Girl Power

Last night I was the Rubber Boots on the Red Carpet Fundraiser for the Tall Ship Academy.  This is the program that takes 15-20 girls and teaches them on shore for 6 weeks, on a tall ship for 6 weeks and on shore for 6 weeks and .. it changes their lives.  This year's fundraiser was celebrating 10 years of programs, some of which were run while the program was being rejuvenated in the America True 'incubator/hospital'.  There are a lot of people who have contributed to the successes but Nettie Kelly the current program director really deserves huge credit for sticking through from transitions to funding issues to 'personality challenges' and keeping the program moving forward.  If anyone is interested in seeing the 18 minute movie which documents the program and a lot of results and impact on the girls you can email: info@tallshipacademy.org Last week I also spoke to the Stone Clinic as the opening Keynote speaker.  My task was to give an overview of women in sports and the glass ceiling and how we are being judged.  I have had quite a few requests to publish the speech but since I am working on a book and it is quite a long speech I am just going to post a copy of the timeline which I gathered to show the impact sport has on society and to put in perspective truly how far we have come .. so far.

1900:  Three events were available for women at the 1900 Olympic Games: golf, tennis and yachting. 1908: Australian Yachtswoman Frances Clytie Rivett-Carnac and her husband win gold, making her the first woman in any event to win gold against men 1912: Some track and field and swimming events for women were fought for and added 1920: Women got the right to vote – there are still women alive who remember when they couldn’t vote- and now voted for Hillary Clinton - to them – 1920’s not too long ago 1928: Several women (3 who beat the world record) collapse at the end of the 800m and officials declare the race dangerous for women and banned it. 1943: the All American Girls Professional Base Ball League!  It was for ‘publicity’ and business but hey take it any way you can get it! (1943 to 1954!)

“Men Baseball Players” came back from war and we were in the ‘valium happy 50s’

1960: 32 YEARS LATER Women were finally allowed to run the 800-meter at the Olympics – I gues they stopped worrying that our uteruses would fall out. 1966:  Billie Jean King wins Wimbledon for the 1st time 1972: Title IX passed 1973: Roe v Wade decided and Battle of the sexes in the Astro Dome 1974: Billie Jean King  Founds the Women’s Sports Foundation with her WHOLE prize check $5000 1978: Women could finally get a credit card without their father’s or husband’s signature! 1981: First women members of the IOC (since 1896!) 1984: 24 years after the 800 was added back  to the Olympics, the women’s marathon was added. 1990s: Somewhere in the 90s Soccer Moms were invented 1994: Silver Bullets – baseball team played against minor league and semi-pro men’s teams 1995: America 3 – The 1st all women’s team in the America’s Cup – women in the sport of sailing subsequently went from the 20% to nearly 50% in the 5 years  and women started keeping the boat instead of the house after a divorce. 1996:  Atlanta Summer ‘year of the Women’ Olympics 1995- ish – somewhere in here Soccer Dad’s got PISSED when they were told their daughter’s couldn’t play. 1995:  Hillary Clinton declares – “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”!  (Beijing) 1996: American Basketball League – right concept – ownership, better pay, ‘authentic’ too early and couldn’t compete with the financial backing of the NBA for the WNBA 1997: WNBA – moderate concept – but with backing and marketing – salaries are now in the 30-90K plus endorsements of course. 1999:  Women’s World Cup – Finals – HUGE success 2000: WUSA – huge but believed in the success too soon – spent 5-year $40mil budget in 1st year.

2007: Hillary Clinton – 18 million cracks – but campaigning for her I can tell you many many stories about how far we still have to go 2008: Sarah Palin:  I do not agree with her politics at all but she certainly has balls. 2008: Summer Olympics - Highest % of women competing in an Olympics 42% - but we still have to get to equal and 10 years ago when I was fighting with ISAF I asked Anita de Franz – what % does the IOC consider equal and she patiently said … Dawn equal is equal as in 50%. ? We have a ways to go for EQUAL but we ARE making progress!

Last week I also spoke to the Stone Clinic as the opening Keynote speaker.  My task was to give an overview of women in sports and the glass celining and how we are being judged.  I have had quite a few requests to publish the speech but since I am working on a book and it is quite a long speech I am just going to put up here a copy of the timeline which I gathered to show the impact sport has on society and to put in perspective truly how far we have come .. so far.

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