WomenTalkSports.com is an online network that connects the very best blogs relating to women's sports. http://womentalksports.com Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:03:02 -0500Sporty Girl Nation is excited to share our interview with gold medal beach volleyball star Misty May-Treanor. She’s currently working with Stouffer’s to promote dinner for two meals and the importance of connecting with your significant other over healthy and delicious food (hint, hint, Valentine’s Day should not be the only night we make an effort). In case you didn’t already know, the Summer Olympics in London are a few short months away, which means May-Treanor and partner Kerri Walsh will be going for three-peat gold, so we’re starting the gold rush fever a little early. http://www.womentalksports.com/displayitem.php?item_id=1280990Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:12:00 -0500Today at 1:40am One thing that's often said about hitting is that "hitting is timing."  Well if you're a pitcher and you want to experience success in the circle, the last thing you want to do is allow hitters to get their timing down when hitting against you. That's why legendary pitcher Hal Skinner wrote Sneaky Softball Pitching: Sneaky Pitching Tactics to Destroy a Hitter's Timing. Sneaky Softball Pitching contains the most sought after pieces of pitching advice in the game today. Learn how to pitch faster within seconds. Get the secret of how to stun a batter into not swinging at all. Find out what every great pitcher needs to know about the mental game, and get detailed information about the foundation for building not only top speed, but most accuracy as well! From the author: I am a self-taught pitcher. I learned to pitch by watching hundreds of adult male pitchers starting when I was 5-years-old. I saw the ones that won most of their games and the ones that weren't as good. Most of the teams I played on were championship teams that won nearly all tourneys entered. We were champions because we did things in practice and in the games that the other teams did not do, did not do as well, or did not do nearly as often as we did. The things we did that others didn't is included in my book. Unless your instructor was a champion pitcher at a high level, they cannot teach you most of what is in my book because they don't have the knowledge I have. They have not "been there and done that." As a pitcher, I learned very early on how to win. I pitched differently and used strategies other pitchers did not. I used pitching tactics and was very good at it. There are a lot of pitching books and DVDs out there. But I know this book is different because I made sure to include what was NOT in others. Many of the chapters in this book were featured as editorials or instructional articles in Softball Magazine and/or the NFCA's Fastpitch Delivery newspaper. What I did, what my teams did, and what my coaches did that set us apart from the rest and made us champions…all that is included for you right here in this book! If you think of anything I left out of this post, please feel free to put that on the comment. http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/49/1280988Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:46:00 -0500Today at 1:36amSophomore center Cierra Warren has left the Louisville team. She had already sat out last season after transferring from North Carolina.Cardinals Coach Jeff Walz was unusually candid about it:“The girls had a team meeting after the DePaul game and they were like, ‘Hey, this is not acceptable. We have to go harder and push ourselves,’ ” Walz said. “Cierra decided she didn’t want to work that hard."(I've never seen a coach say anything besides, "we thank her for her contributions.")Other college news:The Lady Vols need to spread out Glory Johnson's defense.Wisconsin-Green Bay is flourishing under Coach Matt Bollant.The Pac-12 has extended the contract of commissioner Larry Scott through 2016.The Washington Post has a great piece on Baylor. But the New York Times says the Texas Bears aren't all about Griner. You decide. Book news:Ann Meyers Drysdale's autobiography, "You let some girl beat you? The story of Ann Meyers Drysdale" will be out this June. Read the first chapter on her website. http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/667/1280994Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:29:00 -0500Today at 1:34am Image: Anthony Demattos Two of the future stars of the super-flyweight division are set to collide in Knoxville, TN this Friday at XFC: High Stakes live on HDNet. #10 Unified ranked Marianna Kheyfets will taken on team Jackson’s Heather Clark in a battle to climb the ladder. Clark went 3-0 in 2011, finsihing all thee of her opponets. Her KO of April Courtino won Knockout of the Year honors at the Women’s MMA Awards. We got a chance to talk to Clark about her upcoming match and her prospects in the ever expanding 125 division. Wombat Sports:  Both you and Kheyfets are both coming in on four fight win streaks coming into your fight. Has that put on any more pressure than usual?   Heather Clark: I don’t feel more pressure from this at all. Actually my last 3 opponents were undefeated. I think that I actually have an advantage because she doesn’t know what it feels like to be dominated. So if I do my job and break her will, I will win. Wombat:  What do you think of Kheyfets as an opponent? Clark: I think she is a tuff, well rounded fighter from a respected camp. I know she will be ready and has been training extra hard for this fight. The moment of truth in near… We shall see Friday night. W.S.:  Kheyfets states that she is willing to stand and bang with you. Do you feel that striking will be a factor in this fight? H.C.: I think that she will stand and bang with me until she feels my power, and then she will try to take me down. I am ready for everything. As always my goal is to finish the fight! Team Jackson/Winkeljohn MMA W.S.: You are training with some of the best female fighters as Jackson’s. How does it feel to have a great support system behind you? H.C.:  It is the best! That is why I moved to Albuquerque from LA almost 3 years ago. I came for the amazing coaches and outstanding woman training partners. They give me my confidence when I get in that cage. I always say this in my interviews, but its so true… If I can come out of the cage or ring after sparring with Julie Kedzie, Michelle Waterson, Holly Holm, Jodie Esquibel, Nohime Dennison, Emily Kagen… and all the other amazing male fighters we have that are always pushing me past my limits… the fight will be easy. Train hard fight easy right! Image: GG Hotshots W.S.: The 125 division is growing by leaps and bounds. What do you think about the division? H.C.: I think the 125 and 135 division are the biggest divisions for women. I am not completely sure if I am going to stay at 125 or drop to 115. I may just compete at both. My goal is to the best at one or both divisions. W.S.: This fight will be on HDNet. Any nerves going on TV? H.C.: There is some nerves because finally my team will be able to watch me. However in my case, nerves have always been a positive thing for me. I have a BA in Theatre Arts, so I actually feel I perform better under pressure and with that nervous energy. I know that when I get in that cage, all those things go out the window anyways. I am so focused on my opponent and what I have to do. I visualize all the elements over and over before the fight even happens. W.S.: Anyone you’d like to thank? H.C.: I would like to thank my biggest fan and supporter, my DAD, who has been in every one of my corners. I also want to thank the rest of my family for always supporting all of my dreams. I want to thank my teammates and coaches from Jackson/Winkeljohns and Mean One MMA and Fitness. All my amazing sponsors, Vega, LaBella Spa and Salon, Tussle, Full Contact Fighter, Dr Maggio my chiropractor from Downtown Chiropractic, OTM fightshop Albuquerque, Andrew Demattos Photography. I would like to thank my Manager Train from DC management. He has been such an amazing manager and I am so thankful for having him! BoOM! And lastly I want to thank XFC for giving me this amazing opportunity to fight on their awesome promotion, and for believing in me and singing a multi deal with me!   Filed under: MMA http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/652/1280981Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:58:00 -0500Today at 1:29amEarlier this month, I was chosen as one of six bloggers to take part in the EmpowHER BodyMedia FITness challenge. The challenge will track six bloggers over a six week period as we try to reach our fitness goals. If you were paying really close attention, you might remember back around the holidays when I included the BodyMedia Fit band in my gift guide. The BodyMedia Fit band is a really cool tool that captures all sorts of information about your fitness like calories burned, number of steps taken each day and how much deep sleep you're getting each night. Here's a look, straight from the source, at what the BodyMedia Fit bands can do: BodyMedia FIT automatically tracks the calories burned during your daily activities — from pumping iron to using an iron — and monitors the quality of your sleep, an important factor in weight loss. Add in the easy-to-use food log and you have the information you need to improve your weight loss. The 3 part system includes: 1. An Armband that automatically captures data 2. An optional Display device or free downloadable mobile apps that give you up-to-the-minute readings throughout the day 3. An online Activity Manager* that analyzes raw data, allows you to log food and presents info in an easy-to-understand way (*subscription required) As a fitness metrics nerd, I'm really excited to take part in this challenge and get a better idea of how much I actually move and burn throughout the day. This challenge is six weeks long and I'll be updating you on my progress once each week. I've been wearing the armband for just about a week now doing my normal activities, and I have some baseline metrics to work with. Might have been wearing the armband just a bit too tight there Also I need to clean that mirror On an average day: I get about 7 hours and ten minutes of sleep I burn about 1879 calories I take 5590 steps Based on what I've learned this week, I've decided to set some mini-goals for the remainder of this challenge. Track what I eat each day: Yes I'm absolutely terrible about tracking food and I despise doing it, but for the sake of this challenge, I think it will be really enlightening. Plus the BodyMedia Fit system actually makes it pretty easy to do, so we'll see if I stick with it. Stay on top of my sleep: Averaging around 7 hours and ten minutes of sleep each night is great, but I'd love to be able to bump that to a solid 8 hours each night during the work week. During the weekend, all bets are off. Drop five pounds: Yep, I put on a little bit of weight during the off-season, and by the end of this six week challenge, I'd like to be back to my normal racing/training weight. With training starting up again and tracking what I'm eating, I'm hoping this won't be too much of a problem. I'm really excited about this challenge and I think it will be a ton of fun. I can't wait to see the kinds of numbers my armband gives me once training is happening in full force. If you're curious you can check out the other bloggers participating in the challenge and read about their experiences. If you want to get involved and take the challenge with us you can find out more from BodyMedia. And per the FTC regulations, here's the standard legal language about how I got my armband for free: Disclosure: Device and accompanying online Activity Manager subscription was provided by BodyMedia via EmpowHER. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of BodyMedia or EmpowHER. http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/425/1280974Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:30:00 -0500Today at 1:26am Image: GoJacks.com In a game that had important implications for their standing in the Summitt League, South Dakota State dominated Oral Roberts in their victory, 70-51. Early on, this game had the makings of an epic battle between the top two teams in the Summitt League as they went back and forth. Whenever each team seemed to get a lead, the other team would immediately respond by either tying the game or taking the lead back. With 9:20 left in the first half, it appeared that the nation’s third leading scorer Kevi Luper was on her way to one of her typical high scoring outputs when she hit a three pointer to put Oral Roberts up 17-15. Luper at that point in the game had 7 points already and looked to be just warming up. South Dakota State responded to the early success of Oral Roberts by limiting the Golden Eagles to just 26% shooting in the first half and taking a 29-26 lead into halftime. Luper’s 9 points led all scorers going into halftime but that ended up not being a good thing for the Golden Eagles as that would be the last points of the game for their prolific scorer. As the second half begun, South Dakota State stayed true to their mascot name, “Jackrabbits” as they quickly jumped all over the Oral Roberts. Within the first four minutes of the second half, South Dakota State had extended their halftime lead from 3 to 11. And by the 10:33 mark, their lead had grown to 14 points in part because of their defensive effort and domination on the boards. South Dakota State outrebounded Oral Roberts, 45-27 and tripled them in assists 18-6. South Dakota State shot nearly 50% for the game while holding Oral Roberts to just 32%. Jill Young led the way for South Dakota State with a double-double, 19 points and a game-high 10 rebounds while her teammate Jennie Sunnarborg had 18 points and 8 rebounds. Jami Bigham had 23 points in a losing effort for Oral Roberts while their leading scorer Kevi Luper was held to only 9 points which is 15 below her season average of 24.2 points per game. Luper was also held to just 22 % from the field. South Dakota State now has a three game lead over second place Oral Roberts. http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/267/1280979Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:30:00 -0500Today at 1:23amBy Rob Sargent – MMARising.com A second women’s bout has been announced for the March 11th Pancrase Progress Tour 3 card in Tokyo. 16-year-old grappler Shino VanHoose looks for her third mixed martial arts victory when she faces off against former Valkyrie competitor Kimie “Sakura” Okada in a strawweight matchup. Pancrase officials confirmed the addition to the card earlier today. The event also features the retirement bout of kickboxing and MMA veteran “Windy” Tomomi Sunaba, who faces Jewels star Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka. Sunaba, a mixed martial artist since 2002, has won five of her past six. VanHoose (2-0-0) returns to Pancrase after making her MMA debut for the promotion at Impressive Tour 10 in October. The catch wrestler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner needed just 51 seconds to choke out veteran Nana “Chanchin” Ichikawa with a rarely-seen Ezekiel Choke and posted her second victory under the Jewels banner in December. Despite absorbing a number of punches from opponent Asami Higa, VanHoose was able to assert her ground dominance and controlled enough of the bout to take a Unanimous Decision win. Okada (0-5-1) remains in search of her first victory and will also compete for Pancrase for the second time. The former Valkyrie mainstay fought on five of the short-lived promotion’s cards, but came up short against formidable opposition. In July, Okada debuted for Pancrase against Jewels contender Yukiko Seki, but ultimately dropped a Unanimous Decision after two rounds. She returns to the Pancrase ring to face VanHoose, who has become one of the top young prospects in Japan. Pancrase Progress Tour 3 takes place on March 11th at Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan. Filed under: MMA http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/652/1280977Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:35:00 -0500Today at 1:06amThe news over alleged and potential sexual assault and the sexual climate/culture at Yale does not seem to be dying down. We get notice of another article/editorial/blurb pretty much daily. We haven't done a great job covering the story, but here is something of an update. The most recent high-profile issue has been the controversy over what Yale quarterback Patrick Witt did or did not do and when he did or did not do it. I am not going to re-hash the whole thing because it seems that no one really has the answers--in part because people/entities have chosen NOT to go looking for them and in part because some of the so-called answers are of questionable origins. The basics: Witt was accused of sexual assault by a female student. She opted for the informal complaint process in which there is no investigation and no formal disciplinary action apparently. The alleged benefit, according to Dean Mary Miller, "is a simpler route to resolution"--as reported in the Yale Daily News. It also allows the complainant to remain anonymous. And that, I am guessing, was part of the appeal of this process for this female undergraduate. I imagine it would be very difficult to be the woman who accused the quarterback, who is also a potential Rhodes Scholars, of sexual assault. And the process has worked in that she has remained anonymous. But the article above notes that the majority of complaints filed are done so using the informal process. Last week Yale released, in a greater effort at transparency, the first ever report on the number of sexual misconduct complaints on campus (it included those filed between July and December of last year). There were 52 complaints--42 of them were addressed using the informal process.I think further inquiry into the campus climate needs to occur. Why is this the preferred process? Why is it seen as easier? Granted, being known as a potential victim and complainant is not enjoyable--but are the students at Yale more afraid of being outed than is usual? Also at issue was the myriad of ways in which complaints were filed. Part of the concern when the initial complaint was filed with OCR in March 2011 by the group of current and former students was the lack of information students had about how and where to address alleged sexual misconduct. Information has been flowing and students are more aware of their options. But are there too many options? Very few complaints were filed with the campus police--which seems to be one of the most obvious places to go. Is this a comment on the Yale campus police? Or on the campus itself?Most of the complaints were brought to Title IX coordinators. Yay that people know who the Title IX coordinators ARE on campus. But all these complaints are of an informal nature. This article outlines the benefits and drawbacks of an informal complaint system. I think it would be interesting to see how this theory specifically applies to Yale taking into consideration the comments on the campus climate.And speaking of campus climate... Another of the controversies at the New Haven campus as been the presence of Sex Week. It was cited as one of the events that contributed to a harmful sexual climate on campus. But President Levin has allowed the week-long event to take place this week because the organizers (who were not named in this brief article) noted an educational purpose for each activity/lecture. Included in the line-up are lawyer Ann Olivarius who was instrumental in sex discrimination and sexual harassment law in the 1970s. Also on the bill is Maggie Mayhem, who works in the porn industry as an actress. This editorial by a student explains that this year's Sex Week has quite a different tone than last year's. It also provides some anecdotal evidence of the sexual culture at Yale, including his own experience as part of the freshman class a few years ago which was told by their college dean to get to know one another--biblically. He speaks rather thoughtfully about Yale culture and culture at large. It's worth a read and definitely provides more information than other news stories I have tried to find on this subject.We are sure there is plenty more to come from Yale. The Witt situation still does not seemed resolved (apparently one of the drawbacks of the informal process!), OCR has not completed its investigation or issued findings, and Yale continues to search for ways to successfully meet the needs of its students on these issues. http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/35/1280983Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:48:00 -0500Today at 12:41amImage: AP OK, I decided to add BYU into the mix. They are playing in the West Coast Conference, after all… 1. Stanford (20-1, 11-0). The Cardinal got pushed again by ASU and then thumped the Wildcats in Tucson. Another telling weekend coming up against USC and UCLA. 2. Cal (17-6, 8-3). A big sweep in Arizona for the Bears, who maintain their standing as the undisputed No. 2 team in the conference and a chance to avenge the L.A. weekend losses coming this week. 3. Gonzaga (21-3, 10-1). The Zags have nailed down their sixth-straight 20-win season and face their biggest challenge of the WCC season on the road against Utah on Thursday night in Provo. 4. Fresno State (19-4, 7-0). A very big down-to-the-wire win in Ruston against Louisiana Tech propels the Bulldogs to an unbeaten first half of WAC play. 5. Arizona State (15-7, 6-5). The Sun Devils have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament, despite this weekend’s sweep at the hands of the Bay Area schools. But they need to win most of the rest of the way and feel fortunate that the unbalanced schedule means they won’t see either Cal or Stanford again until the conference tournament. 6. San Diego State (16-6, 6-1). The Aztecs 12-game winning streak came to an end at TCU on Saturday, a loss in which they shot just 23.4 percent from the floor. Saturday’s game against UNLV is an important one. 7. BYU (21-4, 9-2). OK, throwing BYU into the mix after deciding they are indeed on the West Coast radar. The Lions are challenging the status quo in the WCC, giving Gonzaga and run and also competing well in a conference that is as competitive as it has been in recent memory. 8. UCLA (12-10, 7-4). It’s a nice run for the Bruins, who have collected four straight wins, including two overtime victories, heading into the difficult Bay Area trip. Markel Walker is setting the tone, posting the conferences first triple-double since 2004 (14 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists) with her performance against Washington State. 9. San Diego (15-5, 6-2). The Torreros are now in sole possession of third place in the WCC behind BYU and Gonzaga. 10. USC (12-10, 6-5). The wheels are coming off for USC, who fell to Washington at home for the first time since 2006 last weekend. Heading north to the Bay Area schools doesn’t make the picture much brighter. http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/94/1280355Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:26:00 -0500Tue at 11:50pmSaturday February 4, 2012 9:02 Wake up 9:04 Turn on the Syracuse / St. John’s bball game 10:36 Feel confident Syracuse has this one. Leave for an 8-mile half marathon training run 11:43 Get back from said run, 8:20 min. mile – woo! 11:44 Put on the Ohio State / Wisconsin bball game 12:51 Finish watching Ohio State FINALLY beat Wisconsin @ Wisconsin – hallelujah Girly stuff for the afternoon 5:30 Turn on ESPN 6:00 Start watching Kansas / Missouri bball game 6:45 Pick up friends for UFC fight night 7:05 Start UFC fight night, Condit vs. Diaz (recorded on DVR) 8:45ish (a few beers deep) Big Country gets split OPEN by Fabricio Werdum (not for the squeamish) 10:15ish (a few beers deeper) Condit wins, Diaz retires? 11:07ish Return home and start baking scones and prepping jalapeño stuffing for Super Bowl spread Midnight or so Finish cooking, time for bed Sunday February 5, 2012 8:46 Wake up, slowly 9:11 Go for 4-mile run 10:00 Put on Super Bowl pregame 10:03 Turn off Super Bowl pregame 10:45 Golf 18 holes with couple friends 1:55 Return from golfing to couple friends’ house for Super Bowl 2:25 Start watching pregame again – yep, still going 2:37 Stuff jalapeños, put in oven 3:00 Start eating everything 3:29 Super Bowl XLVI Kickoff! NY Giants vs. New England Patriots 4:05 Mildly cheering for fiancé’s Giants, VERY mildly 5:20ish Madonna does half time – a little rough in heels, but Like a Prayer was cool 6:15ish Not impressed by the commercials, although the Sketchers frenchie one that caused an uproar was kind of cute Not sure of time: Giants TE Jake Ballard on the sideline trying to go back into the game – the reason why there should never be 18 games in a season 7:01 Ate too many hot wings, lips a tinglin’ Not sure of time: Giants win! Giants win! Brady loses round 2, still no dynasty! Giants win! 9:27 ESPN back on 10:30 Good night Super Bowl weekend http://www.womentalksports.com/displayitem.php?item_id=1280970Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:42:00 -0500Tue at 6:28pmI am so excited to be joining Jeff Horowitz at the Water Street Gym this Sunday, February 12, 2012 for the Smart Marathon Training book event! Jeff Horowitz is not only a great friend, but he is a great author and ultra-marathoner, as well! Join us, and hear me dish out some great advice about sports nutrition! Pack in the most benefits to your training program, while enjoying tons of complimentary services! Here’s the info: Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm Place: Water Street Gym, 3255 K Street, Washington, DC 20007 Contact: Tel: (202) 812 – 5050 or E-mail: Trish@Waterstreetgym.com         http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/10/1280984Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:00 -0500Tue at 6:26pm