This edition’s team of the week is Mount Holyoke Lacrosse. The team is led by Head Coach Miriam Esber, now entering her 14th season in the position, and Assistant Coach Liz Kemp. Previously, Lacrosse ended after only four games in their 2019-2020 season. The final close was a fifth game at home against Smith College.
Less than a month after President Joe Biden signed over a dozen executive orders on his first day in office, a new piece of state-level legislation in Utah has been passed that defies one of Biden’s orders surrounding equality for transgender athletes in sports. On Feb. 17, 2021, the Utah House passed Bill 302 by a vote of 50-23, seeking to ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports.
By Gigi Picard ‘22
Sports Editor
Women have yet again made history in sports, as three women broke a record in the NFL’s 2021 Super Bowl on Feb. 7, 2021. Down Judge (a referee position) Sarah Thomas, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Assistant Defensive Line Coach Lori Locust and Tampa Bay’s Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Maral Javadifar had on-field positions during the 2021 Super Bowl, making this another milestone year for women in the NFL.
Thomas has a history of being a monumental record-breaker in the NFL. In 2015, she earned the position of first full-time female referee. Her barrier-breaking journey began at the college football level, where she was the first woman to officiate a major college football game. Thomas was also the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game, which took place in 2019 when the Los Angeles Chargers played against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Just four days prior to this year’s Super Bowl, the sports world celebrated the 35th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, the day was signed as a proclamation on Feb. 3, 1987 by former President Ronald Reagan as a way of remembering Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her accomplishments as an athlete and an advocate for equality in women’s sports. Hyman passed away in 1986 as a result of Marfan syndrome.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WSF emphasized “the importance of staying mentally and physically healthy during challenging times.” Its website read, ”Whether virtual[ly] or other, we invite you to safely celebrate NGWSD in your community and to join the Women’s Sports Foundation as we Lead Her Forward in 2021.”
Before the 2021 Super Bowl, the Women’s Sports Foundation tweeted its excitement to watch the three women make sports history.
On Instagram, the NFL posted the following three quotes by Thomas, Javadifar and Locust to celebrate NGWSD:
“It’s just so meaningful. I never set out to be the first in any of this, but knowing the impact that I’m having on not just my daughter but young girls everywhere, women everywhere, when I get on that field, and I take it all in, I know that I’m probably gonna get a little teary eyed,” Thomas said on what it means to be part of the Super Bowl officiating crew.
“I’m grateful for my mom and dad coming here to give their kids an opportunity to flourish and live the American Dream,” Javadifar stated on being a first-generation Iranian American.
The NFL is taking more steps to involve women. Progress began in 1997 when Amy Trask was the first female CEO of an NFL team, the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders. Jen Welter became the first female coach for the NFL in 2015, representing the Arizona Cardinals. Last year, San Francisco 49ers Assistant Offensive Coach Katie Sowers was the first woman to coach during a Super Bowl. The three women who coached and officiated in this year’s Super Bowl set a higher precedent for representation in the NFL to be met and surpassed in the coming years.
Mount Holyoke Tennis is the first spring 2021 Team of the Week. While the team typically competes from September to April, their season got cut short in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the Lyons with a 2-3 record. During the fall of 2019, the team was able to compete in the Tennis Hall of Fame Invitational, ITA New England Regionals and the NEWITT Tournament.
Jan. 20, 2021, didn’t just welcome new U.S. President Joe Biden, but also a new executive order calling for the end of single-sex sports. Officially titled the Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation, the new legislation is divided into four sections focused on policies that prohibit sex discrimination when it comes to sports, employment, housing and more.
Pictured above: a member of the Mount Holyoke Squash team. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
The team of the week for the final edition of the semester is Mount Holyoke Squash. In their 2019-2020 season, the team finished with a record of 4-17 under Head Coach Erin Robson. Their wins were against St. Lawrence University, Bard College, Wellesley College and Vassar College.
Robson entered her eighth season as head coach for Mount Holyoke in the 2020-2021 season. This year’s seniors are Emma Robson, Jennifer Mbah, Kuzivakwashe Madungwe, Nicole Lara Granados, Genesis Lara Granados and Anna Braman.
Squash held virtual practices this semester and likely hopes for in-person practices in the spring. Traditionally, the team’s regular season goes from November to February, with championship tournaments in March.
The Mount Holyoke News Sports section will continue to present a team of the week in the spring.
Pictured above: Kim Ng. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
It has almost been a month since Kim Ng was officially announced to be the next general manager for the Miami Marlins. This was groundbreaking news, as Ng is the first woman to be an MLB general manager, the first woman hired as a general manager by any professional men’s teams in North America, the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations and the fifth general manager for the Marlins.
Joe Frisaro from MLB.com reported that Ng will be “the second person of Asian descent to lead an MLB team, following Farhan Zaidi, the former Los Angeles Dodgers GM and current president of baseball operations for the Giants.” Former first lady Michelle Obama congratulated Ng on her new position.
Miami Marlins Chief Executive Officer Derek Jeter said in a public statement, “On behalf of Principal Owner Bruce Sherman and our entire ownership group, we look forward to Kim bringing a wealth of knowledge and championship-level experience to the Miami Marlins.“ He added, “Her leadership of our baseball operations team will play a major role on our path toward sustained success. Additionally, her extensive work in expanding youth baseball and softball initiatives will enhance our efforts to grow the game among our local youth as we continue to make a positive impact on the South Florida community.”
Ng studied public policy at the University of Chicago, where she played softball for her entire college career. She even wrote her senior thesis on Title IX, a law that prohibits discrimination against women in sports programs that receive federal financial assistance.
Ng has 30 years of experience in baseball beginning in 1990 as a research assistant for the Chicago White Sox. The team hired Ng for a full-time job in 1991. She later became the Sox’s assistant director of baseball operations in 1995. Ng also became the first and youngest woman to present a salary arbitration case in 1995 against Scott Boras, a super-sports agent, in an attempt to save the White Sox thousands of dollars on then-pitcher Alex Fernandez.
She left the White Sox in 1996, where she worked for the American League as director of waivers and records. Two years later, Ng became the Yankees’ assistant general manager until 2001. From 2002-2011, she was the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. She interviewed to be the Dodgers’ general manager in 2005, but was turned down. Nevertheless, Ng kept seeking opportunities to become a general manager and interviewed with the New York Mets in 2018.
Ng’s position as the Marlins’ general manager will allow her to oversee the professional, amateur and international departments and work alongside Jeter and Vice President of Scouting and Player Development Gary Denbo.
“This challenge is one I don’t take lightly,” Ng said about her new role. “When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals. My goal is now to bring championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve.”
Pictured above: Kelley O'Hara on the soccer field. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
By Gigi Picard ‘22
Sports Editor
Off the field, Kelley O’Hara, a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion, Olympic Gold medalist and defender for the Utah Royals FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, is the host of the “Just Women’s Sports” podcast. The podcast was founded by Haley Rosen and premiered last July. It aims to raise awareness of women’s untold success stories in the sports world. At its debut, the podcast hit No. 1 in sports podcasts, and it currently has over 300,000 subscribers.
The first episode featured O’Hara’s U.S. women’s national soccer teammate Alex Morgan, who had just given birth. The other guests on the first season included U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim and WNBA star Breanna Stewart.
The second season of the podcast premiered on Oct. 27, 2020. In the first episode, O’Hara interviewed U.S. women’s track and field star Allyson Felix. Carli Lloyd and Mallory Pugh, O’Hara’s national teammates, have also been featured.
The podcast is newly sponsored by Heineken, a Dutch brewing company. Senior Director of Media and Creative Studio at Heineken USA Frank Amorese said in a press release, “As a brand committed to uniting fans over the love of the game — on and off the field — and with only 4 percent of sports coverage dedicated to women’s sports, Heineken is proud to be a sponsor of JWS and supports soccer star Kelley O’Hara’s vision to create more visibility for women’s sports.” My Valley News reported that Heineken’s sponsorship will “redefine visibility for women’s sports and empower female athletes to tell their own stories.”
One of the podcast’s goals is to tell the stories of women in sports with “no more pink and glitter.” “Just Women’s Sports” continues to tell the success stories of women every Tuesday with a new sponsor, hoping to redefine women’s sports on their platform.
Pictured above: Vanderbilt Football Stadium in 2010 . Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
Sports history was made last Saturday as Vanderbilt University Commodores football took on the Missouri Tigers with the debut of Vanderbilt’s senior goalkeeper on the women’s SEC championship soccer team, Sarah Fuller.
With a limited number of kicking specialists due to COVID-19, Vanderbilt needed a new kicker on the field. The Chicago Tribune reported that Vanderbilt does not have a men’s soccer team that the football team could have borrowed a kicker from, and the football staff still needed to find a suitable athlete who was already observing Vanderbilt’s COVID-19 protocols. Thus, Fuller was found and traded her shin guards for football pads.
Fuller took on the role of Vanderbilt’s starting and only kicker with her parents, best friend and boyfriend watching in the stands. She was able to practice with the team days before the game, and her farthest successful field goal kick was from 38 yards.
Fuller’s football jersey number is 32, the same as her soccer number. She also sported a “Play like a girl” sticker on the back of her helmet in honor of the organization of the same name. “Tomorrow I will be wearing ‘Play Like a Girl’ on the back of my helmet. @iplaylikeagirl is [a] nonprofit that encourages girls to play sports and get exposure to STEM opportunities. Check them out,” she tweeted on Friday.
Before the game, Fuller received praise and wishes of good luck from former American tennis player Billie Jean King, the Dallas Cowboys from her home state of Texas, New England Patriots kicker Nick Folk, Lakers star LeBron James and many more.
Fuller didn’t get much action on the field as her only play was a 30-yard kick-off to open the third quarter of the game. She would have had more playing time if Vanderbilt attempted a field goal or an extra point after a touchdown.
Fuller’s performance made her the first woman to play in a Power Five conference game. The Power Five consists of five top-tier athletic conferences in Division I of the NCAA, including the SEC, Big Ten Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 Conference and PAC-12 Conference. However, Fuller is not the first woman to play in college football. Katie Hnida, Tonya Butler, April Goss, Ashley Martin, Liz Heaston and Toni Harris have all taken the field before her. All of these women played on non-Power Five conference college teams.
At the end of the game, Fuller said to the SEC Network, “I just want to tell all the girls out there that you can do anything you set your mind to, you really can. And if you have that mentality all the way through, you can do big things.”
Since Missouri shut out the Commodores 41-0, giving Vanderbilt a 0-8 season, Vanderbilt Head Coach Derek Mason was released from his coaching position on Sunday.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Fuller will continue kicking for the team.
Pictured above: Mount Holyoke Volleyball competing in their 2019-2020. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
This edition’s team of the week is Mount Holyoke Volleyball.
Captain Brayden Walden ’21 talked about what the team has been up to. According to her, Mount Holyoke Volleyball held several virtual meetings in the summer and fall. During the summer, the team posted challenges on their social media as a way to build “relationships within the team,” Walden said. “This was always fun to do and see how others did it while also keeping our hands on a volleyball while away from campus,” she added.
There is currently one first-year on the team and two other walk-on players. Walden stated that they “fit into our team perfectly and we’ve all had fun getting to know them and slowly getting them used to the craziness that is the volleyball team[.]” She added that the new players are “super outgoing” and the team is overall happy with the new recruits.
Additionally, Head Volleyball Coach Iris Carpio started a Friends of MHC Cans for Change collection over the summer with Assistant Rowing Coach Cara Murphy. Collectively, the team raised $1,500 for the NAACP.
“With redemption centers closed due to the pandemic, we offered to drive and collect cans from colleagues and friends across campus at their homes for about two months and redeemed the recyclables for change that added up to a nice donation [toward] change,” Carpio said.
In terms of its fall training schedule, the team works out twice a week. Outside of workouts, the team meets virtually every other Saturday to catch up. According to Carpio, the team talks about their plans, academics, goals and other topics.
Walden reminisced about what the team misses besides playing on the court, including post-practice boba runs and team bonding. “I think the biggest thing [our] team misses about the season is just getting to be around each other and hanging out,” she said. “We are lucky that, while we’re a small team, we are also a pretty close-knit team. So I think we are all missing just seeing each other in person and getting to hang out with each other.”
”I'm extremely proud of how my team has handled all the ongoing issues,” Capro added. “It’s been a very heavy time for everyone and they have handled things with thoughtfulness, understanding [and] flexibility [while] supporting one another.”
Pictured above: the Mount Holyoke Basketball team ‘19-’20. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics Department.
By Casey Roepke ’21
News Editor
The New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Presidents Council recently released their decision regarding winter sport competition for the 2020-2021 season. The decision to suspend championships and all conference play was made in a unanimous vote by the presidents of all 11 NEWMAC colleges, including Mount Holyoke and fellow Seven Sisters schools Smith and Wellesley.
According to the NEWMAC Presidents Council’s statement on winter sports, this decision was a direct result of COVID-19-related scheduling and travel restrictions.
“Due to the shift in academic calendars, specifically the later start than normal of the second term and the majority of institutions imposing restrictions of both visitors on campus and travel off campus in an effort to reduce the potential spread and exposure of COVID-19, the Presidents have unanimously decided to suspend conference play and championships for winter sports,” the statement read.
Mount Holyoke student-athletes were alerted of the decision by an email from Director of Athletics Lori Hendricks ’92. According to Hendricks, the decision to lose another competitive season was “not unexpected, but still a disappointment.”
This decision directly impacts Mount Holyoke’s basketball and swimming and diving teams. Mount Holyoke Swimming and Diving Head Coach Dave Allen said that the decision matched his expectations.
“The swimming and diving coaches forwarded a proposal to move the [championship] meet to the end of March or April in the hopes of rescheduling the meet,” Allen said. “Unfortunately, there are so many factors and unknowns with COVID[-19], as well as the logistics to scheduling our meet, [that] it would be a real challenge to reschedule the meet.”
“I definitely had been anticipating that for a while,” Swimming and Diving co-Captain Naomi Brown ’21 said. “Especially with cases rising around the country it just doesn’t seem to be realistic to have sports competitions right now.”
She added that Allen had been preparing the team for the possibility of the suspension of the winter season. “The team was definitely bummed about the news, but Dave has been preparing us for all of the possibilities for a while,” Brown said. “So it wasn’t necessarily a shock.”
“I personally expected this,” Riley Hicks ’21, another one of the swimming and diving team’s co-captains, said. “Many of my teammates even assumed it was canceled before it was actually announced. Obviously, we are all very upset about this, but I had the mindset it would be canceled for the last few months so it is not shocking news.”
Winter sports like swimming and diving rely on the extended fall and winter seasons to train in anticipation of NEWMAC championships, so Brown had come to terms with a disrupted senior season. “We already knew the season would be kind of wacky with not being able to be on campus,” she said. “I definitely miss being around my teammates, but I’m thankful for the time we spend together remotely on Zoom, and we’ve been using this time to grow as a team.”
“We all wish we could be on campus in person, but are trying to make the best of this situation,” Hicks said. “This fall has been very difficult with a lot of new adjustments, but my team and I are hoping to be back in the spring and…able to practice and maybe have some virtual meets.”
“The team is disappointed and at the same time understands the decision,” Allen said. “At this point, we are hoping to be together on the pool deck in the spring. Practicing in person as a team will be a moral[e] boost compared to our current virtual practices.”
While specific teams within the College have independent freedom to hold practices and outside competitions in accordance with NCAA regulations for Division III teams and Mount Holyoke’s own health and safety measures, this decision coincides with the College’s remote fall term, which likely means winter sports will not have any in-person components.
“The cancellation of athletics in the spring all together might make me not want to return at all if that is an option,” Hicks said. “I have talked to many other teammates and other athletes and many have also said that athletics is a major factor in them returning this spring.”
The College will release further information about the spring 2021 term for student-athletes. The NEWMAC Presidents Council has not yet released their decision regarding spring competition.
Picture above: Mount Holyoke College’s Soccer team. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
The second module’s first team of the week is Mount Holyoke Soccer.
The team’s captains for the 2020-2021 season are Maria Delgado ’21, Emma Robson ’21 and Sarah Forster ’23.
Delgado stated that the team virtually connected biweekly during the summer and participated in team bonding activities, including Two Truths and a Lie, online Taboo and Scattergories. Additionally, the Lyons completed social media challenges. Robson said that the team meets over Zoom and “puts an emphasis on continuing to bond as a team and supporting one another virtually.”
Delgado said that she misses a pre-game team tradition in the new online space. The team would huddle in a circle and each teammate would share a goal for the upcoming game. Then the team would march onto the field after a team chant. “Our desire to win a game wasn’t something we learned together; it’s something we all brought and we showed it,” Delgado said. “I miss coming together to share in that competitive drive, and I hope that if we are able to return, the first-years get the opportunity to share in that as well.”
Robson echoed Delagado’s statement. “As a senior, I am definitely missing the traditions that come with your senior season,” Robson said. “I especially miss competing with my team, fun drills at practice, and team dinners. I think most of the team can also agree we just miss playing soccer and being with the team.”
On Oct. 6, 2020, Chair of Physical Education and Director of Athletics Lori Hendricks officially announced the hiring of Interim Head Soccer Coach Kathy Brawn.
“I am so impressed with the culture that Lori Hendricks, the other administrators and her staff have created within Athletics,” Brawn said. “I can already see the passion, commitment and loyalty the coaches have for their profession, MHC and, most importantly, their athletes. I am honored to be counted among them.”
Brawn continued, “I am thrilled to be at MHC. Even though we are all working remotely, the Yoke community and Lyon athletic family have welcomed me with open paws. This is a wonderful place, and I feel fortunate to be a part of it.”
The captains were a part of this hiring and transition process. “We are very excited to have Coach Brawn,” Robson said. “She has an impressive soccer background and has brought a lot of good new energy and leadership to the team. We are all really excited to work with her and for the future of the program.”
Brawn was previously the head coach for Colgate University soccer, ending her career at the university with 312 career wins, 11 conference titles and six NCAA Championship Tournament appearances. Additionally, Brawn coached five All-America selections, 31 All-Region honorees and 137 student-athletes that collected All-Conference recognition while at Colgate. Brawn has also been awarded with two United Soccer Coaches Northeast Region Coach of the Year awards and three conference Coach of the Year honors.
Brawn introduced herself to the soccer team toward the end of the first module. “I have asked the players to share their attributes as athletes, teammates and friends. Based on their responses and what I am learning about them as human beings, I know the future is bright for Lyons’ soccer,” Brawn said.
As far as what lies in store for the team, Brawn said, “The work ahead will be challenging and rewarding. Anytime you have a group of people willing to play for one another and not merely with one another, you can achieve incredible things. The quality work everyone is putting in today will go a long way toward achieving our goals tomorrow. We’ll start to see that the moment we step out on the field.”
Pictured above: UMass Amherst Skyline. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editors
Wasserman, a sports marketing and management company, has entered a partnership with the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The company’s think tank, The Collective, aims to bring visibility to women in sports through various nonprofit partnerships and programs.
Mount Holyoke News was able to learn more about UMass Amherst’s partnership from Nefertiti A. Walker, the chief diversity officer and interim vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion who also serves as an associate professor of sport management at UMass Amherst. Wasserman chose to partner with UMass Amherst because of Walker’s research on women in sports, and because the university’s sport management program is considered one of the best in the United States. In 2019, the university was ranked first by SportBusiness.
Through research projects, Walker said, “We are trying to understand consumer needs, consumer interests, research projects; we’re trying to better understand sexism and how it manifests itself and how we can create organizations that are more inclusive, how we can undo sexism.” So far, research projects are being conducted on social justice and the WNBA. The team is examining sexism and how women’s actions on social media are impacted by their involvement in social justice.
Students at UMass Amherst can get involved with the research projects in two ways. The first is through assignments and projects constructed by UMass Amherst professors within the sport management program.
Associate Department Chair and Associate Professor of Sport Management Nicole Melton is currently examining Angel City, the National Women’s Soccer League’s new Los Angeles expansion team, and the underrepresentation of certain student groups in sport management in one of her classes.
Another way for students to get involved is through UMass Amherst’s newly created Laboratory for Inclusion and Diversity in Sport. According to Walker, since the laboratory opened this fall, application protocols for students are still in the works. Walker said that there would be an application and review process, “and once you’re a part of our lab, you begin to work with Wasserman immediately because most of our projects will be funneled through that lab.”
As of now, undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students are all a part of the laboratory. Melton and Walker meet with the laboratory students every Monday to first discuss sports, such as what sports-related events occurred over the weekend. Then, they all go over their projects and talk about what data is needed and who has already analyzed certain data.
“It’s a lot of fun, and the students are so into it because we’re answering real-world questions,” Walker explained.
The outcome Walker expects from the laboratory research is “to impact change for women in sport,” she said. “The research that we do will highlight the inequities in a way that will answer a lot of questions. For instance, we know that there aren’t a lot of women coaching in the NBA. Why? We have assumptions as to why, but we don’t have a lot of empirical data that serves as evidence as to why.”
An added benefit to working with Wasserman is its partnerships with international universities. Since partnering with the company, UMass Amherst has formed relationships with universities in Europe and Canada which they can now use to obtain data for the research projects.
Walker said that those interested in learning more can look for a coming website published by UMass Amherst for the laboratory featuring the work the university is doing with Wasserman.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
On Sept. 21, 2020, Wasserman — a sports marketing and talent management company representing over 150 female athletes — announced on Twitter a new think tank from their recently created division, The Collective. The new division is a team working to embrace women’s sports, entertainment and culture.
Wasserman is based in Los Angeles with offices in cities around the world such as London, Amsterdam, Dubai and more. There are also other offices in the U.S., including ones in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Dallas, Texas. Wasserman officially launched The Collective, a division of the company, with the aim of bringing visibility to women’s sports. The current president of Wasserman is Mike Watts. Casey Wasserman, who founded the company in 2002, serves as chairman and chief executive officer.
The company currently represents well-known female athletes such as Tobin Heath, Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel and Megan Rapinoe, and received praise for making the representation of women in sports a priority.
Olivia Wreford, marketing manager for Wasserman’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, blogged on the company’s website about The Collective on Aug. 7, 2019. The blog mentions the actions Casey took to ensure a “growth and development of women in sports and entertainment.” In an effort to do so, the Wasserman Foundation, led by Casey, promised $1 million to their nonprofit partners, such as Women in Sports and Events and Evolve Entertainment Fund. Additionally, Wasserman planned on increasing “the number of female agents, data analysts and marketers in the industry.
The Collective also partners with AT&T, Orreco/FitrWoman, Snow Monkey, Google, Concacaf and the International Cricket Council. “The goal is ultimately to move women forward,” said Thayer Lavielle, The Collective’s executive vice president. According to sports business news website Ministry of Sport, Lavielle will lead the new think tank with Shelley Pisarra, executive vice president of global insights at Wasserman. The Collective Think Tank is partnered with AT&T, ESPNW, Concacaf, Nationwide, EverFi and Royal Bank of Canada. The think tank has also begun partnering with professors and students from 10 universities including the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Other participating schools include the School of Sport and Recreation and Tourism Management at George Mason University, the Ohio University College of Business and Ryerson University in Canada. These universities will launch research projects focusing on female fandom, consumption and purchasing power as well as how women who work in the business of sport are represented. At UMass Amherst, Nefertiti A. Walker, the vice chancellor, chief diversity officer and associate professor of sports management, talked about what it means for UMass Amherst to join the think tank.
“Being a part of The Collective Think Tank allows us to leverage the power of multiple institutions and researchers, in our efforts to produce industry-changing research and insights on the economic power and social impact of women in sports,” a statement from UMass Amherst News and Media Relations said.“Several of those projects will be led by students, the future generation of sports marketers, while the balance will be led by the expertise of faculty academics.”“The unique thing about this think tank is it doesn’t exist in sports today, as it is, certainly in the women’s sports space,” Lavielle said about the project.
Image courtesy of Flickr
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
The Original 9 celebrate 50th anniversary of professional women’s tennis
The nation celebrates 50 years of women’s professional tennis
50 years ago, nine women changed professional tennis with $1 contracts
Why women’s tennis changed 50 years ago with nine women and $1 contracts
Women’s tennis changed forever 50 years ago by nine women and $1 contracts
How nine women changed women’s tennis with $1 contracts
Women’s tennis has nine women and $1 contracts to thank 50 years later
Nine women, $1 contracts, two tournaments changed the world of women’s tennis
Tennis court battles: Nine women, $1 contracts, two tournaments
Nine women, $1 contracts, two tournaments, two men helped changed tennis
Women’s tennis celebrates the Original 9 and their counterparts 50 years later
Nine women, $1 contracts, two tournaments paved the way for women in tennis
On Sept. 23, 1970, female tennis players Rosie Casals, Nancy Richey, Billie Jean King, Valerie Ziegenfuss, Judy Tegart Dalton, Kerry Melville Reid, Jane Peaches Bartkowicz, Kristy Pigeon and Julie Heldman took a step forward in the fight for equal rights on the tennis courts. Two of them were Australian and seven were American.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of when those nine women, called the “Original 9,” each signed a $1 contract under the guidance of World Tennis Magazine founder Gladys Heldman. King wrote about this event in The Players’ Tribune, where she said, “With one unified voice, each of us signed a ceremonial $1 contract with Gladys to play in the inaugural Virginia Slims of Houston.”
“We drew a line in the sand and we put everything we had on that line,” King continued in The Tribune. “It was now up to us to create our own tour, to find a place to make a living and to breathe life into women’s professional tennis.”
Around the 1960s and 1970s, men’s tennis became increasingly popular, which meant that female tennis players were given fewer opportunities for pay and play.
What ignited the women’s contract decision was the fact that former tennis player and promoter Jack Kramer would not reduce a specific tournament’s 12:1 ratio of men’s to women’s prize money. The women almost played in the Pacific Southwest Open in Los Angeles, California; however, the men’s champion would receive $12,500, while the women’s champion would receive only $1,500.
A boycott was started by King and Casals, but it failed. “We wanted to be paid equally and we wanted to be treated fairly,” King said in The Tribune. “Originally we had hoped to partner with the men’s tennis tour and have a unified voice in the sport on a global basis. But the guys wanted no part of it. And not every women’s player wanted to join us.”
The women then regrouped and formed the Virginia Slims circuit, and with it, women’s professional tennis. Later, Heldman encouraged the nine to hold what would become the first Virginia Slims tournament in Houston, Texas. The name of the tournament is due to their sponsor, Virginia Slims, a cigarette brand owned by Philip Morris that Heldman was able to obtain.
“She knew how to get a sponsor, she had great connections,” Ziegenfuss said about Heldman in an interview with the Women’s Tennis Association.
The U.S. Lawn Tennis Association was not in support of the women. Instead, officials threatened to suspend any tennis players who took part in the tournament.
In March 2020, Julie Heldman sat down with Scott Flink from USOpen.org to discuss her mother and the Original 9. “At some level, the women who ended up being the Original 9 were brave, but at another level, there was not much to lose,” she said. “My favorite threat of theirs was that you can’t have two professional tournaments in the country at the same time, but that was not true. Their other threat was we could have a tournament, but it had to be amateur. Nobody wanted to do that. So my mother came up with the idea of everybody signing to become a contract pro. We went out and had that photo taken of all of us holding the $1 bills.”
Casals was the first winner of the invitational with Dalton as the runner-up. The prize money awarded was $7,500. In an interview on Sept. 16, 2020 with Matt Fitzgerald from tennis.com, Casals expressed her gratitude for Virginia Slims, the sponsor which allowed women’s tennis to become a professional sport.
As of today, all members of the Original 9 are retired. Gladys Heldman passed away in 2003. In 1972, King helped pass Title IX legislation that would ban sex discrimination in sports. The following year, King announced a boycott of the U.S. Open tournament unless men and women were granted equal pay. Her campaign was successful, and men and women received equal prize money in that tournament.
Also in 1973, King founded the WTA, which would bring together all of the women's professional tennis tournaments in a single tour. Virginia Slims stopped sponsoring women’s tennis in 1990 and General Foods took over as the new sponsor. This year the WTA announced that The International Tennis Hall of Fame also opened a new exhibit about the Original 9 called “We’ve Come a Long Way” in honor of the Original 9.
While men and women receive equal prize money in tournaments, there is still a pay gap in tennis. According to CNBC, “At the 2015 Western & Southern Open in Ohio, Serena Williams was paid $495,000 for winning the women’s tournament title while Roger Federer was paid $731,000.” Further, CNBC added that even the top 100 female earners in tennis make 80 cents to the dollar of what the top 100 male earners make. The large pay disparity shows there is still a large inequality in some tennis tournaments.
Image courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics
This week’s team of the week is Mount Holyoke Cross Country.
Last year, Mount Holyoke Cross Country finished their season on Nov. 16 at the NCAA Division III Championships hosted by Bowdoin College. The Lyons placed seventh out of 54 teams with 267 points. Both Madeline Rieders ’21 and Hannah Rieders ’21 earned All-Region honors since they placed within the top 35 in their 6k course race.
Coach Chris Kibler gave insight as to what the team has accomplished over the summer. According to him, the team has “kept up regular communication with Zoom calls, phone calls, text and group messages.”
Kibler also discussed fundraising for the Athletes Taking Action Challenge. “We were nominated by MHC Field Hockey, and were able to raise $1200 for two organizations that will continue to help move the Black Lives Matter movement in the right direction,” Kibler explained. “We were then able to nominate MHC Rowing and Bryn Mawr XC/T&F [Cross Country/Track and Field] to take on the challenge,”
Kibler continued to explain what MHCXC is up to this fall. The team has had virtual synchronous and asynchronous practices and will compete in virtual asynchronous races throughout the fall. In the team’s first week of competition, they placed 4th overall in a 3,000m race against national competitors.
“We had team tryouts just like every year during the first week of official practice, and had many outstanding efforts and several personal bests,” Kibler said. “I am so proud of the team for working hard for something bigger than themselves during a time of so much uncertainty. The adversity and experiences they face now are making them into the most incredible people in the world.”
In our next publication, Mount Holyoke Field Hockey will be highlighted as the team of the week
Pictured Lahela Delaney ‘21. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Staff Writer
On Sept. 10, Director of Athletics Lori Hendricks announced the elimination of the Mount Holyoke Golf varsity team in a statement published on the Mount Holyoke athletics department website.
Hendricks cited the decision as coming “after an extensive review of many factors, including student interest, indoor practice needs, competitive season, coaching support and conference alignment.” According to her, “This decision will allow the Department of Physical Education and Athletics to reallocate the resources from the program to support the broader-reaching priorities of the departmental strategic plan, enhancing the overall student-athlete experience at Mount Holyoke.”
In its 2019-2020 season, the golf team competed in five tournaments between September and October. Their final tournament, the NYU Invitational, took place on Oct. 5, 2019, at the Forest Hill Field Club in Bloomfield, New Jersey. The Lyons placed fifth overall out of nine teams, with a finish of 690 strokes. Mount Holyoke Golf was expected to participate in more tournaments last April; however, the cancellation of Mount Holyoke varsity sports due to COVID-19 regulations prevented the team from competing.
Further in the announcement, Hendricks shared more information about the golf team’s history. “The program’s history dates back to the 1975-76 academic year and will be remembered through the student-athletes that have excelled among the nation’s top competition and multiple appearances at the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament,” Hendricks wrote. “Mount Holyoke College will continue to honor the history of the program, its tremendous golf alums and committed coaches.”
With regard to the Mount Holyoke Golf home course, The Orchards Golf Club, Mount Holyoke students, staff and alumni will still be able to use the course even after the discontinuation of the golf team.
Hendricks sent an email regarding the decision to all members within Mount Holyoke Athletics, including student-athletes, on Sept. 17. The College also officially released the same information to the public on Sept. 17, in an announcement which alluded to the possibility of further changes in the athletic department. The statement read, “As a direct follow-up to the strategic plan for Athletics, we will also be undertaking a comprehensive review of our Equestrian Center and initiating an academic program review of physical education.”
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
Despite a national trend of cutting athletic programs due to COVID-19, Mount Holyoke College Athletics has not eliminated any varsity or club sports teams. During the spring 2019 semester, seasons were cut short and the final game played by student-athletes was a lacrosse scrimmage between Mount Holyoke and Smith colleges, which occurred just before both colleges closed for the academic year.
In late August, athletes and coaches were reunited over Zoom for their traditional student-athlete barbecue. Led by Director of Athletics Lori Hendricks, the virtual Zoom event tried to bring back the lively spirit felt at barbecues from years past. One effort to bring the athletic community together was the unforgettable “Y-O-K-E” cheer.
For Mount Holyoke Athletics, there are no in-person practices or competitions this semester. The College’s athletic programs this year will focus more on holistic community building rather than only the physical aspects of sports.
Hendricks worked on the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) COVID-19 working group this summer, alongside several colleagues, directors of athletics, team physicians and athletic trainers. The purpose of the group was to develop plans and protocols for fall practices and competitions. Decisions were made at the conference level to host conference-only contests in the fall. Winter sport contests would be delayed until January.
For Hendricks, the future of the Mount Holyoke athletics department was a main consideration while working with the group.
Hendricks explained that the department’s priorities and strategic plan lie with “competitive success, recruitment and retention, diversity and inclusion, student well-being, community integration and physical education.” Hendricks highlighted the importance of student-athlete safety during this time, as well as trying to find ways for fall sports to potentially compete in the spring.
According to Hendricks, the current plan is to work with the NEWMAC conference — Mount Holyoke’s athletic conference — and the NCAA. “We are working with the NEWMAC and the NCAA to prepare a proposed competitive schedule for our fall, winter and spring teams in the spring semester. For squash and equestrian, who have different governing organizations, we are looking to their national leadership to provide guidance on spring schedules.”
According to Associate Director of Athletics Erica Lemm, the Student Athletic Advisory Committee met during the summer to talk about the challenges presented by COVID-19 and other questions raised by the Black Lives Matter movement.
“SAAC just added a Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee as well as [a] Diversity and Inclusion representative to [the] E-Board,” Lemm said. “Most importantly, they're laying the groundwork for important diversity, equity, and inclusion conversations to continue by creating a book club and discussing how best to have team dialogues,” she added.
Mount Holyoke Athletics has plans to address NCAA legislation, host a virtual version of the annual toy drive and continue to engage with Girl Inc., with whom they formed a partnership last year. The department also plans to recognize “teams of the week,” replacing last year’s regular “game of the week.”
“Soon I'll be releasing programming for mental wellness, diversity and inclusion and leadership in conjunction with the NEWMAC,” Lemm said. “Additionally, we're continuing with the Student-Athlete Leadership Team and our newest group, the First-Generation and Ethnic Minority Student-Athlete Group.”
The future continues to remain uncertain for spring sports. Any further updates will be provided by the Mount Holyoke athletics department and the Mount Holyoke News.
