Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, teaching faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, discussed the lack of female athletes in sport media on Dr. David Leonard (Professor of Culture, Gender & Race at Washington State University) and Tara Conley (Founder of Media Make Change; Ph.D Student at the Teacher's College of Columbia University).
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The Tucker Center has been invited, along with this year's record-setting University of Minnesota women's hockey team, to "Celebrate Women's Sports Night" on Saturday, May 18 at 7:00 pm at the Saint Paul Saints' Midway Stadium as they host the New Jersey Jackals. Other championship women's teams from around the state will also be in attendance to celebrate the many accomplishments of women in sport in the state of Minnesota this year.
Doctoral candidate Tommy Valentini, head coach of the Gustavus Adolphus men's tennis team, coached his squad to the 2013 MIAC Championship over the weekend. The team will compete in the NCAA Tournament on May 11 at 1:00 p.m., facing off against Wisconsin-Whitewater in the second round following a first-round bye.
Read more about their MIAC Championship win on the GAC website.
Valentini is advised by Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi,.
Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, teaching faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, explains what sport can afford youth in "Be a Winning Parent: 3 Tips for Parents of Young Athletes," a piece that appeared on Riedell skates' blog. LaVoi states that youth sports should be a place where young people have fun, socialize, develop, and strive for success. Further, she notes that adults have a large role and need to be conscious of their actions.
This fall, Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, teaching faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, will appear in a television show produced by Ivanhoe Broadcast News, a syndicated television news-gathering organization. The segment is based on the 2007 Tucker Center Research Report, "Developing Physically Active Girls: An Evidence-based Multidisciplinary Approach," and appears as part of Ivanhoe's "Smart Woman" syndicated series. Ivanhoe provides TV stations with news segments offering viewers health solutions with the latest breakthroughs in science and medicine, tips on staying healthy, and advice from women for women. Ivanhoe reaches 11 of the top 20 television markets including Rochester, La Crosse, and Eau Claire (though not the Twin Cities) reaching an audience of 80 million households.
Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, teaching faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, is part of two research-based symposia at the annual American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Conference in Charlotte, NC:
- "Conducting Research on Female Athletes: Strategies for Success," is a session organized by the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS). The purpose of this session is to provide a multi-disciplinary overview of research related to female athletes and share strategies for conducting research with female athletes.
- LaVoi and Tucker Center Affiliated Scholar Dr. Cindra S. Kamphoff, Minnesota State University-Mankato, will present their national database findings, "Females in Positions of Power Within U.S. High School Sports." This session is part of the Research Consortium Grant Findings.
Austin Stair Calhoun, Director of eLearning + Digital Strategies in the School of Kinesiology and Ph.D. candidate in sport sociology, was awarded the 2013 CEHD Civil Services Bargaining Unit Innovative Ideas Award.
Professor Mary Jo Kane, School of Kinesiology faculty and director of the Tucker Center, will deliver the 2013 American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Research Consortium Raymond A. Weiss Distinguished Lecture in Charlotte, NC, on April 24. In her lecture, "An Examination of Female Athletes' Interpretations of Media Representations: A Window into the Construction of Dual Identity & 'Selling Sex' in Women's Sports," Kane examines how "selling sex" by creating "sexy babe" images suppresses interest in—not to mention respect for—women's sports.
Professor Mary Jo Kane, School of Kinesiology faculty and director of the Tucker Center, weighs in on Brittney Griner's future in the WNBA and the kind of influence she is capable of having on the league.
In the article titled, "W.N.B.A. Hopes Griner Can Change Perceptions, as Well as Game Itself," Kane explains, "A decade ago, W.N.B.A. officials might have been reluctant to celebrate as a standard-bearer of the league someone who did not conform to conventional standards of femininity." She continues to note, "You cannot ignore her athleticism, and the W.N.B.A. has not tried to isolate or marginalize Griner."
Dr. Chelsey Thul, recent graduate and Tucker Center Affiliated Scholar, will give a Postdoctoral Research Award presentation, "Disparities in physical activity among Minnesota adolescents of Somali, and other Non-Hispanic African American and White race," at the University of Minnesota's 7th Annual Pediatric Research, Education and Scholarship Symposium to be held Friday, April 19, 2013 from 11:45 - 5:00 PM in the Coffman Union Campus Club.