Ten gift ideas to celebrate women
This week's column is my annual gift to readers: a game plan for supporting women and girls in sports through holiday purchases. Here are 10 ideas compiled in part by looking back on a year's worth of columns. All of this accomplished while staying cozy in my favorite writing gear: an orange WNBA hoodie promoted in 2020’s list.
Invest in women hoodie.
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Kelsey Trainor has teamed up with athletes including Nadia Eke, Ghanaian Olympic triple jumper, and they are donating all profits from sales of this product. Trainor, based in NYC, is a lawyer/producer/ writer who “has been called the Kevin Bacon of Twitter, dabbles in sports and invests in women” as her Twitter profile cites. Go to https:// pwrfwd.co/pages/nadia-eke. A Angel City FC soccer jersey. This one won’t be available for delivery until after the holidays, but I've registered for one and plan on making a creative card for my soccer-loving daughter. Angel City, a professional women's soccer team making its debut during the 2022 season, features a majority female ownership group of celebrities and soccer stars, including Rochester native and Olympic/world Cup superstar Abby Wambach. The team has retired its No. 22 jersey symbolic of the year and field of 22 players. That jersey will be available for purchase with 10 percent of proceeds going to the club’s Player 22 Future Program, which helps former NWSL players secure jobs after their playing careers are over. What a terrific idea. Go to angelcity.com and click on shop to check out the team’s
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new kits.
Buy tickets to women’s sporting events. Here are some ideas for basketball fans: the Ualbany and Siena women’s basketball teams square off on Dec. 12. Take a young girl or boy to the game and buy some fan gear to support our local Division I teams. Here’s another sure bet: Plan a car trip to enjoy the Uconn women's basketball team continue its rivalry against Tennessee on Feb. 6 at the XL Center. Paige Bueckers had a careerhigh 34 points in Uconn’s season opener against Arkansas. I just bought tickets to watch South Carolina play Tennessee in Columbia, S.C., on Feb. 20, so watch for a future column on that game.
A Cheer for women’s Division I hockey. Make plans to attend the RPI vs. Union College Mayor’s Cup on Jan. 29. The women’s game starts at 11 a.m. at Times Union Center prior to the men’s game. Ticket information is at www.timesunioncenter-albany.com/mayors-cup-2022. Help youth organizations.
The Boys and Girls Club of Troy is one of my favorite organizations to support during the holidays. The club is a safe haven for many children and often the activities focus on getting children off the streets and away from computer screens to participate in athletics-based activities. Although I prefer to shop locally, sometimes Amazon is a necessary way to make a purchase. The Boys & Girls Club of Troy is now registered with the Amazonsmile program, and Amazon shoppers can support the Club at no extra cost. Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of the price of eligible Amazonsmile purchases to the charitable organizations selected by Amazon customers. Go to the club website for a link, www.bgctroy.org. Albany PAL also offers many club sports leagues for children. Find out how to support their programs through donations or participating in the annual Toy Drive by going to the PAL website at www.albanypal.org.
A Donate to Drilling for Hope. Read all about this charity in my Women@work column about Karen Flewelling ’s amazing post-retirement life work. The longtime teacher and Capital Region field hockey and lacrosse coach deserves your support as she hands over the reins of her charity to one of the athletes she mentored: Mayen Davis, a Shaker High School graduate who is now a teacher and coach in Queens. One hundred percent of the proceeds she receives support a variety of causes, including providing clean, accessible water to those who live in dry, impoverished countries.
A Bassett's book club. Top two books I’ve reviewed this year: “All the Colors Came Out” — by basketball star and sports media journalist Kate Fagan of Niskayuna — whose book about her dad Chris will make you cry on one page and feel like you've learned something to improve your life on the next. Also, Billie Jean King ’s “All In,” is my favorite sports memoir of 2021.
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newsletters. The Gist, The IX, and Just Women’s Sports are my favorites.
A Invest in local journalism. Subscribing to the Times Union’s digital product is a no-brainer. A subscription is only 99 cents for 12 weeks. The digital version of the print newspaper alone is worth the investment along with all the content on timesunion.com. My freelance post-retirement gig is supported by the Times Union's hard-working group of editors and writers who care about their communities and support women and girls in sports.
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