Sports Doing Good Newsletter #361

Welcome to week three hundred and sixty-one of the Sports Doing Good newsletter. This week’s 10 stories include:

  1. The Black-Owned Brand Bringing Streetwear to the Golf World (GQ)
  2. New York Mets’ Pete Alonso to issue NFT to aid minor leaguers (ESPN)
  3. WNBA, NBA set standard for diverse, equitable, inclusive hiring across U.S. sports (ESPN)
  4. Women’s sports can do at least one thing men’s can’t, experts say: Get bigger (Washington Post)
  5. In Moving All-Star Game, Another Sport Flexes Its Activist Muscles (NY Times)
  6. Stephen Curry wearing shoes created with Bruce Lee Foundation to support Asian community (Yahoo!)
  7. A Shot Worth Taking: Ad Council Shows Value Of Sports Pulling As One For Cause… (Joe Favorito)
  8. Sport Can Help the World Come Back Stronger (UN Chronicle)
  9. Former College Athlete Trades Her Stick for Spikes and a Spot in the Paralympic Games (GoodSport/SI)
  10. NCCU forward’s coming-of-age journey has a happy ending (The Undefeated)

10+Qatari woman set to make historic Everest ascent (Beyond Sport)http://www.beyondsport.org/articles/qatari-woman-set-to-make-historic-everest-ascent/
Women in the Undercurrent of Sport Are Thriving (Global Sport Matters)https://globalsportmatters.com/health/2021/03/12/women-in-the-undercurrent-of-sport-are-thriving/
Ping Pong Parkinson – Physical Therapy Through Table Tennis (Beyond Sport)http://www.beyondsport.org/articles/pingpongparkinson-highlights-the-power-of-sport/
sportanddev and GAISF launch new partnership (Sport and Dev)https://www.sportanddev.org/en/article/news/sportanddev-and-gaisf-launch-new-partnership
Liverpool FC: the club with a local heart and a global pulse (Laureus)https://www.laureus.com/news/liverpool-fc-the-club-with-a-local-heart-and-a-global-pulse

We present again our “Featured Video” offering(s). With the explosion of video content out there highlighting the good in sport, we want to showcase such content for your enjoyment and learning. This will be an ongoing effort.
Hall of Fame athlete brings gymnastics to underserved communities (ABC News)https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/hall-fame-athlete-brings-gymnastics-underserved-communities-76790947
How Atlanta Sports Changed U.S. Politics (Bloomberg Quicktake)https://youtu.be/bjMtofJLHb0
‘Most Days’ W/ Candace Parker (Bleacher Report)https://bleacherreport.com/post/hero-2/0fb3635f-699c-471d-81d3-ef36a082f05b

Introduction

Last month the world saw a shipping-related happening, that if not for the actual and potential negative economic impact, would actually be kind of funny. On March 23rd, strong winds wedged a 400-metre-long vessel, the Ever Given, across the Suez Canal with one end stuck at one side of the canal bank and the other almost near the other side. This prevented other vessels from passing through that part of the canal. For the millions of us who have no experience in this area, the questions, were, “How did this happen?” and the related, “Who screwed up?” And in something that should surprise no one, much of those on the Internet answered that last question incorrectly. A target for blame was Marwa Elselehdar, Egypt’s first woman sea captain.  “I don’t know who these trolls are or why they did it. But they kept saying it was mymistake, that I am to be blamed for everything that happened,” she said. “The trollingjust showed that they don’t accept women in this industry even though the few of uswho are in this line are very professional and good at our work.” “I decided to ownthis conversation and use it to send out a supportive message for all the women outthere, and not just those in the marine industry,” she said. (“What It’s Like WhenEveryone Blames You For the Suez Canal Jam,” Pallavi Pundir, VICE,https://www.vice.com/en/article/3anx33/suez-canal-ever-given-ship-captain) Yes, it is wildly unfair that Marwa would be viewed as representing ALL female sea captains. When you are 1 of 1 or at best, 1 of a few, that comes with the territory. As a South Asian, I have spent most of my life being the only South Asian and sometimes the only minority in the room. My performance in class, on the field, and in the workforce, did come with the pressure to do well to prove naysayers wrong. Just imagine if I was actually famous and had to shoulder that much more attention. As someone who has seen the sport industry move, slowly, on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, I have also kept an eye out for trends that may shepherd greater and faster changes. And such trends are there, in sports, technology, finance, media and business. They are coming together to give women new opportunities as athletes, coaches, investors, broadcasters, executives, and owners. Not a day goes by for me when I do not see more evidence of these trends. For example, we are seeing more female athletes with strong “Q” scores. In 2019, according to SportsPro, Naomi Osaka was the world’s most marketable athlete. Now in its eleventh year, SportsPro’s list assesses the top 50 athletes from across the world according to their marketing potential over the coming three-year period, taking into account criteria such as age, home market, crossover appeal, charisma, and willingness to be marketed. 2019’s ranking featured a record number of female athletes, with 16 making the cut. I know, for one, that we have featured more stories with females as the focus at Sports Doing Good over the past year. With that in mind, we point your attention to an excellent article from the Washington Post, “Women’s sports can do at least one thing men’s can’t, experts say: Get bigger.” Men’s sports can, and will, get bigger, of course, but the message is that if you are looking for under-tapped assets that can provide exponential growth, women’s sports may be your best bet. We are making that bet. Please continue to send along your stories. You’re both our audience and best source of stories. Our Twitter handle is @sportsdoinggood, and you can find us at www.facebook.com/sportsdoinggood and on Instagram.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. (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.

Top Stories of the Week
The Black-Owned Brand Bringing Streetwear to the Golf World (GQ)For full story, please click here.
New York Mets’ Pete Alonso to issue NFT to aid minor leaguers (ESPN)For full story, please click here.WNBA, NBA set standard for diverse, equitable, inclusive hiring across U.S. sports (ESPN)For full story, please click here.Women’s sports can do at least one thing men’s can’t, experts say: Get bigger (Washington Post)For full story, please click here.
In Moving All-Star Game, Another Sport Flexes Its Activist Muscles (NY Times)For full story, please click here.Stephen Curry wearing shoes created with Bruce Lee Foundation to support Asian community (Yahoo!)For full story, please click here.
A Shot Worth Taking: Ad Council Shows Value Of Sports Pulling As One For Cause… (Joe Favorito)For full story, please click here.Sport Can Help the World Come Back Stronger (UN Chronicle)For full story, please click here.Former College Athlete Trades Her Stick for Spikes and a Spot in the Paralympic Games (GoodSport/SI)For full story, please click here.NCCU forward’s coming-of-age journey has a happy ending (The Undefeated)For full story, please click here.

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