1. U.S Hockey Forward Shares Her Story of Grief
Sophia Shaver graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison this past May. She was a integral part of the squads 2019 national championship win. However, during her sophomore year she received a phone call that changed her life forever. Her 17 year old brother, Drake, had taken his life. With complete shock and dismay she went home to be with family, speaking of how happy Drake was.
In the article, she further discusses her grieving process and how it effects her daily life. She also explains the toll it took on her on ice play. It must be incredibly difficult to come forward with a story so personal to her, but important in efforts to prevent suicide.
Shaver is now on the PWHPA dream gap tour in an effort to #Growthegame. She is amongst the 200+ top professional female athletes that are working towards a sustainable and united professional women's hockey league. It is an incredibly moving piece that is special to know that she is not only using her platform for growing the game but also for something so personal to her. She made a fan of us! #TeamShaver
2. Budweiser Steps Up For PWHPA
Budweiser Canada continues to support the PWHPA #DreamGapTour in a huge way. They rolled out a #ForTheGame campaign that is asking users to show their support by tweeting and sharing their support! Budweiser realizes that they cannot alone support the dream gap tour that they need to get fans engaged. Thus, they released a a slick campaign video that plays on "the hockey song."
Budweiser USA had a significant impact on the growth and sustainability of the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) so it is likely that Budweiser Canada is using this model to help the PWHPA. It is an extremely well thought out marketing campaign that easily gets not only the players to tweet out, but more importantly fans can tweet support with an easy click. It is also great publicity for Budweiser to be supporting women who are working tirelessly for one sustainable league that would showcase top talent.
3. Oregon Ducks Fly Past U.S.A Basketball
For only the second time in history, and the first since 2014, team U.S.A basketball was defeated by a collegiate basketball team. The Oregon Ducks beat team U.S.A 93-86 in an all out battle. Sabrina Ionescu scored 25 of her 30 points in the second half to lead the Ducks to victory.
Team U.S.A is gearing up for Tokyo 2020 and are on a tour against the best teams in the world to prepare. They have not lost a major international game since 2006 versus Russia. As they look ahead to Tokyo they take their battle against the Ducks as a learning experience. This will ultimately lead them one step closer to winning a gold medal as it will restore their drive and ensure that they don't let their guard down.
Furthermore, this game acts as a reason to be excited about the future of women's basketball. The Ducks showed talent and heart which means eventually they will bring this passion over into the WNBA. The future is not only bright for Team U.S.A but women's basketball in general.
4. U.S Women's National Team Wraps Up 2019
The U.S Women's National Team wrapped up their 2019 appearances last weekend with matches versus Sweden and Costa Rica. It was an incredible year for the National team between winning the World Cup and their lawsuit versus U.S Soccer for equal pay and treatment.
Ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the team looks to continue to soar to new heights and win a gold medal in the year following the World Cup which has never been done. The team might look a bit different upfront with Alex Morgan having a baby just four months before the Olympics. Although she vows that she will return and play. The team will still be lead under the dynamic leadership of Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe.
They are a remarkable group that is doing just as much to lead the way off the field as they are on it. We will be cheering them on every step of the way in 2020 on and off the field!
5. Australia Women's Team To Be Paid The Same As Men
All Hail the land down undah!! The Football Federation of Australia announced that they had reached an agreement with their women's and men's soccer team working towards breaching the gender pay gap.
This is a history making pay structure and truly one that the U.S Soccer Federation should take note of. " The deal gives players an increased portion of World Cup and Asian Cup prize money. The federation also agreed to give both teams equal resources, upgrade the parental leave policy and set money aside for youth football programs."
Australia is setting a precedent that we hope countries around the world are watching. Lets Go Aussies!
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