’d rather skip it. Here’s what they said:
http://www.nextavenue.org/article/2014-02/10-ways-fool-yourself-getting-fit
Ryan McVay | Photodisc | Thinkstock
16 Celebrity Athletes March On Washington DC Promoting Pro Activity Legislation
On March 5, PHIT America and SFIA will assemble a series of small groups featuring well known athletes, sporting goods and fitness manufacturers, physical educators, and association leaders for a series of face-to-face discussions with U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators about the importance of federal funding to (1) support quality physical education in schools and (2) encourage more physical activity for families by making it more affordable. – See more at: http://www.phitamerica.org/News_Archive/Celebrities_March_On_DC.htm#sthash.G9mXa2QL.ePzCwS3Y.dpuf
Washington Capitals Team Up for the Fourth-Consecutive Year with Dreams for Kids for Extreme Recess Hockey
Dreams for Kids is an international youth organization and nonprofit children’s charity whose mission is to empower young people of all abilities through dynamic leadership programs and life-changing activities… The event was held in conjunction with the Capitals’ celebration of Hockey is for Everyone™ Month, a league wide initiative that offers children of all backgrounds opportunities to play hockey and leverages the sport of hockey as a catalyst to teach essential life skills and the core values of hockey: commitment, perseverance and teamwork.
http://capitals.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=706433
Mumbai’s Work Ethic: Sachin of Shivaji Park
They come to play because Shivaji Park is hallowed ground. It has produced dozens of first-rate cricketers not only for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy teams, but also for India’s representation in Test matches. Of those cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar is, of course, arguably the most famous. He went to school nearby, and was coached at Shivaji Park by Ramakant Achrekar, a legendary taskmaster who spotted Sachin’s cricketing talents early on and who relentlessly made him focus on the game.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pranay-gupte/mumbais-work-ethic-sachin_b_4870099.html
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