http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/user/114943 gilliebean Playcity Blog en-us Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:13:14 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss playcity@youthnoise.org http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/13172 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:13:14 GMT The BCS comes under fire every year for its somewhat arbitrary ranking system. Should what a team does off the field contribute to their success on the field? Should the BCS try to make players better people? http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/13172 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/13152 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:38:33 GMT All the major sport leagues work hard to keep a clean, family-friendly image. However, from steroids to violent crime, professional athletes continue to disappoint adoring fans. Nonetheless, Americans keep watching and athletes keep getting paid. Does it really matter what athletes do outside the lines if they take our breath away inside the lines? http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/13152 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/13120 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:37:56 GMT When you think Anna Kournikova, do you think tennis player or hot tennis player?Often the appearances of female athletes can overshadow their talent in competition. Do you think we oversexualize female athletes in a way that undermines their athletic ability? http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/13120 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12518 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:20:30 GMT In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're highlighting the work some amazing organizations and people are doing to improve women's health. Last week, I interviewed Susan Roberts, executive director of Girls on the Run of the Bay Area, a program in San Francisco. Girls on the Run is a curriculum-based exercise program that cultivates self-confidence, physical fitness, healthy decision-making and teamwork in girls 8 to 13. In Girls on the Run's words, We believe it is critical to reach girls at an early age in order to teach them these important life lessons and to prevent at-risk behavior such as eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, obesity and adolescent pregnancies. Me: How did you get involved with GOTR? Susan: I started at Girls on the Run in fall 2004 as program director. I had previously been working at an after-school program in the Outer Mission/Excelsior district of San Francisco, and we had Girls on the Run at my site. I immediately saw a lot of changes in the girls who were in the program-- on the playground and in the classroom. Teachers said girls were raising their hands and participating more and standing up for themselves. In 2004, I ran the Lollipop Family Fun Run with my girls, which is a great event. Then I was hired as program director for Girls on the Run, and last year I was promoted to executive director. Me: Girls on the Run is an international organization. Where are there chapters? Susan: Yes, it is international. It started in 1996 in Charlotte, NC, and there are 165 chapters all over the United States and Canada. Girls on the Run of the Bay Area has been its own 501 (c)(3) nonprofit since 2002. It started as a program with five girls, and this year we served 500 girls in 39 locations throughout five counties. Me: You work with girls ages 8 to 13. Why is running beneficial for girls of this age? What kind of skills do you think Girls on the Run teaches participants? Susan: We have a program for elementary girls in third through fifth grade and then a program with a separate curriculum for girls in sixth to eighth grade. It's a preventative program, providing a positive, supportive environment for young girls. We teach important life lessons, covering topics including gossiping, bullying, nutrition, healthy decisions, teamwork, cooperation and community improvement. We implement a community service project as one of the lessons. The program is a supportive network for them-- encouraging social, emotional, physical and psychological health. We have two to three volunteer coaches who work with a group for ten weeks, meeting twice each week. Our girls really bond during this time. It's a non-competitive program, and it's open to girls of any shape, size or ability. Me: How much does the program cost? Susan: The cost depends on each community. We partner with schools so we can meet in the after-school hours, where there is the greatest need. 75 percent of our girls receive scholarships. The full cost of the program in a high-income community is $225. which includes 20 one-hour sessions, a water bottle, T-shirt, snacks and the final Lollipop Run. At another school, the cost is $125, and the average participant paid $67. In low-income communities, the cost might be $0-10 for participants. We write grants and fundraise to offset the cost. Me: How can girls use the skills they learn at Girls on the Run outside of the program? Susan: Educating these girls has a ripple effect. They teach their families and friends how to make healthy decisions. Families will tell us their daughters influence the grocery shopping and what they eat for dinner-- the girls encourage them to make healthier choices. Parents and other family members come to the Lollipop Family Fun Run at the end of the program, and they are inspired to complete their own 1 mile or 5K run. A number of the girls go on to join the cross country and track teams when they get older. They gain confidence and exposure to running. Me: Do girls tend to continue with the program for more than one session? Susan: Yes, 40 percent come back season after season. Some programs have as many as 60-70 percent of participants come back. Me: What do your participants say about their experiences in the program? Susan: The girls really enjoy the program. They are very enthusiastic about it and get very excited to participate. The girls make new friends, learn to make healthy decisions and get to experience setting and reaching goals. We get a lot of feedback that the program is really fun. Me: Does each session work up to a large running event? Susan: We have a Lollipop Family Fun Run every December and May at the end of each session. We had about 1,000 people come out this last May in Golden Gate Park. Each girl has a running buddy who runs alongside her. About 200 of our girls came out for the last run. Me: How can people get involved with Girls on the Run? Susan: We definitely always need volunteers and funding, and there are a lot of ways to get involved. You can be a one-time volunteer by coming to the Lollipop Run and spending three to four hours handing out water or T-shirts. You can also be a coach and meet twice a week for an hour for ten weeks. You can also be a running buddy, whether you're male or female, and be paired with a girl to meet for one practice and come out to the final run. It's a great point of entry-- a lot of people end up going on to a longer term role as a coach or committee member. We also have internships for high school and college students. There are committees of people who plan the Lollipop Runs and do marketing for us. You can see all the available volunteer opportunities on our site. Me: At YN Play City, teams of young activists are starting their own sport-for-social-good projects. What advice could you give them for creating successful projects? Susan: Listen to the needs of the community-- what is it people need? Especially for after-school programs, it's important to be in tune with the barriers that might prevent kids from getting to the program. We need to offer our programs on campus after school because it's more challenging to have practice at a gym or a park at 6 p.m. A lot of families have transportation barriers to get their kids there, as well as language barriers and other challenges. We need to make sure all our materials are bilingual and we have translators available. When you work with youth, the coaches you have will make or break the experience. You need to make sure the people leading the program have great energy and are really supportive and encouraging. Me: How do you think sport-for-good programs benefit communities as a whole? Susan: Sports-based youth development is a very powerful tool. Sports teach youth life lessons-- cooperation and learning how to win or lose gracefully. They also educate youth at a young age to have a healthy and active lifestyle as part of their daily habits. The costs of obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes are skyrocketing. The more a community is active and outdoors, the more it benefits everyone. Me: Thank you so much for your time! Take action with Girls on the Run of the Bay Area: Be a volunteer Donate to support the program If you don't live in the Bay Area, find a Girls on the Run chapter near you. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12518 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12430 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:46:58 GMT Jonah Canner and Eyal Dimant, the coordinators of Bike 4 Obama, are so dedicated to making Barack Obama the next president of the United States that they are going to ride their bikes more than 1100 miles to campaign for their candidate. I talked to Jonah and Eyal on the phone about their project s goals and their advice for other sport-for-good activists. Me: You guys are doing a project called Bike 4 Obama. Can you describe what exactly that is? Bike 4 Obama: It s a bicycle ride from Jacksonville, FL to Washington, D.C. It ll take place starting October 9. and go for approximately 16 days through Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia and end up in D.C. We plan on arriving in D. C. on the 24th. From the 9th to the 24th, we ll be riding. Me: How many miles per day will you be riding? B4O: About 80, between 70 and 80 average. A couple days are longer than that, some less. Me: That s pretty intense. Have you guys been training for this for awhile? B4O: Yes, we started training in July and have been pretty much training since then. Me: What inspired you guys to do this bike ride? B4O (Jonah): Well the state of this country. We ve been talking, us and several of our other friends, throughout this spring that we wanted to do something for campaigning. We weren t really sure what. As it became clearer that Obama was going to get the nomination, we got really excited and wanting to do something. I think one day I called up Eyal and said, Hey, why don t we just ride from Florida up the coast and campaign during that? Me: That s really awesome. What are you trying to accomplish in each of these cities? What are you trying to do on this trip?
 B4O: We re trying to do a few things. The first is obviously just get out, and we re going through small towns, and meet people in small areas who do or don t have preconceptions about Obama and his campaign and the leadership he s hoping to bring to the White House. And just talk to them see where they stand, get beyond what we see on the news. If we can find a common denominator and understand where they re coming from and see if they can understand where we re coming from and hopefully get them to vote for Obama. We re also trying to raise money on our website (www.bike4obama.com), which goes directly to the campaign. We re hoping to reach a goal of $20,000. We just put it up a few days ago, and we re already at $1,000. We re also going to be filming the ride we re going to have video cameras as well as still cameras and on our website, there s going to be a blog that we re going to update daily with stories of people that we come across and film from each day. As we upload, we hope to get some conversations going over the Internet. We re going to be in dialogue with at least one high school from New York City called the Community School for Social Justice and we re going to be working with their history department and some students are going to be viewing our blog daily and writing to us with questions they might want to ask people we meet. Me: What makes you guys so passionate about electing Barack Obama? It s pretty ambitious to ride so many miles for a candidate. B4O (Jonah): For me, I ve been really passionate and political during my life in an action-oriented sense, through education, through teaching, through the nonprofit I founded. I ve not really been motivated by politics and the political realm. And recently in the last few years, since Obama has become a national figure, I read both of his books, I started watching some of his speeches on the Internet and his thoughtfulness, the way he goes about understanding the problems of our country, the way he goes about including other people in his campaign, in the ideas that he has for addressing some of the issues our country is facing that was something I didn t ever expect to see from a political figure. It got me thinking, Oh, this is something I could actually participate in and be a part of. (Eyal): For me, very much the same in the sense of being inspired by his policies and politics and speeches and ideas. I, however, am very much a news junkie and a politics junkie. I hold a dual citizenship I m Israeli and American and I have a lot of family in Israel who actually have served in the Israeli army. And I ve seen what the policies of the government here have done to both America and the rest of the world and I think it s very dangerous for the entire world the direction everything is going- almost all of the policies that have been implemented by the Bush administration, which I think will be continued by the McCain campaign. But beyond that, this is not something I m doing against McCain, it s something I m doing for Obama because he s very refreshing as a politician. It s been very rare for to be inspired by a politician, and he did it. Me: How can people help out with your project? B4O: The donation button on our website goes directly to Barack Obama s website and it goes directly to him. Every donation will be doubled by another donor. But to help us, if you go on our website, the route and the cities we ll be stopping in are listed, as well as the dates we re arriving and our email if you want to contact us. We would love to meet anybody that s on the route for support and conversation and Gatorade or a beer. Anyone who wants to ride, from 100 feet to 100 miles, and ride into the town or out of the town with us, I think that would be very cool. I m not expecting for this to be a Forrest Gump thing, but it would be cool to have four or five fresh faces in each city to show support because we ll be in very Republican territory. We re hoping to meet friendly faces. But also if people are reading your article and don t agree with us and would like to talk to us about it, that would be very welcome as well. That s the whole purpose. For people who aren t going to be in the southeast in October, we have a Facebook page, Bike for Obama. Join the group, send it to all your friends we would love to break 1,000 and get as much exposure as possible. At the end of the day, we re just hoping to get people interested in Obama and getting involved. We re going to also have our daily blogs on the trip and people should read them and comment on them. Me: We re working with a bunch of activists who are starting sport-for-good projects. Do you have any advice for people just starting out? B4O: Just do it. I think people get bogged down by the bigness of things when they try to do them and try to think about them too much. One day, I just called Eyal and said, OK, instead of this one thing we re talking about doing, let s just do this bike ride. And we kind of got ourselves to decide to do it. And some other people we know decided they wanted to join us. There s going to be two other people joining us on the trip for the whole thing. Things just grow when you get out there and do them and tell people about them and aren t afraid of doing it and putting it out there. It s also nice to be healthy while doing it. It s a pretty good workout, get in pretty good shape. The whole idea going down to Florida is that we both have family who are the elderly, Jewish grandparents who live in the closed off compounds in Ft. Lauderdale and Delray Beach and all the good people that punched the wrong hole in the 2000 election. There are a lot of misconceptions about Barack Obama, and I don t know if you can call it prejudice or just misunderstanding. The original idea was to go talk to the older folks down there. That is going to be a very big swing vote and state. The point I m making to anyone younger is before you go out and talk to anyone else, talk to your parents and talk to your grandparents because they ll listen to you. They trust you and they know you. And that is a big barrier with the older generations. Me: I really appreciate you guys taking the time to talk to me. I m looking forward to reading your blog posts as you go along. Thank you! Get involved with Bike 4 Obama: Check out the Bike 4 Obama website and blog. Join the Bike 4 Obama Facebook group. Contact Jonah and Eyal. Photos courtesy of Bike 4 Obama http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12430 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12192 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:55:12 GMT A few days ago, I had the chance to talk to Anna Phillips, the incredible 22-year-old founder of Girls Kick It!-- a comprehensive sports program for young women in northern Uganda. Anna created Girls Kick It! with the help of Global Youth Partnership for Africa (GYPA) to empower and educate women, many of whom have been affected by war and poverty, through sports. Me: I'm excited to get to talk to you. I've heard so much about you from the Play City team that met you at the LA Training Camp. Anna: It was really awesome! It's so exciting to see these people just starting out with their projects. They have these great, crazy ideas-- and those are what make the best projects. It's amazing to be around that energy. Me: You're leaving for Uganda tomorrow. How long are you going for? Anna: For a year! I got a Fulbright scholarship to do research on the affirmative action policies for women in Parliament. My research focuses on the implications for the women's movement. Me: That'll be really interesting. Where are you from originally? Anna: I grew up in San Diego, but I've been living in D.C. and my mom lives outside New York, so I spend a lot of time here. Me: How did Girls Kick It! get started? Anna: It got started because I grew up playing sports in middle school and high school. I wrestled and played rugby. I decided to major in human rights at George Washington University after traveling to Africa the summer before I started school. It was a self-designed major that allowed me a lot of flexibility in the classes I was able to take. Then in January 2006, I got a chance to combine my passion for sports and human rights. I went to the Global Youth Partnership for Africa's youth summit in Uganda. GYPA brought together American and Ugandan youth leaders who were interested and passionate about HIV/AIDS, women's issues and reconciliation. After the summit, I worked with GYPA to create a sports programs specifically for women. There were programs where women are involved, but nothing specifically for them. With the help and support of GYPA I was able to find amazing mentors and resources to create Girls Kick It! In particular, the advice of Awista Ayub, a phenomenal woman who created a girls soccer program in Afghanistan, helped me in the early planning stages. The sports for social change movement is relatively small, and everyone was willing to help and meet with me. Me: How old were you when you started Girls Kick It!? Anna: I was in college, just finishing my second year. I ended up taking a year off to work on the project. Me: Do you spend a lot of time in Uganda to run the program? Anna: I spent about six months there when I first started, then I was in Israel for five months afterward, studying Arabic and Hebrew. I have had the opportunity to travel with the team to South Africa and Denmark. We have incredible coaches and women who are involved with Girls Kick It! and GYPA. Me: How many women are involved in the project? Anna: We have served about 250 women. It's a core group of dedicated women. Me: What ages do you serve? Anna: We have players who range in age from 8 to 26. We have a target age, but we won't turn anyone away. Me: Where is Girls Kick It! based? Anna: We're based in Gulu, which is the northern region of Uganda. GYPA has offices in Washington DC and Kampala. Me: Can you tell me more about the Homeless World Cup? Anna: The HWC is an international street soccer tournament comprised of 48 countries. The teams are made up of people who are refugees, homeless, or displaced persons. The last two years we had a co-ed team, but this is the first year we will have an all women's team. The first Women's Cup will be held in Melbourne, Australia this December. Me: You're a great example to all the Play City activists who are just getting started in the sport-for-good movement. What advice do you have for them? Anna: I wish someone had told me this: you are going to fail. At some point, you are going to fail and fall on your face, but you need to get back up and try again. No idea is too crazy. What if the founders of Google had given up on their idea because it was too crazy? It's about thinking outside the box and being both passionate and realistic. If you can be passionate and realistic, you will succeed. And surround yourself with smart and supportive people. Me: Why do you think the sport-for-good movement is important in the world? Anna: It's time to think outside the box for alternative ways to improve our world. It's not just about giving people things, it's about empowering them. It's so incredible to see more people and companies get involved in sports for good-- big companies like Nike putting in so much time and effort. It's really inspiring. Me: How do you get your funding? Anna: I was really concerned about money when I first started. My mentor at GYPA told me, The money will come. Write a letter to everyone you know. That's what I did-- I told them why this was important to me and why it should be important to them, and the donations came in, whether it was for $5 or $100. If people believe in you, they'll believe in your cause. I also spoke at my synagogue and sent a press release to my local newspaper. Complete strangers donated to the project. You don't need that much money-- money will stretch. People really connect to this idea, and they open their minds, hearts and wallets. Me: What's next for GYPA and Girls Kick It!? Anna: We have the Women's Homeless World Cup in Australia in December. I am also looking to improving the quality of the program, not necessarily expanding it. Me: So is rugby your favorite sport to play? Anna: Yes, I love it. Painful, but incredible. Me: Will you get to play while you're in Uganda? Anna: I hope so. I'll be in the capital, so there are some leagues there. I'm bringing my cleats just in case. Me: Do you have any final words of wisdom? Anna: Everyone has a passion and a talent. If you can find a way to combine the two, you will be successful. My passion was women's empowerment and my talent was sports-- that's why Girls Kick It! made sense. Learn more about Girls Kick It! Get the Girls Kick It widget-- put it on your web page and use it to learn more and donate to the cause: http://seed.sproutbuilder.com/TwC1jlbZC5RmM5TI http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12192 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12071 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:28:08 GMT Last Friday, Play City interns in LA did something we've never tried before at YN-- they convinced random strangers off the street to play a fun, quasi-ridiculous (in the best possible way) game to benefit a great cause. They took over Santa Monica by setting up a ginormous game of bowling-- with pins the size of a nine-year-old and one of those huge exercise balls. Every time a bowler knocked down 10 pins, Play City donated a can of soup to the Los Angeles Mission, a nonprofit that serves the homeless living in Skid Row in downtown LA. At the end of the evening, about 50 people participated and the Los Angeles Mission received more than 100 cans of soup. Check out Tara's blog about the event to learn more and see pictures of the game. AND... here's a video of Urban Bowling: The first Flash Games event was a big hit. Now, the question is: what should we do next? What activity would be fun, simple and good for a big group of people? What cause should we support? Jump roping contests (did anyone else ever play jump without a miss in elementary school?), Frisbee target practice, Twister marathons... ideas? Sign up for Flash Games mobile alerts, and get text messages about upcoming events! http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12071 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12048 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:43:29 GMT Yesterday, James wrote an interesting post about Run to Vote, a really cool project that combines athletics with voter registration. A group of students and teachers from Stem, North Carolina spent the summer traveling through the 48 contiguous United States campaigning, not for any political party or candidate, but for simply voting. Every time Run to Vote got a citizen to register as a voter or pledge to vote in the next election, someone from the group would run a quarter-mile. I love this idea. It's simple, it's effective and it shows that a small group of people can really be a force for change. If someone is willing to run a lap to get me to vote, I can certainly consider getting off my lazy butt to get to the polls. I know there are still a lot of people in my age group who don't vote, but I have hope that this is changing. In the 2004 election, 47 percent of voters ages 18-24 voted, compared to 66 percent of voters ages 25 and up, an 11 percent increase from 2000. If this trend continues, twenty-something voters could wield a lot of political clout. We've got a few months until the November election-- there is still time to register to vote! Here are just a few reasons you should take a cue from the folks at Run to Vote: 1. It's our right to vote (not everyone in the world can say that). It may sound cheesy, but we are lucky to live in a democracy where we're allowed to vote for our government officials. Everyone 18 and up, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, is entitled to a vote, and it's insane not to take advantage of that right. 2. You can't complain if you don't vote. Well, technically you can, but I will taunt you mercilessly. It's one thing to whine about the president or the the Senate or even the city council if you voted. It's quite another to complain about the government if you couldn't even bother to throw in your two cents at the polls. It's a simple equation-- when you vote, you earn the right to gripe. 3. Young voters have to represent. Honestly, I'm sick and tired of hearing that our generation is apathetic and too self-involved to care about politics. It's just not true, and we need to change that mentality. Fine, we spend too much time on Facebook, but it's all for the greater good. 4. We should choose who makes decisions for our country. From No Child Left Behind to Roe v. Wade, the elected officials in our country have a big say in how we live our day-to-day lives. We all have issues that are near and dear to us, and it's important to elect people who will uphold our beliefs and values. I mean, I know the presidential candidate I'm pulling for in November. 5. It doesn't take that much effort to make a difference. If you're not registered, do it now. It only takes a couple minutes, and you won't feel left out on November 4 when everyone else is wearing those little I Voted stickers. Register to vote today. Check out Run to Vote for inspiration. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/12048 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/11974 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:59:12 GMT Time is running out to register for the Nike+ Human Race! The race is next weekend, August 31-- don't miss your chance to join the world's largest one-day running event. Your participation will support one of three great organizations: ninemilion.org, the Lance Armstrong Foundation or WWF (World Wildlife Fund). Here's a little more information on WWF. WWF at a Glance: WWF has been a leading force for environmental protection for more than 45 years, with more than 1.2 million members in 100 different countries. Its mission is reconciling the needs of human beings and the needs of others that share the Earth through conservation. The organization aims to preserve the Earth's diverse animal and plant species through: Protection of natural areas and wild populations, including endangered species Promotion of sustainable approaches to using renewable natural resources Commitment to using resources and energy more efficiently and reducing pollution By the year 2020, WWF has a goal of protecting 19 of the world's most important natural places (including the Amazon, the Congo Basin, the Eastern Himalayas and the Gulf of California) and ensuring their preservation in the future. WWF works within communities to help people conserve natural resources in a sustainable way, while improving socio-economic conditions and reducing poverty. WWF offers a multitude of ways to take action-- from adopting an endangered animal to urging Congress to support important conservation legislation. By running the Nike+ Human Race for WWF, you can help keep the Earth beautiful. Learn more about WWF and find out how you can get involved. Register for the Nike+ Human Race. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/11974 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/11925 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:28:57 GMT I might be a little biased, but California just may be the promised land. Gorgeous weather, amazing food, progressive people and beautiful beaches... what more could you want? (We Californians may have more obnoxious state pride than Texans but with good reason.) The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit org that is dedicated to keeping beaches beautiful in California, the US and around the world. Over the next two weeks, we're going to be highlighting the Surfrider Foundation's Save Trestles campaign, a grassroots movement to protect an important part of California's coastline. Trestles is a world-renowned haven for surfers and an untouched coastal watershed in San Onofre State Beach. The Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA) wants to build a six-lane toll road that would cut directly through San Mateo Creek in San Onofre -- a drastic change that would damage the beach's natural beauty, hurt the plants and animals native to the area and impair the wave breaks that make it so unique. We need to take a stand against this toll road and fight to preserve our beaches! Top 5 Reasons You Should Join the Save Trestles Campaign: 5. San Onofre State Beach is one of the most pristine coastal areas in California, and we should keep it that way. San Onofre is the fifth most-visited California State Park (out of 278); surfers travel from all over the world to experience its famous waves, and nature lovers appreciate its hiking trails and abundant wildlife. If the toll road is built, the California Parks Department anticipates having to abandon almost 60 percent of the park, over 1,000 acres. This would include all of the park's inland subunit, its most popular campsite (and likely most of the other 160 sites) and the trails that lead to Trestles. San Onofre is one of the last open coastal spaces in Southern California-- are we willing to give that up for a toll road? 4. The toll road would wreak havoc on the wildlife in San Onofre State Beach. The road's construction would degrade or destroy the natural habitats for at least 11 threatened or endangered species that make their home in San Onofre-- steelhead trout, arroyo toad, California gnatcatcher , Least Bell s vireo, Southwestern willow flycatcher, Riverside fairy shrimp, San Diego fairy shrimp, snowy plover, Pacific pocket mouse, thread-leavedbrodiaea and tidewater goby. The road will also produce run-off and pollution that will damage the water quality. 3. Trestles one of those rare surf spots made by the heavens. The waves at Trestles are so incredible party because of the sand that flows from San Mateo Creek. The toll road would cut the creek in half, disrupting the natural sediment flow and degrading the way waves are formed. The surfing community-- including a number of pro surfers, the staff of Surfing Magazine andTransworld Surf Magazine and the CEO of O'Neill-- is fighting to save one of the best remaining surf spots. As Kelly Gibson, CEO of O'Neill said, Trestles is one of the most epic waves in the world. Building the toll road will result in a change of the sediment and sand flow that makes Trestles so good. Pictures of Trestles Beach 2. The toll road is not the best way to improve traffic in Southern California. The TCA is proposing the construction of the toll road as a solution to relieve traffic from Interstate 5. However, the TCA itself has said that improving and fixing I-5 would be a more effective way to decrease traffic congestion. The TCA refuses to consider this and other solutions (double-decking parts of I-5, expanding arterial routes, building rapid transit options) because its one and only purpose is building toll roads. 1. The toll road is expensive to build and will only serve those who can afford to drive on it. Bottom line: toll roads are designed to serve the wealthy. People who can afford to pay exorbitant fees to drive on new highways will benefit. Everyone else will be stuck on the still-congested I-5. State Treasurer and former California Attorney General BillLockyer said, Toll roads are fundamentally inegalitarian. Such roads create a two-tier system, where people of ordinary means drive on roads that are falling apart while the affluent pay tolls and drive on new or improved highways. And the toll road sure isn't cheap to build in the first place-- the projected cost is $1 billion! Even though the TCA supposedly constructs toll roads without using public funds, the agency asked the federal government for $100 million to construct the Foothill-South toll road. Homeowners in Orange County will also have to pay development fees on real estate sales, regardless if they use the toll road or not. After my little tirade, I hope you're as riled up as I am and ready to take action against the toll road through San Onofre. Here are a few quick ways you can take action: 1. Learn more about the issue at Surfrider and Save Trestles 2. Sign the online petition 3. Go to Save Trestles to find more ways to get involved. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/11925 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/11907 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:10:31 GMT Last week, I wrote a post about ninemillion.org, the first of three orgs you can support by running the Nike+ Human Race on August 31. And now, the second nonprofit you can race for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The Lance Armstrong Foundation at a Glance: In 1996, Lance Armstrong was 25 and a world-famous cyclist, claiming victories at the World Championships, the Tour Du Pont and several Tour de France stages. Then he found out he had testicular cancer. He had ignored the warning signs (we twenty-somethings have a habit of assuming we'll never get sick) and the cancer had spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. When testicular cancer is detected early, there is a 90 percent survival rate; because Lance was diagnosed so late, his chances were a lot slimmer. Lance educated himself about his disease and underwent aggressive treatment. From October to December 1996, Lance had two surgeries and four rounds of chemotherapy and eventually beat the cancer. In 1997, Lance started the Lance Armstrong Foundation to help other people in situations like his. The LAF has grown to offer support to other cancer survivors and their families and raise money forcancer research. In 1999, just three years after Lance was diagnosed with cancer, he won the Tour de France, the world's most intense cycling race... and then went on to win itevery year through 2005! Lance's story is inspirational, to say the least. Not only did he conquer a life-threatening disease, he used his celebrity to raise awareness and money to improve the lives of other cancer survivors. If you participate in the Nike+ Human Race at the end of the month, you can join Lance in the fight against cancer. Learn more about the Lance Armstrong Foundation and find out how you can get involved. Register for the Nike+ Human Race. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/11907 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/11870 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:14:35 GMT I didn't catch the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics on Friday, but I've sure been reading about a whole lot today. A beautiful little girl, Lin Miaoke, performed Ode to the Motherland in a gorgeous, crystal-clear voice as China's flag was proudly displayed in the National Stadium. I could almost put aside the politics and conflicts around the Beijing Olympics for a second and enjoy this little girl singing for her country with such a sweet voice. Too bad that little girl wasn't singing at all! The girl with the beautiful voice is actually Yang Peiyi, who Chinese officials decided at the last minute was not cute enough to represent China on the world stage. Seriously, China? You don't have enough drama going on right now, what with people protesting internationally against your human rights violations and media censorship? You have to add a little fuel to the fire by telling a 7-year-old girl she's ugly and fat? Maybe you should just steal an old lady's purse or kick a puppy or something. Then maybe your popularity will go up. This little charade is just representative of the way China operates, trying to disguise reality with a glossy, pretty, dishonest facade. The world is already watching China to see if the Beijing Olympics will motivate any kind of social change-- even the slightest bit of sketchiness makes activists more unwilling to trust the Chinese government. What do you guys think about this? (And for the record, Yang Peiyi, I think you're beautiful and you sing like an angel.) http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/11870 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2314 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:05:06 GMT The Nike+ Human Race is less than a month away (August 31, 2008), which means we have T- 27 days to register to run for a great cause. Where has the summer gone?! In my last post about the Human Race, I mentioned in passing the three incredible organizations this event is supporting, but they deserve a little more attention than that. In no particular order (I can't pick favorites... I love you all equally), I want to devote a post to the great work each org is doing. First up... ninemillion.org! ninemillion.org At a Glance: In 2006, the UN refugee agency (UNHRC) started ninemillion.org, along with help from Nike and Microsoft. The campaign's goal is to raise awareness about what child refugees experience in their everyday lives and to raise money to give more than nine million children access to education, sports and technology by the year 2010. It's difficult to imagine having to leave your home and everything you have known to live in a refugee camp as an adult-- imagine going through that as a kid. ninemillion.org works to give refugee children back their childhood through: Education. Every child deserves to learn, and ninemillion.org supports sustainable programs that provide books, classrooms and gender-separated bathrooms for students. Sports. Playing sports helps children develop healthy bodies and a strong sense of teamwork and self-esteem. Something as simple as a soccer ball can dramatically change lives. Technology. If refugee children learn computer skills early on, they have much better educational and work opportunities waiting for them in the future. Internet access also opens an incredible new world of communication and information. ninemillion.org's programs pay special attention to refugee girls because girls more often than not are hit hardest by poverty. They are less likely to have access to eduation or to sports; they are more likely to bear household responsibilities; and they are more likely to contract HIV or AIDS. When girls are empowered to become strong, well-educated leaders, the whole community benefits. Last year, YN's Crusader interviewed Hunter Goodenow, a 19-year-old volunteer for ninemillion.org. Check out what he has to say here. By participating in the Nike+ Human Race, you can help give refugee children a second chance. Who's interested in racing in one of the 25 race cities? Who wants to get a local group together to run in a non-race city? Learn more about ninemillion.org here. Register to run for ninemillion.org in the Nike+ Human Race here. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2314 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2255 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:46:33 GMT I started to become aware of social issues in '90s when I was in junior high and high school, and for most of my adolescence, the name Nike was pretty much equivalent with sweatshop labor. I was appalled by accounts of children younger than I was making my shoes for pennies a day, and I didn't buy Nike products for years (and silently judged anyone I saw wearing Nike gear on the street). I haven't kept up with Nike's practices very well for the last few years, so my old beliefs still persisted until recently. When YouthNoise was first considering a partnership with the Nike Let Me Play campaign, I admit I was more than a little wary of getting in bed with a company that had such a rocky history with labor rights. In the last few weeks, we at YN have gotten a few angry e-mails from YN community members who express the same issues with our partnership with Nike. In a nutshell, they want to know, If you consider yourself an activist organization, how in good conscience can you agree to work with an evil corporation like Nike? Touch . That's a completely valid question and one I certainly asked myself before getting all Yay Nike. None of the staffers at YN wanted to jump on the bandwagon of a corporation we had major misgivings about, so we did our homework before making a decision. What we found was a company that had some awful business practices in the past and is genuinely trying to make things right in the future. Nike's corporate responsibility reforms may have started off as damage control-- a warm and fuzzy PR push to improve their image with unhappy consumers-- but we really believe they have gone far beyond that. Nike releases yearly corporate responsibility reports (100+ pages, but a worthwhile skim if you can stay awake) and was the first major footwear and apparel manufacturer to publish a list of all of its contract factories on the Internet to increase transparency and accountability. It's bizarre, but Nike chairman Phil Knight may have summed it up best when he said in 1998, The Nike product has become synonymous with slave wages, forced overtime and arbitrary abuse. I truly believe that the American consumer does not want to buy products made in abusive conditions. Right you are, Mr. Knight. Right you are. Call me an optimist, but I think he was being sincere. For those of you who question YN's decision to work with Nike, I totally understand where you're coming from. But I ask you to take another look at the changes Nike has made in the last 10 years and join in the debate we've set up on the site. What do you think of Nike's corporate responsibility efforts and YN's decision to partner on the Let Me Play campaign? Is Nike doing enough to fix its past mistakes? What more should it be doing? Looking forward to hearing from y'all... http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2255 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2231 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:24:22 GMT Apply to be a Let Me Play Leadership Society intern, and get hands-on experience launching a project to use sports for social good in your community. (NOTE: If you can say Let Me Play Leadership Society internship five times fast, you are already on the road to greatness.) We're kicking off the LMP Leadership Society with our Los Angeles Training Camp from August 9-10! If you are accepted into the internship, you will get to spend two days at a free crash course in community organizing, team building and leadership training. Then over the next six to 12 months, you will work closely with a team of activists and mentors to make your sports project a reality. Learn more about the Let Me Play Leadership Society internship Apply now to be an intern and attend the LA Training Camp http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2231 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2191 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:52:48 GMT I admit I occasionally talk a little bit of trash about professional athletes. It's not my fault! Sometimes they give me no choice. From Michael Vick violating man's best friend to Jose Canseco and Co. 'roiding up like crazy, there's just so much to say. (At least I don't have to be afraid Charles Barkley will read this blog and get angry.) And then there are the salaries... I know I could never hit a grand slam or tackle a 300-pound dude or do whatever it is makes you a good golfer, but I get a wee bit angry when I find out this kid is gonna make $57 million over the next five years and he's younger than I am. I have this impression that most pro athletes bathe in Cristal and use Benjamins as toilet paper, so it's always nice when I see someone who proves me wrong. Enter Drew Brees, talented and, let's face it, dreamy quarterback of the New Orleans Saints. He joined the Saints in 2006, less than a year after Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans needed a boost of faith more than ever. Drew (you don't mind if I call you Drew, do you?) led the team to their very first NFC Championship Game, which is pretty damn close to the Super Bowl. It might sound silly to say a football team's success can be the least bit important in the midst of such devastation, but then maybe you've never met a die-hard Saints fan. These are the people who have loyally bought season tickets and screamed the Who Dat chant and tailgated like champs through years of losing seasons, always sticking to the motto You gotta have faith. It meant a lot to see the Saints play again in the Superdome, and it felt like a sign of new beginnings to see them actually winning. Drew Brees isn't a New Orleanian by birth. He's a Texan, but he adopted New Orleans as his home and has used his money and fame to help rebuild it. Drew and his wife Brittany started the Brees Dream Foundation to help the next generation of New Orleanians succeed by revitalizing local playing fields, schools and after-school mentoring programs. One of the projects is a multi-sport (football-baseball-soccer) field at Lusher Charter School (right around the corner from my house) that four schools and rec leagues will use. The Brees Dream Foundation is partnering with Operation Kids to raise $2.5 million for programs and projects to improve the quality of life for NOLA kids. Yes, they're rich and privileged. Yes, they recognize this and genuinely want to give kids athletic and educational opportunities. I get jaded about celebrities and their fickle pet causes, but I'm really impressed with the work they're doing. Drew, I'm a New Orleans transplant like you and I just want to thank you for what you're doing for the city. (And if you'd like to grab a drink some time and chat, I'd be happy to fit you into my busy schedule.) I became a believer in New Orleans and the Saints a long time ago, and I'm happy to see you're keepin' the faith. To donate to the Brees Dream Foundation and Operation Kids, go here. Please. Random question of the day: Do you think pro athletes are sincere when they do charity events or is it just for the PR? http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2191 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2158 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:53:55 GMT Hello, I feel like I should introduce myself. My name is Gill (like Jill, not Gil), and I'll be sharing my deep thoughts about sports for good with you on a regular basis. I'm the first to admit I'm an unconventional athlete-activist. I played a smattering of team sports growing up-- sprinting, long jump, rugby, even a tragically bad attempt at throwing discus and shotput (that girl shouldn't have been standing there anyway)-- but I wasn't exactly the kid whose soccer mom drove her around to ten different sports a week. I danced ballet and hula, I biked everywhere, I tried horseback riding for a minute, I rollerskated in pink lycra bike shorts, I rocked the Nintendo Power Pad long before there was ever a Wii-- but I never considered myself a traditional athlete. As for pro sports, I'm no expert, but I get as crazy and loud as the next adrenaline-pumped fan at MLB, NFL and NBA games (or, let's face it, my friend's intramural flag football game or my soon-to-be nephew's under 11 basketball game). People have threatened to take away my thunder sticks before. Haters. I care about my teams, and I will defend the SF Giants or the New Orleans Saints loyally, but I'm not exactly the strongest asset when it comes to Trivial Pursuit sports questions. My guy friends have ridiculous memories for batting averages and starting lineups and Super Bowl plays from 20 years ago, and I don't know how they do it (my own memory is already too full of bad song lyrics and SNL quotes-- for example...) My contributions to these conversations are limited ( Hey! Hey, remember when Will Clark played for the Giants? Yeah... that was awesome. ), but I love being a part of the fan frenzy. Now that I'm older and infinitely wiser, I have accepted that I don't have to be a Varsity superstar or a sports trivia encyclopedia to be an athlete. So I rollerblade and swim and take on the occasional pick-up tackle football game instead of playing volleyball or soccer. To each her own, right? There are so many different ways to be active and benefit your own body, and if you can figure out how to make the world a better place while you're at it...well, that's just incredible. In the coming months, I'll be highlighting people who are already taking this idea of using sports for social change and running with it (both literally and figuratively) and coming up with ways we can all get involved. I want to hear from all y'all in the Play City community-- comments, topic suggestions, differing points of view-- to get new perspectives (and so I don't feel like I'm crazy and talking to myself). Come say hey and answer my random question of the day in the comments section. Cheers! Random question of the day: Who was your sports hero growing up? http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2158 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2100 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:47:00 GMT Welcome to Play City, where we are redefining what it means to be a sports star. Forget the ego trips and the celebrity scandals we re the real deal. We go beyond win and loss columns, we don t hand out MVP trophies and we certainly don t have any signing bonuses. We are not about performance; we are about change. We don t care who we are playing against; we care who we are playing for. YouthNoise and Nike s Let Me Play campaign are teaming up to bring the phrase Be a good sport to a whole new level. We are building a global network of young activist-athletes who want to use their talents to do more than just sell endorsements. There s no limit to what we can achieve, whether we re building basketball courts from our recycled shoes or coaching soccer teams for future all-stars. We believe sports can change the world, one player at a time. Get your game face on and play like you mean it. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/2100 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/1981 Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:15:18 GMT Attention all runners (and hardcore power-walkers)! Nike is hosting the Human Race, the world's largest one-day running event on August 31, 2008, bringing together athletes from across the globe to support amazing causes. Runners in 25 different cities and five different continents will complete a 10K race over the course of one day. After each race, participants will get access to an exclusive concert featuring a top artist (Kanye West, Moby, Fall Out Boy, All-American Rejects and Kelly Rowland are just a few examples). And if all that isn't enough, the Nike + Human Race is also a global fundraiser for three charitable organizations. You can choose which organization you want to race for: the Lance Armstrong Foundation-- uniting people in the fight against cancer, ninemillion.org-- giving refugee youth sports and educational opportunities or World Wildlife Fund-- protecting the Earth's natural resources. Nike and Human Race participants will give at least $3 million to these charities through registration fees, merchandise sales and a $1 million donation from Nike. There are two ways to register: 1. If you live near one of the 25 Human Race cities, sign up to race with the Nike + crowd. 2. If not, no worries. You can sign up to run in your own hometown, no matter where you live. Get a group of friends together and make it a party! Register now at www.nikeplus.com Is anyone planning on running the Human Race? Post a comment about where you're running and what org you're supporting. Let's represent for the Let Me Play community! http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/1981