Gifts to support female athletes
I’ve never been one to shop early for the holidays, but this year is different for all of us in so many ways.
My daughter will stay in her new home in Los Angeles for the holidays, which is heart-wrenching but the smart and safe thing to do.
No Turkey Trot race together. No Thanksgiving dinner. No excursion to Bob’s Trees in Galway. It also means we have to shop much earlier to be sure everything arrives in plenty of time to celebrate a Zoom Christmas.
So with that on my mind and Giving Tuesday approaching, here’s a list of gifts and donations that help support women and girls in athletics plus charities and foundations that support youth programs.
Albany PAL
During my now-adult son’s years at CBA, his hockey team would volunteer at Lights in the Park, supporting Albany Police Athletic League’s programs. The child care and activities they organize that support young girls and boys in the Albany area are essential — especially during these hard times. There’s no better way for police to foster long-lasting relationships with Albany youth than through PAL. Rummaging through the PAL website, I found that donating to this year’s toy drive is incredibly easy. A list of books, athletic equipment and other items are available for purchase by logging on to the group’s Amazon wish list and the gifts are sent directly to PAL. Visit https://www.albanypal.org for more information.
Pat Summitt Foundation
Shortly after Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt’s diagnosis in August of 2011, the foundation was formed with a mission to award grants to nonprofit organizations that advance research for treatment and cure for Alzheim
er’s disease. The foundation website includes many items for sale with proceeds going to help the cause, including “We Back Pat” merchandise, gaiters, face masks and other Lady Vols items. Go to https://patsummitt.shgstores.com
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Capital Area
Serving Rensselaer and Albany counties, the organization provides childcare, education and sports programs for youth. The Albany and Troy clubs ramped up their food program when the pandemic hit and have developed a fundraiser that provides a perfect gift for the holidays while supporting a wonderful cause. Donating $40 purchases six meals and in return they will send you a hooded sweatshirt that says “This Sweatshirt Feeds Kids.” A gift of $25 funds four meals and an includes a t-shirt exclaiming “This Shirt Feeds Kids.” So worth it. Donate at https:// www.bgccapitalarea.org/feedkids.
Supporting college teams
Go to the College of Saint Rose athletics website and you can order fan cutouts to support student-athletes for sports seasons scheduled to resume this winter and spring. You know, like the cutouts you saw at Major League Baseball games. For many years, I’ve attended numerous women’s soccer, women’s and men’s basketball and men’s lacrosse games. While there, I often found myself donating to a soft
ball team’s raffle or another school fundraiser to support athletic programs. By pledging $100 in the name of one of the college’s sports teams, fans can continue to support athletic programs. At Siena and Ualbany and other local colleges, the purchase of fan gear often helps support athletic programs. Teams can use the help.
Women’s sports online coverage
Newsletter and website coverage of women’s sports is essential to make up the gap in mainstream sports coverage. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, only 4% of sports media coverage in the U.S. is dedicated to women’s sports. The Next is the place to go for women’s basketball coverage. Check out the basic newsletter to get a taste of what the website offers. Go to https://thenext.substack.com.
Books about women in sports
I wrote several columns this year reviewing books about or by women in
sports. Check out “Wolfpack” by Abby Wambach, “Furia” by Yamile Saied Mendez, “What Made Maddy Run” by Kate Fagan, and “Sum It Up: A Thousand and Ninety-eight Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective” from Pat Summitt. I just ordered Megan Rapinoe’s “One Life” and will review it sometime soon.