By Dr. Sandra Geringer |
Join a lineup of the top women in sport on Saturday, April 11, at 4:00 p.m. EST for a conversation designed to engage and inspire young athletes across the globe.
During this challenging time of COVID-19, kids have not only lost the structure of attending school, but they are also missing out on participating in organized sports. I do not have kids, but of course, I was a kid. I can’t even imagine not having a practice to go to, seeing my friends, and fueling my competitive edge. What a total bummer. My husband and I have created a make-shift ping-pong table that we have been able to ignite our competitive flames. But, for kids, it’s different.
“Sports play a vital role in the mental and physical health of young athletes, so, as the global athletic community pauses its activity, it is more important than ever to have a candid conversation about the wellbeing of our youth,” said Guru Gowrappan, Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Media.
Yahoo Sports and the Women’s Sports Foundation will launch a live-stream event to discuss resilience and mental health for young athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, which will be moderated by journalist Cari Champion, will include some of the most renowned athletes across sports who will speak to young athletes about the importance of staying healthy mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Participating in the discussion will be:
● Scout Bassett: A Paralympic track & field athlete and world record holder.
● Sabrina Ionescu: The first basketball player (female or male) in NCAA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds, and the all-time NCAA leader with 26 career triple-doubles. She will be entering the WNBA draft this month after most recently playing for the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Conference.
● Katie Ledecky: A two-time Olympian in swimming who has won five Olympic gold medals, 15 world championship gold medals, and is the current world record holder in several events.
● Carli Lloyd: A captain of the USWNT who is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time FIFA Player of the Year, and a three-time Olympian.
● Chiney Ogwumike: A two-time WNBA All-Star for The Los Angeles Sparks and NBA analyst for ESPN.
● Kendall Coyne Schofield: An ice hockey star who was the first female in history to skate in the NHL skills competition. She is an Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist and current member of Team USA and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA.)
● Katie Sowers: NFL assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, the first female and the first openly gay coach in history to be on the sidelines for the Super Bowl.
#WeKeepPlaying will also include a conversation with sports icon, international activist, and Women’s Sports Foundation founder, Billie Jean King, and former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice who was one of the first women to join Augusta National and sit on the College Football Playoff committee.
Viewers will be able to submit questions in the lead up to the live event via @YahooSports on Twitter and Facebook by using #WeKeepPlaying.
Stay safe, keep active, and take care during this challenging time.
Event information provided by the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Dr. Sandra Geringer is the Director of Recreation Management and Sports Studies at the United States Sports Academy.