Small Town Heart, Big City Dreams

Monday, May 16, 2011

Walk, Run, Stand...In the Fight Against Cancer

Angels for Hope at the 2011 Relay for Life in Niles, Ohio

With Spring in full swing, so are the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraisers. What began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt ran/walked around a track for 24 hours, now boasts more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities helping to raise money all with the common goal of finding a cure for cancer. This year, I had a very personal reason to participate. My father and grandfather both lost their battle with cancer in 2010. As the importance of further research hit even closer to home, I began to realize there are very few people who can say they have not been affected by cancer. Whether you are part of the community, a caregiver, friend, or family member walking side-by-side a person facing cancer (or a survivor of the disease) you must feel the impact of their amazing aptitude for hope and strength.

While communities across the United States are holding Relay for Life and other events, the sports and entertainment industries are also contributing in their own way. As part of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure initiative, the Major League Baseball organization is “Going To Bat Against Breast Cancer” once again with its 2011 Honorary Bat Girl Contest. Honorees stories were shared on MLB.com and one winner per MLB team was chosen. One of those honorees, Beth Ann Vanek, is from my hometown and will be representing the Cleveland Indians at an upcoming game. Beth Ann’s story reminds us all that we don’t have to fit a certain mold to be a cancer patient. Young or old, healthy lifestyle or not, we are all at risk.

In addition, more and more celebrities are also beginning to endorse cancer research. Many are doing this through an organization called Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). SU2C is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation united to raise funds and stimulate cancer research by “bringing together the best and the brightest in the cancer community, encouraging collaboration instead of competition” (SU2C.com). Started in 2007 by a group of women profoundly affected by cancer, they began using the resources of the media and entertainment industries in the fight against the disease. Celebrities and organizations joined together in a 2010 in an overwhelming show of support of SU2C. Their stories, backstage footage, and the entire show can be found at http://www.standup2cancer.org/sutv.

The fact is cancer is fast becoming the leading cause of death worldwide. Whether it is walking an hour in a community relay, sponsoring a team, or simply taking the time to share your story and promote awareness, get involved, make a difference, and become a part of something big.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Women Playing Soft...I Mean Baseball?

Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Anyone who has seen the movie, A League of Their Own, knows the story of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, the first nationally recognized women’s league started in 1943. Although disbanded in 1954, the league gave over 600 women the opportunity to play professional baseball and still inspires female athletes today. While the league began with a mix of softball and baseball rules, eventually underhand pitching and larger balls gave way to the “male” version of overhand pitching and smaller balls.

Today, women such as Justine Siegal are following in the footsteps of these great women and inspiring the next generation of ballplayers. Siegal’s professional history includes becoming the first female, first base coach of a men’s professional baseball team in 2009 and the first female college baseball coach from 2007-2010. Adding to her firsts for women, Siegal found herself pitching at the Indians, Athletics, Cardinals, Astros, and Mets Spring training camps this year impressing coaches and players alike with her talent and skill. (Swain, NY Times)

While these are great accomplishments, Siegel is doing much more outside of the professional arena. As Founder and Executive Director of Baseball for All, Siegal states, “If we tell girls they can’t play baseball, what else will they believe they can’t do? But better yet, if we tell a girl that she can play baseball, what else will she believe that she can do?” Siegal began her quest for girls to be accepted in the sport of baseball at the age of 13 with a coach who didn’t believe girls should play the sport. Her determination kept her playing with the boys through high school and in men’s leagues. Today through her non-profit organization, Siegel encourages the belief that baseball is for everyone regardless of race or gender. She “envisions a day when girls will have the same opportunities as boys to compete in baseball at every level of play.” Currently, Baseball for All holds the country’s only girls baseball tournament, offers national clinics and an International Baseball Academy. They also sponsor All-Star Teams and participate in the World Children’s Baseball Fair.

So where is the future of girls baseball headed? Are we closer to seeing a new generation of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League? With role models like Justine Siegal, one never knows! I for one would buy a ticket to see women play a little baseball!

Support the Throw Like A Girl Documentary

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/throwlikeagirl/re-launch-of-throw-like-a-girl-a-feature-length-do

http://baseballforall.lockerdome.com/p/HOME(D)

http://www.athleticsnation.com/2011/5/4/2152108/justine-siegal-launches-baseball-for-all-first-online-sports-network

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/sports/baseball/22pitcher.html?_r=1

Monday, April 11, 2011

Talent, Commitment, or the Spotlight-What is Most Valuable To Your Community?

image courtesy of mlb sluggers

While watching the latest 60 Minutes story highlighting Albert Pujols, first baseman of the St. Louis Cardinals, I began to wonder, what makes not just a professional baseball player but other sports and entertainment professionals more valuable? Is value based on talent alone, commitment to the community, or is it how popular they become in the media?

For Baseball fans young and old, Spring means more than flowers blooming and birds chirping. It is the first little league practice as the snow is still falling, the first pop-up caught in the outfield, or the crack of a bat as the first ball of the major league season is hit. Every year, boys and girls, take to their community fields with dreams of becoming just like their favorite professional ball player. Players like Pujols, believed by many to be one of the greatest ball players in the league today. His talent for the sport speaks for itself. He’s “never hit below .300, never had less than 30 homeruns, and never less than 100 RBI’s, not to mention he hit his 400^th Home Run in August of 2010” (60 Minutes Overtime).

When evaluating a player, stats are crucial, but communities should expect professional baseball organizations to look beyond what a player does on the field. Do they volunteer their time, give back in more ways than just donating money, is their character one that represents the organization and community? Pujols, for example, is not only committed to being a great ball-player, but also dedicated to improving lives of those living with Downs Syndrome in the St. Louis area and those struggling to survive in his childhood home of the Dominican Republic. In 2008 Pujols received the Roberto Clemente Award for the work he did through the Pujols Family Foundation and had this to say, “At the end of the day, when all is said and done playing this game, it doesn’t matter what you did in the field, it’s what you do off the field and the lives you touch off the field.”

So, if Pujols has the professional drive and talent and a strong commitment within the community, why then is he not among the top 20 highest paid players in the Major Leagues? Could it be that he doesn’t insist on being in the spotlight. That he doesn’t take opportunities like giving his 400^th homerun bat to a boy with cancer and make it a media spectacle? While this trait helps him to be well respected, does the lack of media attention diminish his potential star quality?

With his contract pending, the Cardinals have to decide what Pujols is truly worth, what is most valuable to them. Do they only look at his statistics and talent or do they look beyond that to what he offers both on and off the field?

Thursday, April 7, 2011

The NFL and Your Community: Are They Giving As Much As They Are Taking?

To start on a positive note, for charitable organizations, it is business as usual as the NFL awards $1 million in grants to 90 players charities. Sports Illustrated reported in a recent article that in spite of the current lock-out, the NFL continued its commitment to supporting charitable organizations. Unfortunately, this may be the only positive press the NFL has received since the lock-out began March 11.

Football, whether you like it or not, is an undeniable part of American life. I was reminded of how much an impact it can have as I sat with my brother-in-law and nephew at a pre-season Steelers game. I remember getting to our seats surrounded by season ticket holders. They were like a huge family, everyone seemed to know everyone else, and though the atmosphere was tame compared to a regular season game, there was magic you couldn’t experience anywhere else. The kind you wish you could bottle up and take with you and make every experience that amazing.

David Jacober said it best in his recent article, Impact Of NFL Lockout Goes Way Beyond Just Football, no matter who you are from a Wall-street executive to a factory worker, “Football has become what religious structures used to be-a place where families and comrades can flock together for a few hours a weekend, and sometimes with total strangers to form a community around their team.” I found this connection in the least expected way. On a flight from Los Angeles to Cleveland, a man and his two grandsons were seated behind me. The boys were decked out in Steelers gear. Their grandfather was flying them for the weekend just to see a game at Heinz Field. It makes me wonder, what other sport would bring a man, especially in today’s economy, to not only purchase tickets to a game, but everything from plane tickets and hotel to food and souvenirs?

Surprisingly, news has been fairly quiet regarding the dispute between owners and players, mainly because it is off-season. The closer we get to football season, the less hope fans will have that there will indeed be a 2011 season. Even if the lock-out hasn’t affected the cities and communities that house NFL teams yet, if a solution is not found, the future looks bleak. “Anytime you take a $9 billion enterprise out of the economy, it is going to have some serious ripple effects.” (Jacober) Imagine a football town like Pittsburgh that clearly thrives on revenue brought in each season. How can a financial loss that huge be made up? The answer is, it can’t.

We all know that football will live on, but between the lost community spirit and financial gains what will the true effect of a non-existent 2011 NFL season have really? Will the league and players lose as much as they are taking from your favorite city? I guess only time will tell!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/04/05/charities.ap/index.html

http://www.thefanhub.com/738/elsewhere/nfl/impact-of-nfl-lockout-goes-way-beyond-just-football.html

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Behind Small Town Heart, Big City Dreams

Everyone whether a little league coach, high school drama queen, big time movie director, Grammy award winner, or professional athlete, has a unique story. We all come from different walks of life-some from small towns, others from big cities, but most from somewhere in between. Some have happened upon amazing opportunities while others have overcome struggles to pursue their passions.

Through the Small Town Heart, Big City Dreams Blog, I hope to share some of these stories and show how not only communities but individuals and businesses-no matter the size, can inspire the growth of creativity, entertainment, and sports while developing a positive image.

Hope You Enjoy! Stephanie