Rebellion
is the act of resisting convention. A Beautiful Rebellion is resisting
convention to provoke a movement to capture our collective capacity to
empower.
Donna de Varona's timing as an Olympian of the 1960's combined with her unrivalled passion for sport development, landed her at ground zero of some of the biggest milestones in women's sports history. She was a key activist for the Title IX program and helped establish the Women's Sports Foundation becoming the first ever president in 1976. The epitome of a pioneer, she was the first female TV sportscaster signing with ABC in 1965 as an 18-year-old fresh off her second Olympics as a gold medalist swimmer. As if that's not enough for one lifetime, the list goes on for where this trailblazer has facilitated change ... she chaired the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup hosted in the USA, and she continues to affect the postitive progression of sports through her role on the IOC's Women in Sports Commission. De Varona is one person who's historic resonance will be a positive influence well beyond her lifetime.
Please share this post if you liked it, loved it, found it inspiring, or funny (that's unlikely, I'm not that funny) or your eyes were zapped open by amazement - thanks!
Showing posts with label Olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Olympics. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Beautiful Rebellion: João Havelange
Rebellion is the act of resisting convention. A Beautiful Rebellion is resisting convention to provoke a movement to capture our collective capacity to empower.
João Havelange, then FIFA President, launched the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991 in China, which the USA won after beating Norway thanks to a game-winning end of regulation time goal from Michelle Akers. Havelange's initiative came over 60 years after the first men's World Cup in 1930 and sparked the future of international stars like Mia Hamm, Akers, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, Brandi Chastain and April Heinrichs (USA), Sun Wen (China), Hege Riise and Bente Nordby (Norway) and Pia Sundhage (Sweden).
Twenty years after that first WWC, the 2011 tournament in Germany showcased how much the women's game has progressed with increased parity between nations and new threats emerging in the semi-finals (notably Japan, France and Sweden). Havelange's vision was catalytic to growing the game by providing a global platform to showcase the talent and athletic expression of female footballers.
Not afraid to bring new thinking to table, he was the first non-European to hold the FIFA Presidency. In his home country of Brazil, a stadium is named in his honour - watch for it in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
João Havelange, then FIFA President, launched the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991 in China, which the USA won after beating Norway thanks to a game-winning end of regulation time goal from Michelle Akers. Havelange's initiative came over 60 years after the first men's World Cup in 1930 and sparked the future of international stars like Mia Hamm, Akers, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, Brandi Chastain and April Heinrichs (USA), Sun Wen (China), Hege Riise and Bente Nordby (Norway) and Pia Sundhage (Sweden).
Twenty years after that first WWC, the 2011 tournament in Germany showcased how much the women's game has progressed with increased parity between nations and new threats emerging in the semi-finals (notably Japan, France and Sweden). Havelange's vision was catalytic to growing the game by providing a global platform to showcase the talent and athletic expression of female footballers.
Not afraid to bring new thinking to table, he was the first non-European to hold the FIFA Presidency. In his home country of Brazil, a stadium is named in his honour - watch for it in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday Night Football: For Foreigners Like Me (and You?)
When we hear Monday Night Football what jumps to mind for many of us soccer fans all over the world is the cheeky Gary Neville doing his bit calling the English Premiere League on Sky Sports. In Australia, Monday Night Football means a fixture of the National Rugby League delivered by two of Australia's greatest ever "footy" players Andrew Johns and Peter Sterling. Here in my adopted country of the USA it's all about the NFL … and over the last 18 hours or so, MNF has lit up riveting commentary since the "touchception" call by the (replacement) referees in the game–winning last play for the Seattle Seahawks victory over the Green Bay Packers.
It intrigued me how much real estate this (passionate) conversation is taking up online (including some f-bombs via Twitter from heated players after the game). Although not unfamiliar with the power of sport to bring people together (for good or for bad) it spurred me to take a look at the forces at play. Just a Canadian trying to make sense of things…
NFL as Sport Crack
There are an insanely large number of eyeballs watching MNF. It has become an iconic franchise of sport TV over its 40 years on air. In its history MNF has registered eight of the top 10 all-time biggest
It intrigued me how much real estate this (passionate) conversation is taking up online (including some f-bombs via Twitter from heated players after the game). Although not unfamiliar with the power of sport to bring people together (for good or for bad) it spurred me to take a look at the forces at play. Just a Canadian trying to make sense of things…
NFL as Sport Crack
There are an insanely large number of eyeballs watching MNF. It has become an iconic franchise of sport TV over its 40 years on air. In its history MNF has registered eight of the top 10 all-time biggest
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