tingilinde

why it's called a pitch

Why soccer fields are called pitches

Not authoritative, but it seems to make sense.

 

 

some fine beach volleyball

From the World Tour Finals in Cagliari, Sardinia.  Canada's best team and current world champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes vs American Olympic gold medalists April Ross and Alix Kleinman.  The level of play is high and about half of it is in pouring rain.  Melissa takes an injury early in the first set, but recovered enough to continue. I'll admit to some bias as Sarah is a good friend. 

the first five minutes or so have on and off video dropouts.

sailless sailing

Moving from sails to wing and hydrofoils - and complex control systems.  

Perhaps not as romantic as what people think of as a sailboat, but wicked fast.

 

 

transgender women in sport policy

Ross Tucker goes through some recent developments in a policy document. The issue is extremely polarized with some claiming it is possible to achieve fairness, safety, and inclusivity by allowing transgender women to play with biological females. (no one worries about transgender men playing with biological males).  There is increasingly solid evidence that the physical advantage of being born male stays with a person after they've transitioned .. that hormone therapy doesn't work.     

The Guardian offers a high level summary Ross's podcast goes into more detail - he's an expert on the subject.

 

c.t.e. and the sliding sports

The brain of these folks gets bounced around.  Some have not done well.

 

 

truth and reconciliation

Canada and the US have a horrific record on the treatment of native/indigenous peoples.  Canada is working towards telling the trust and ultimately doing right by recognizing a truth and reconciliation day..  a small step, but lightyears ahead of the US.

I first learned of Michael Linklater through a friend who works on getting real network connections to indigenous people in North American.  Linklater is a professional basketball player who uses his background to support young people and raise pride.    A few years later Sarah recommended a podcast episode on Player's Own Voice.   This link gives a bit of background and has a link to the podcast. 

female athletes are abortion rights

Guessing Republicans will come out against women's sports.

snip

...

In 31 years, Perham, a three-time Olympic medalist, told only a handful of people what it was like to be pregnant as a struggling college sophomore and decide to have an abortion. She kept quiet about the freedom and the second chance that ending her pregnancy gave her. Kept quiet about how it helped pave the way for a swimming career and the success she experienced once it was over.

But now, she said, speaking up is a must.

“I’m 51, at the point where I shouldn’t be embarrassed about the decision I made for my reproductive health,” Perham told me in an interview last week. Nobody else, she continued, should have to feel ashamed and embarrassed to tell their stories either, as is so often the case. “Especially with so much on the line.”

I sought out Perham because she was one of more than 500 female athletes who filed a startling brief to the Supreme Court last week, a bold show of support for reproductive rights in a pending case that could lead to the dismantling of Roe v. Wade, the 48-year-old high court ruling that legalized abortion in every state.

...

 

 

making sports tv friendly

Most sports have made full adaptations in the hopes of making them tv friendly,..

now curling

 

concussions in women's sports

They're worse for women - but why?

Many questions, but a serious problem.

 

swedish gymnastics for women

German women practicing over 100 years ago.