We want to take a moment and honor a true sports legend, Kobe Bryant. He changed the sports world as we know it and can only imagine what he would have continued to do, especially on the women's side. 

Here is the transcript of Kobe Bryant's award-winning animated film, Dear Basketball.  It was harder to record than we thought - such a perfect good-bye to the sport he loved. We know athletes around the world resonate with this message. Rest In Peace, Black Mamba.

Dear Basketball,

From the moment

I started rolling my dad’s tube socks

And shooting imaginary

Game-winning shots

In the Great Western Forum

I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

A love so deep I gave you my all —

From my mind & body

To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy

Deeply in love with you

I never saw the end of the tunnel.

I only saw myself

Running out of one.

And so I ran.

I ran up and down every court

After every loose ball for you.

You asked for my hustle

I gave you my heart

Because it came with so much more.

I played through the sweat and hurt

Not because challenge called me

But because YOU called me.

I did everything for YOU

Because that’s what you do

When someone makes you feel as

Alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream

And I’ll always love you for it.

But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.

This season is all I have left to give.

My heart can take the pounding

My mind can handle the grind

But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

And that’s OK.

I’m ready to let you go.

I want you to know now

So we both can savor every moment we have left together.

The good and the bad.

We have given each other

All that we have.

And we both know, no matter what I do next

I’ll always be that kid

With the rolled up socks

Garbage can in the corner

:05 seconds on the clock

Ball in my hands.

5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

Love you always,

Kobe

SPECIAL RELEASE! 

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the National Pro Fastpitch League!! We can't wait to bring fantasy sports to the league and its fans!

Links:

Official Press Release

NPF Website - Instagram - Twitter - Facebook

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Take a listen as the co-founders share their 2019 highlights and the exciting things to come in 2020!

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Thanks for an incredible 2019!!! 

Here's our last episode for the decade ;) featuring an interview with Lindsay Gibbs (Power Plays) and a quick interview with US Club Soccer from the SoccerEx convention! 

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Diana Nyad gave this speech in 2013 at TEDWomen after she completed her Cuba to Florida journey earlier that year. Take a listen to her experience in her own words - and remember, find a way!

Get Diana's book in time for the holidays! 

Diana on Twitter: @diananyad

Diana on Instagram: @diananyad

P.S. - Apologies for host's singing voice :) 

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Title IX Series - Episode III - Join us in our final Title IX Series episode as we chat with Shira Springer!

Shira covers stories at the intersection of sports and society for NPR and WBUR programs. She also writes regular columns on women’s sports for the Sports Business Journal and The Boston Globe and features for a variety of publications. In addition to writing and working in public radio, she teaches sports journalism at Boston University.

Follow Shira on Twitter

Articles:

https://niemanreports.org/articles/covering-womens-sports/

https://niemanreports.org/articles/wnba-superstar-sue-bird-rates-sports-coverage-and-finds-room-for-improvement/

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Title IX Series - Episode II - Join us this week as we speak with Margo Riddle and how her personal journey was influenced by Title IX! Margo grew up playing sports in New York as Title IX was being passed and implemented. She got a scholarship to play basketball at Duke University in the early 1980s. Margo now lives in Charlotte, NC and has a career as a health and wellness coordinator.

Article referenced in episode: https://pressconnects.newspapers.com/clip/37129932/press_and_sunbulletin/

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Welcome to our podcast series on Title IX!

In today's pod, we chat with Congresswoman Pat Schroeder - the first female U.S. Representative elected in Colorado.

Pat was elected to Congress the same year that Title IX passed (she began to serve the following January) and we have a conversation about reactions at that time and how society has been impacted from Title IX ever since.

Links to Check Out:

https://twitter.com/ushousehistory/status/1085508213368410112

How to Register to Run for Office:

https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/registering-candidate/house-senate-president-candidate-registration/

https://ballotpedia.org/Filing_requirements_for_congressional_candidates

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Pat Summitt was an American women's college basketball coach who accrued 1,098 career wins, the most in college basketball history (man or woman) upon her retirement. She served as the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012. In those 38 seasons, the legendary coach  never had a losing record. Before retiring at the age of 59, Summitt won eight NCAA championships (an NCAA women's record when she retired and the third most all time). She passed away at the age of 64.

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We were pumped to chat with Lyndsey D'Arcangelo about life as a sports writer and the overall landscape of sports writing. Be sure to follow her on Twitter and subscribe to the Athletic to read all of her amazing writing!

LINKS:

Lyndsey's Website

Follow Lyndsey on TWITTER

Article about Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi: Through nearly 20 years of friendship, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are still bringing out the best in each other

The Athletic - WNBA

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Thanks as always to our awesome sponsors:

Techne Futbol - SHEPLAYS 

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