Welcome family and friends!
It’s me, Sarah, and I have decided to make a newsletter to keep people in my life updated, close, and connected!
Also, I want to share my take on current events such as politics, sports, and funny little stories. Scroll on to see today’s coverage topic: sports.
Without further ado, here are some life updates!
From May 2021-
Celebrated graduating from Detroit Mercy with a B.A. in Psychology and Religious Studies
Moved to NYC and killed about 500 cockroaches
Went apartment hunting and concluded that no one should ever move if they do not have to
Applied for numerous jobs in numerous industries such as…
Coaching lacrosse, Refereeing, Front desk positions, Libraries, Restaurants, The YMCA, Teaching Assistantships
Got a job as a barista at Gregory’s Coffee
Quit my job at Gregory’s Coffee (quick turnaround, I know) to work for a non-profit called About U Outreach as a strength coach
Started classes at Teachers College, Columbia University
Pursuing a Master of Education (Ed.M.) in Mental Health Counseling
I’ve completed two classes so far (Theories of Counseling and Working with Children and Families) and I am currently enrolled in three classes (Multicultural Counseling, Issues and Ethics, and Career Counseling)
I am volunteering as a coach for Harlem Jets Lacrosse
A nonprofit organization located in East Harlem. We coach lacrosse clinics and practices for youth players (ages 5-14) from all over NYC. The majority of our equipment and field space comes from donations because we provide lacrosse for an affordable price (as sports should be).
Please Donate!! (Venmo @Sarah-Lucas-29) or click here
Sports-
WNBA Finals, NWSL, Athletes Unlimited, SportsCenter
Who Ya Got? WNBA Finals are Heating Up
Game 3 of the WNBA finals are on tonight at 9 p.m. and Diana Taurasi (a.k.a. the GOAT) of the Pheonix Mercury takes on Candace Parker of the Chicago Sky. Game two was a nail-biter as the Sky made a last-minute comeback thanks to Courtney Vandersloot’s layup to send the game to OT. But it was no match for Skylar Diggins-Smith’s one-on-one expertise to get the W for the Mercury. Also, Britney Griner made history as she threw down the first dunk ever in a WNBA Finals. I expect another close game tonight in Chicago. Will homecourt advantage be enough for the Sky to advance to a 2-1 lead in the best of 5 series?
Abusive Coaching in the NWSL
The National Women’s Soccer League, like many other women’s leagues, was held accountable in recent weeks as players united against several abusive (cishet male) coaches. What’s worse yet not surprising? The executives of the league were made aware of the allegations well before this year, and took no action to investigate the allegations.
U.S. soccer star, Alex Morgan, told reporters that as she was looking through the league handbook, she saw protections in place for executives and coaches, but none for the players.
Paul Riley, Christy Holly, and Richie Burke are the three coaches accused of abuse and misconduct. Riley was accused of homophobia and racism. Players described Riley as being obsessed with their sexual orientation and experienced discrimination because of it. Women’s sports are generally a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community because that’s how many players and fans identify; however, the NWSL and other leagues (NFL, WNBA, NCAA) allow homophobia to perpetuate.
Athletes Unlimited Launches Inaugural Pro Women’s Lacrosse Season
Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. “According to a study conducted by the NCAA in 2018, lacrosse is the fastest-growing collegiate sport over the past 15 years. Within their respective genders, no sport has experienced greater growth than men’s or women’s lacrosse” (Inside Lacrosse). Athletes Unlimited is a network of professional sports leagues (Softball, Volleyball, and Lacrosse). This summer, they launched the first season of lacrosse that ran from July 23rd-August 30th. The organization of the teams is a bit unorthodox. “The top four players become captains each week and draft their teams from scratch for following week’s games. In our scoring system, every player can lose or win points during every game” (Athletes Unlimited). The format of the season is different, but it allows for fans to become more familiar with players than teams, which is an awesome way to grow women’s sports. Also, Athletes Unlimited is introducing women’s basketball to the family come January 2022.
SportsCenter Fails in Equal Coverage of Women’s and Men’s Sports
The legitimacy of SportCenter is questionable. It doesn’t matter what time you look, the majority of posts will be about men. “In the latest study, researchers found that 95% of total television coverage focused on men’s sports in 2019.” With 50.8% of the US population being women, that means SportsCenter fails to report on more than half of the population. Why does this matter? Because representation matters. Girls drop out of sports much earlier than boys and have fewer opportunities than men to pursue a real athletic career after college. The power of media and marketing is real. When equal coverage of women’s sports is attained, the opportunities for girls and women will skyrocket. If you’re looking for sports coverage from women’s perspectives instead of men’s, you should try The Gist. (They actually report on both men’s and women’s sports, and are an entirely female team!)
Catch up with me & the world of women's sports.
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