How I Spent My Day

Remember when social media first started to become popular and people started posting on Facebook every little thing they did?  Like folded laundry, took a shower, went to the gym... nothing really out of the ordinary, usual everyday kinds of things?  Like today, my brother just re-posted his first Facebook post of each month of 2019.  How four people liked that is beyond me.  Or remember when AOL Instant Messenger had "Away Messages" that would automatically get sent back to anyone who wrote you because you were away from your computer?

One time in college, I had an "Away Message" up that was a quote from the band "3 Doors Down."  Here's a YouTube link to one of their hits, "Here Without You," in case you need a refresher. I don't remember the quote I used, but it was probably from this song.  Anyways, I had their quote as my away message and I probably didn't have proper punctuation to identify it as a song because my sister called me at 2AM and when I sleepily answered from my own bed in my dorm room, she asked "Who lives 3 doors down from you that you're spending all this time with?"  Ha!

Anyways, now that you are reflecting on all the simple things you used to post on your own social media or the things that annoy you when you read them from others, I'm going to tell you how I spent my day today. An Abby Play-By-Play for your reading enjoyment.  I'm sure you all want to know.

Today is Monday, December 16th.  I woke up around 7:30AM, before my alarm.  I usually don't need my alarm to wake up, so today was no exception.  I have Mondays off and was excited that I had signed up to watch the Breakthrough Summit, a digital leadership conference for women in sports.  If you missed it, you can still watch the replay by signing up here.

LaChina Robinson and Jill Ellis

The Summit kicked off with introduction from ESPN Basketball Analyst LaChina Robinson (Twitter @LaChina Robinson) interviewing Jill Ellis Head Soccer Coach for the 2019 World Cup Champions US Women's Soccer  National Team.  I didn't plan to live tweet quotes from today... but then the inspiring quotes just wouldn't stop coming.  Coach Ellis talked about her career path, things coaches should consider as they work towards the top, her experience working with outspoken professional athletes in the current environment where women are voicing their opinions, loudly, about the inequalities in opportunity, pay, the workforce, and so many other areas.  My favorite quote from this interview was Coach Ellis saying "If I'm the same leader today that I was two years ago, I'm failing."  The value of personal growth is enormous, and I heard her loud and clear.

At this point, I got out of bed and made a bowl of Frosted Flakes with Almond Milk and some grapes which I enjoyed while watching the next portion of the Summit. LaChina had an interesting discussion with a panel coming from three different sports backgrounds.  Dr. Jen Welter (Twitter @jwelter47) is considered to be the first woman who worked in the NFL when she joined the Arizona Cardinals Coaching Staff in 2015 after a successful career as a Pro Footballer herself.  She said she called herself a 'Pro" because they didn't earn enough money for the "fessional" and that when her team won a championship following a 12-0 season, she got her first paycheck along with her championship ring. The check was for $12.  But she was paid to play her sport, football, and that was a big deal.

LaChina and Panel: Jen, Ginny, and Charmelle

Also on the panel was Seattle Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder (Twitter @ginnygilder) who I've previously written about here and who is an Olympian Rower.  What stuck out to me from Ginny's talk was how the Storm ownership group, Force 10 Hoops, initially came together to determine why they wanted to collectively purchase the Seattle Storm.  They wanted to support a team that the community loved, but they also wanted a platform to use to support the changes they saw necessary in the world.  After five years working with the team, I had never heard that story, and now I can't wait to hear more about it.

Third on the panel was Penn State Senior Associate Athletic Director Charmelle Green (Twitter  @charmelle44) who played college softball at Utah and was the only black female athlete on campus at that time.  She talked about her career path and about learning from your mistakes and using them for growth.  Carmelle is also the President-Elect of WeCoach who sponsored this event.  The Vision Statement of WeCoach is "recruitment, advancement, and retention of women coaches of all sports and levels."  Throughout today's event, data was presented showing that female coaches don't stick around as long as their male counterparts.  The data improves if the female coach was, herself, coached by a female coach.  The data also improves if females were asked as student athletes if they would consider coaching as a career after college - compared to those who were never asked to consider that path.  The data was presented in an online live Q+A chat during their lunch session by two of the later presenters.

It was at this point that I unfortunately had to head out for my appointment with my therapist because #mentalhealth.  In the car I listened to the presentation of Felecia Mulkey (Twitter @BaylorAcroCoach), Acrobatics and Tumbling Coach at Baylor University who discussed the process of developing a team culture using Dr. Bruce Tuckman's "Developmental Sequence of Team Development" model.  She uses boundaries, clearly defined expectations, and consequences paired alongside coaching staff congruency to make sure her team functions as a program.  I liked her discussion of how a coach can't really choose the culture of their team, the culture is what the team thinks it is and the coach can impact that culture with how they lead.  Then I had to miss some of the Summit, but it's going to be available in recorded form and I guarantee I'll catch up and watch WNBA All Star playing for the Connecticut Sun, Layshia Clarendon (Twitter @LayshiaC) because she's an awesome human being and I was bummed that I missed it today.

Betsy Butterick

Following mental health came physical health.  I made it to the gym in time to catch my old pal Betsy Butterick, The Coaches' Coach and Communication Specialist. (Twitter @BetsyButterick) with her presentation. What could be more motivating on the treadmill than watching Betsy demonstrating how easy it is to tangle up communications as she was instructed to make a PB&J sandwich.  Something so simple went horribly wrong in a memorable visual presentation.  I first met Betsy in 2007 when I worked for the Connecticut Sun and she worked for the Seattle Storm.  We were both doing laundry for our teams and there was a small group of us around the WNBA at that time who were around the same age, all hoping to find our paths in women's sports. She's paving the road for many behind her and elevating so many coaches with her work, doing amazing things.  We both participated in the Women's Basketball Summit which I wrote about here, and you can check out her latest work here!

I missed the next presentation and a half because I needed amped up music to deadlift, but then saw the second half of the data on women in coaching presented by Dr. Nicole Lavoi (Twitter @DrSportPsych).  Dr. Lavoi is the Director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota, but what I did hear was a combination of optimistic room for growth and disbelief at the current status of the NCAA.  It made me sad to hear how few women hold higher up roles in NCAA Intercollegiate Athletics as well as coaching women's teams around the country.  Women in higher ranks will ultimately help women get the jobs in sports they aspire to have, so the future will hopefully have room for more female athletic directors. There are report cards grading athletic departments based on their gender hiring practices.  UConn doesn't look good with their D, but the shining light was seeing my college professor, Dr. Laura Burton, on the Tucker Center staff.  She was always pushing for improved gender opportunities 15 years ago.  I didn't know the Tucker Center existed, but I can't wait to read through some of their research in the upcoming weeks and finish watching her presentation.

LaChina and Holly Warlick

By now I had made it home for a late lunch... I'm sure you're wondering... chicken salad in corn tortillas, taco style. I was able to finish watching the last interview with former Tennessee Lady Vols Women's Basketball Head Coach Holly Warlick, who spoke highly of legendary Women's Basketball Coach Pat Summitt.  Holly's top quote was "You meet the same people on the way up that you do on the way back down, so treat people with respect."  She also gave the advice to young coaches that they really need to love what they're doing.  Coaching is a huge time commitment that requires you to sacrifice time away from your family, so loving it and having family support are essential.

Then I went to Target.

Overall, a pretty awesome day.  I really enjoyed the parts of the Summit I was able to watch and can't wait to fill in the gaps soon.  Hopefully they'll do a repeat next year.  What did you do ttoday?

2019 WNBA Season Training Camp Begins Sunday, May 5th!

The 2019 WNBA Season is almost here!!! This week, the Seattle Storm Sports Medicine Staff gathered at Storm Headquarters to prepare for our upcoming team physicals and training camp!  Players will be starting to arrive in Seattle and get settled in their apartments with camp starting on Sunday, May 5th!  It was nice to see the Championship Trophies, including the most recent 2018 WNBA Championship Trophy, proudly on display along with catching up with all my sideline pals.  This will be my fifth season with the Storm and many of the medical providers have been there for at least three of those other seasons - so it's always a bit of a reunion getting back together after the off-season.

All of this is occurring in the same week as the Women's National Soccer League announcing their official roster for the 2019 World Cup and a group of over 200 professional women's hockey players announcing they'll be sitting out this upcoming season.  So much going on in women's sports!  We're facing a time of change.  You can see it in politics.  You can see it in education. You can see it on the news.  You can see it at work.  And, without question, you can see it in sports. It has been inspiring to see the platform athletes have through sports, and I do not take it for granted that I have the opportunity to stand on the sidelines and watch with a front row seat.  But, in the wake of all this change, we have the chance to embrace opportunities and seize every chance that presents itself.

So today, I'll highlight a little about what the beginning of the WNBA Season looks like for the medical team working behind the athletes. In truth - all sports teams require multiple teams to operate at their best.  You have the athletes on the court, the sports medicine providers - like the team doctor, athletic trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and other specialists - you have the business staff that makes sure the front office operates - and this can include your ticket sales team, marketing team... so many teams!

Our meeting was to get everyone organized. New members of the crew were introduced.  We reviewed the medical status of all of the incoming players.  This is helpful to prepare for our physical exams that will occur in the upcoming few days to know who is coming in injured and may need some rehab programming right from the start versus getting a strength and conditioning program ready.  We get details on who will still be playing overseas in the European Leagues - because some of the Storm players are going to be playing for championships in other countries and will join us later than other players.  We won't get into the discussion on why this occurs - it's financially based and it certainly increases the risk of injury on these athletes by not allowing them rest breaks or an off-season - which makes our physical exams even more important.

Truly, doing physicals for incoming WNBA players and attending training camp practices has been one of my favorite times to work with the team.  Here's why:

1) The WNBA has 12 teams with 12 players on each team - so there are 144 professional female basketball players in our league.  This compares to the 30 teams in the NBA which have 15 player spots available for a total of 450 possible jobs to play professional basketball.  That means, whoever gets invited to training camp is the cream of the crop, ultimate best at what they do.  Who doesn't want to meet, and work with, the greatest athletes in the sport they love?  Of the group that comes in, a handful won't make the team, but they will get exposure from their invitation to training camp which will help their future in basketball anyways.

2) The rookies are usually coming in from college, their first job away from home, and it's an awesome opportunity to help them in whatever way possible.  They all have different needs.  For example, one year, the Storm Strength Coach and I were doing our physical exams on a player who had come from college... she hadn't even graduated yet.  We asked her how she was settling into Seattle and she expressed some concerns about grocery shopping and cooking.  Her college team and college dining halls had fed them most of their meals - so she had never had to do those things before.  We could provide her with resources from day one of where to shop, what things to look for, and which players on the team were excellent cooks that they should ask for advise on techniques.  The team also has a nutritionist that they can meet with to help design meals, but for starters, we needed to make sure they stopped eating out every meal, because it is far too expensive and time consuming.

3) Some of the best basketball practices are during training camp.  Because there are only 12 spots on the team, these athletes are fighting hard for their spots.  At this level, they work hard almost all the time, but for sure this is some of their best basketball.  Training camp or the playoffs.  When it really matters the most.  And the coaching staff sets the tone for the whole season right from the start.  So you're just in for a good time if you're on the sidelines.

What will we do at team physicals?  Well - the team physician will go through the usual things that any other person would have done at a physical exam.  Height, weight.  Any pain?  How is the body moving?  How is strength?  Any recent illnesses?  Listen to heart and lungs, look in eyes, ears, and mouth. Any reason to get any blood tests?  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Hopefully you've had your own physical recently... and if it has been more than a year - schedule one!

The team Strength Coach and I will do movement screens that we have developed over the past few years.  When I was with the Connecticut Sun, our team physical therapist and strength coach did movement screens too, so I would imagine all the teams in the league are doing some sort of assessment to determine where they should start their strength and conditioning programs for each athlete and see how everyone looks.  As a physical therapist, I’m looking at their squats, jumping and landing, overhead motion, and some core strength tests.  If you're not assessing your athletes before a season, you're guessing with their training for the whole time.  Baseline measures are essential.  And that's about it.  Then we can prepare for the season!

I'm ready... who's coming to a game!?!  Go Storm!

Happy Blogiversary!

I can't believe I've been writing this blog for a whole year!  It's a Blogiversary! I really love any occasion to celebrate... so a year of personal growth and writing seems like as good an excuse as any other!  My first post, published on November 5, 2017, can be found here.  It was an introduction to "Abby's World" and what my three initial topics of interest were: 1) Physical Therapy-related education, 2) the Female Athlete, and 3) Injury Prevention. Looking back on the past year of blogging, I'd say I mostly stuck to my PT education, writing about courses I was taking, patients/athletes I was seeing, conditions I was learning about.  I threw in some posts about female athletes or women in sports and a little bit about injury prevention, too.

What better way to celebrate an anniversary than to use a photo of my parents on their 50th wedding anniversary?!  Aren't they just the cutest?!

This past year I've experienced considerable growth - both personally and professionally.  The blog has basically served as a tracking device for my professional growth. I've really enjoyed writing these and it has helped me stay organized and a bit more accountable to learning something or reflecting.  I anticipate more of the same in the upcoming year, maybe expressing more of my personal growth as well.  Vulnerability is a personal area of struggle, so going more into the personal realm is a bit terrifying to me.  I've written outlines of several posts that I haven't been able to share yet... but hope to find that courage in the future.  I'd love to hear more from those of you who have been reading to better understand what you've found useful.  Sometimes I just think I'm sharing my thoughts to a giant black hole.  Who are you, readers?

And so, I present The Top Seven Things I've Learned from One Year of Blogging.

1) Time management.  I wanted to make sure the I never went more than 10 days between posts.  I didn't go back through all the dates, but I'm pretty sure I was successful.  Somewhere early along the way, I read that if you want to build a blog with a big following, you need to be consistent with posting on the same day of the week.  But - my goals weren't to build a big following - and consistency wasn't always possible.  I did find myself prioritizing time to learn more each week so that I could keep my blog posts regularly coming, and I published 63 posts in the past year... just a little bit more than once per week!

2) I really like lists.  Again, I didn't go back through my previous posts to write this one, but I noticed a while back that about half of my posts are in list form... just like this post.  I've always liked
"To Do" lists... but didn't expect this.  What does it mean?!  Is this how my brain operates?  Funny enough - it just might be! In PT School, we took a learning styles assessment early in the program.  It suggested that people learn in one of three ways: visual learner, auditory learner, or kinesthetic learner.  I scored 33% on each one which was SUPER UNHELPFUL and ultimately made me feel like I needed to learn everything in two ways to really grasp the concept (that's still only 66%).

I was recently advised to take another assessment of my learning type, but this one had a fourth option: the reading/writing learner.  I came out as 91% of this "other" type... I wish I had known during PT School, though I think that's how I ultimately was studying anyways. Yeesh!  The characteristics listed for a reading/writing learner are someone who keeps boatloads of notebooks and who writes and re-writes study guides.  That's me!  Of course I don't really look back at them, but I can't get rid of a huge chunk of my college notes... I just can't!  I certainly wasn't someone who drew pictures or charts very much (visual), or who tape-recorded my lectures to re-listen (auditory) and I don't actually think I learn much at all from acting things out (kinesthetic).  One of my PT School classmates would be contorting himself in the desk at school trying to figure out biomechanics by moving his own body... I was trying to recreate my study guide or flash cards in my brain. I think that discovering techniques that helped me learn have increased my understanding of why I write lists - and was a big self discovery find over this past year of blogging.

3) You never know who might be reading!  I went to a course on the elbow presented by one of my favorite mentors, Lenny Macrina, that I wrote about here.  That post was all about the impact that social media has had on my practice as a PT.  What I didn't mention on that post, though, was that while I was at the class, I ran into a PT I had met around Seattle a few times, who told me he had been reading my blog! I've had coworkers comment to me at work about it.  Family members have reached out and asked questions or shown support.  A former co-worker at UConn told me she sent my blog posts about pain to her mom and they really resonated with her and helped her feel better.  WHAT?  So, thank you to everyone who has read some of my posts and mentioned them back to me... there have been so few comments posted, but I can see the numbers of people who are checking it out... and I am grateful for all of you, and hopeful that I'm helping you in some way.

4) I have a lot of interests and I learned a lot this past year!  I don't think I was really motivated to learn before working at Seattle Children's.  Maybe that's the typical pattern for a new grad... still suffering from school burnout and needing to learn the ropes of how to structure a day in the clinic, interact with patients, write notes, stay on time... basic things.  And then you start to feel like you're not really a new grad anymore and can focus on ways to grow beyond getting better at basic skills.

I started writing this blog about eight months into my time working at Seattle Children's Hospital when I was starting to feel more confident in my skills as a physical therapist and ready to start learning about conditions I didn't know enough about.  Prior to then, I had only treated one patient with a concussion, I had never used iontophoresis (now that I have - I can tell you I don't really like it as a treatment... but at least I know how to do it and can explain why I don't like it or why I would use it), I had never worked with a transgender person (at least who was openly discussing it with me), I knew NOTHING about pain science, and my total number of post-op ACL patients treated was in the single digits.  These are BIG topics that I felt inadequately prepared to deal with and dove into reading and learning as much as possible to better help my patients.  It also shows me how much more there is to learn, how impossible it is to know everything, how important it is to be a lifelong learner, and how critical it is to have a network of colleagues who specialize so that you know who to ask for help.  I know that I can treat a baseball player - and probably help them get better - but that one of my coworkers would be better at breaking down their throwing form than I am.  So I keep learning about how to do it better by sharing patients and learning from coworkers and reading... a lot.  And it makes me proud that my coworkers know that a teenage basketball player who comes into the clinic might connect well with me because of my background, and would recommend sharing that patient with me.

5) I can't believe I started my blog the year the Seattle Storm won the WNBA Championship.  Since I moved to Seattle specifically to volunteer with the team, it was amazing to watch them work and have the chance to blog about some of that experience.  I'm so grateful that I've been able to work with the Storm, the Connecticut Sun, and the UConn Women's Basketball teams because women's sports are on the rise, the WNBA is up and coming, there is more and more coverage for women's sports, and because it has been so awesome learning about women working in sports and trying to promote them.  I wrote a little about that here.  But writing my own posts about the Storm and women's sports showed me how little there even is about injury writing in sports from a healthcare provider perspective, and there's even less when it comes to women's sports.  It's challenging because of athlete privacy - but I thought I had a unique perspective on some of the injuries or risk factors that were being discussed around the WNBA and was glad to write about them.  I can do more.  I will do more.

6) The opportunities for women in sports are still severely limited.  Writing a blog requires a considerable amount of reading and research.  I found a few more women to look up to and learn from during this process... but they were few and far between.  Many of these women are clinicians treating athletes and patients - they're not writing about their experiences or regularly presenting at conferences, so it's hard to learn from them.  They're doing all the right things - but they're not on the social media boards the way so many males are in our profession.  Something I never publicized were my efforts to try to change opportunities for women working in sports medicine.  I wish I could say I'd had more success on my efforts in the past several months, but I've hit several road blocks.  I will not stop this battle... and I hope the upcoming year will result in continued growth and more opportunities.

7)  The world is changing.  Politics are affecting healthcare and women and I didn't really express my opinions of this on the blog very much, but all my increased reading made it very apparent.  I'm sure some of my opinions came across in the blog, but overall I've tried to remain apolitical in this space.  I can't promise it will remain that way because I care about so many of the things that are happening in the world.  I'm interested in global warming - but have not read anything about the topic.  I'm interested in healthcare reform... I spent several days reading the Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) legislation during PT School so I could present it to a clinical rotation as well as to my classmates.  I care about special needs children, people with mental health issues, those who are experiencing chronic illness or chronic pain, and anyone with a pre-existing condition who may be impacted by healthcare change.  I have considerable interest in mental health and know that there will definitely be posts about it in the future.  By and large - I've kept the political opinions out of here, with the exception of gender equality issues - and I expect it will probably stay that way.  Maybe.

So that's a year of blogging!  Thanks for joining me on the ride... it's been fun!  Please comment, even if to just say hi.  I'd really appreciate it.  Here's to another year of learning and helping people get back to their favorite activities.

Women's Basketball Summit

I'm participating in the Women's Basketball Summit!  This event is like attending a conference from the comfort of your couch.  You can wear sweats, make some popcorn, put your feet up, and watch interviews over a four day span from people of all different backgrounds talking about basketball!  The target audience is for young female athletes, their parents, and their coaches - to gain new perspectives about ways to improve performance both on and off the court.  The panel includes college basketball coaches and administrators, strength and conditioning coaches, physical therapists, injury prevention specialists, personal trainers, communication experts, and more!

Today I was able to record my discussion with host Jen Brickey. Jen is a strength and conditioning coach in Massachusetts who played Division I College basketball at Hofstra University in NY.  I've been fortunate enough to meet several of the other presenters throughout my career working in women's basketball - and I can tell you they're really bright people with unique and interesting backgrounds.  Right now, if you want to register to watch, you can have access to all the videos for only $5 when they go live in September!  Prices will go up in about a week!

We had the opportunity to talk about my responsibilities with the Seattle Storm, work I do in the clinic at Seattle Children's Hospital as a Sports Physical Therapist, common injuries in women's basketball, and recommendations for youth athletes.

Check out the website.  Sign up here! Mark your calendars. And then let me know what you think!

Airplanes

"Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars, I could really use a wish right now..." - B.O.B.

I love to travel.  I enjoy seeing new places, eating new foods or the comfort foods of home, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones... and my family lives on the East Coast while I'm on the West Coast, so often my travels lead me to them.  Last weekend I went to the East Coast, flying through Chicago O'Hare each way... and my personal travels started the thought process for this week's blog.  And then the WNBA had a massive flight disaster...

Today, the Las Vegas Aces WNBA team are scheduled to play the Washington Mystics in Washington, D.C.  Initially scheduled for 7PM EST, tonight, the game was moved back an hour as the Aces were not likely to arrive in town with enough time to get to the arena before playing.  (Update: ultimately the game was canceled!) They started their travels on Thursday mid-day with repeated delays shifting back their departure and arrival.  What a nightmare! They spent several hours stranded in the Dallas airport... and with a good sense of humor... posted an injury report listing every player with a sleepy emoji.

Many of these details are outlined in this article... though I was following the action on twitter, primarily through Carolyn Swords, A'ja Wilson, and the Las Vegas Aces accounts. I'm really not sure what's been going on to cause these problems... doesn't look like there are weather issues in the mid-west... but shortly after the Aces got off the ground, the Indiana Fever had their flight cancelled heading to New York to play the Liberty - that game is scheduled for 3PM EST tomorrow... who knows when they'll arrive.

Anyways... a few days ago, I was flying from Hartford to Chicago with the entire US Women's National Soccer Team.  I waved hello to superstar Megan Rapinoe who I've had the pleasure of crossing paths with a few times in Seattle, and I was seated next to Christen Press, across from goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and two rows behind Tobin Heath... they were all very pleasant, were able to avoid middle seats from what I could tell... and were happily taking photos with fans who recognized them.  Their matching travel outfits with the USWNT logo on them didn't help them stay incognito.  I wonder if the men's national team flies commercial... we all know the NBA doesn't.  I don't have the time to make this a gender issue, today.

Years ago I worked as the Travel Coordinator for the Connecticut Sun WNBA Team and had been looking into chartered flight costs thanks to the help of the UConn Women's Basketball office... the cost for a charter then was about $40,000... flying commercially, even if it's an expensive flight over $500 per person on the whole team and staff made a travel party around 25 people... total cost per flight is about $12,500.  It just isn't feasible right now for the WNBA teams to travel at this type of cost - especially since teams aren't permitted to travel together (unless league rules have changed).  Maybe the cities that have National Women's Soccer League teams and WNBA Teams could arrange travel together so the Storm and Reign could travel to places like Chicago together and split costs of charter... but you definitely need to have more people to fill a charter to make this cost effective in the WNBA.  The coaching staffs and medical staffs in the NBA make a much larger travel party than the WNBA is limited to at this point, as well.  I'd certainly love to get back on the road with the Seattle Storm along with the rest of the medical crew... but the budget can't fit all that!

Lastly... when I flew out to the East Coast last week... Seattle to Chicago... I experienced my first time when they paged over the speakers for a doctor on board.  Now... I know that I'm a physical therapist... but years ago I was an EMT and I am working towards urgent response training... so I figure if there wasn't a doctor on the plane, I'd potentially be more useful than someone without any medical training.  I walked to the back of the plane and made myself known to the flight attendant.  A nurse was sitting next to a gentleman who had experienced a seizure.  The nurse said things were under control and asked me to share my seat number in case another episode occurred and more hands were needed.  I went back to my seat.  But this got me thinking... you see this in movies and I don't actually know what the rules say about whether I'm supposed to help.  So I looked into it... and would you believe I could not find resources for physical therapists under emergency circumstances other than PTs working in an emergency department?  We're supposed to be CPR and First Aid trained - but that's all I found!

I also found this article which stated that airlines hope a physician won't be on board when this occurs because an on-board physician could require urgent landing where if there isn't a doctor available, the crew reaches out to medical crews on the ground who try to help remotely triage or treat the situation.  I noticed that the flight attendant had an oxygen tank and mask, first aid kit, and that there were some medications available to them.  Another article shared that 70% of in-flight medical emergencies are handled by the flight crew.  That paper outlines the most common medical emergencies that occur in-air, with chest pain being the number one listed outcome.  I did learn that there is a federal law that protects physicians and health care providers who assist during in-air emergencies, though you should always practice medicine with the intent to "Do No Harm" and within your training restrictions.  Doing absolutely nothing was not an option, in my opinion... but I'm certainly glad I didn't have to help with CPR on an airplane.

Overall - there's a lot going on up in the skies.  Back to B.O.B. ... "I could use a dream or a genie or a wish to go back to a place much simpler than this..." I'm sure the Las Vegas Aces are really looking forward to flying to Connecticut tomorrow after the disaster they faced today.  Let's hope they stay healthy through their game and get some good rest... and that no doctors are needed on their flight requiring them to land mid-route.

Women in Sports in the News!

I have several blog posts that I have started drafting that are in skeleton form.  Ideas pop into my head while I'm doing my continuing education work or reading things online that I think I'll want to learn more about in the future and I start up a draft for later.  I had plans for this week's blog because I just finished reading a book I really enjoyed... and then I hopped onto my Twitter and Facebook accounts and saw two really awesome articles about some amazing women in sports.  Change of plans! This week we're looking at some real trailblazers.

First: this awesome video from Gatorade Performance Partners about the Female Athletic Trainers serving in the NFL. Maybe someday, it won't matter that we identify them as females... but for now, this is important!  I came upon this post because the Head Team Physician and Orthopedic Surgeon for the Connecticut Sun, Dr. Katherine Coyner, tweeted it.  I recently connected with her and have been following her work at the University of Connecticut Health Center and with the Connecticut Sun from afar.  (To my knowledge, there are four WNBA teams that have head physicians who are women, two of which are orthopedic surgeons.  The Minnesota Lynx operate with surgeon Dr. Nancy Cummings, the New York Liberty work with Dr. Lisa Callahan, and the Phoenix Mercury work with Dr. Amy Jo Overlin.  These women are trailblazers and their career paths are inspiring!)  Back to the video... there are six female athletic trainers in the NFL out of 145.  But more than 50% of athletic trainers are females and more than half of the current students in athletic training programs are also females (according to the clip).  I'm sure these ATCs don't all want to work in the NFL - or potentially any of the professional men's sports... but opportunities for women in professional sports are limited.   Check it out!


I saw this video first thing this morning while I was perusing my social media over breakfast.  I then went to work... treated some kiddos at Seattle Children's Hospital... and came home to find this post:

<--Jenny Boucek, former Seattle Storm Head Coach, now Assistant to the Coaching Staff/Special Projects with the Dallas Mavericks

I first met Coach Jenny Boucek when I was an undergraduate at UConn and she came to watch practice before an upcoming WNBA draft.  I remember asking her if she wanted to draft a team manager... I already knew where I wanted to go after college.  We had a nice chat and our paths crossed numerous times over the years.  I loved that she was the Head Coach when I first came to Seattle to serve as the Storm Physical Therapist.  She's a wonderful person.  And now she's navigating uncharted waters as a pregnant coaching staff member for an NBA Team!  I can't wait to hear more about how her story unfolds, but this first article about her job prospects from a few NBA teams gives me hope. I truly believe that with ANY job... it should only matter that the best candidate is hired.  Based on this, it looks like employers are now starting to join in that belief and cross the gender boundaries that were so much more rigid in the past. Way to go, Mark Cuban.

Both of these news clips brought me joy.  The opportunities for women are growing right in front of my eyes, particularly in sports - and not just in women's sports.  We can still do better - but let's enjoy these moments and then get to work on making more progress.  This upcoming weekend is the WNBA All Star Game and I can't wait to watch while I'm on a quick visit home to the East Coast! 

Any other inspiring stories you've come across and want to share!?  Post a comment... and consider following the blog!

Concussion Protocol and the WNBA

This week the Seattle Storm played two home games - Tuesday versus the LA Sparks and Saturday versus the Dallas Wings.  Both games were hard fought battles.  As I've previously written about here, the 2018 WNBA season is shortened due to the upcoming World Championships in September,  so teams are cramming the same 34-games into a shorter length season.  I was concerned that the increased level of fatigue could correspond with increased injuries.

Unfortunately, one of the Storm players experienced a concussion this week - media release here.  I of course cannot blame the season schedule on the concussion - there's no way to determine cause and effect here - but there have been several injuries throughout the WNBA this year, and it seems like there are more than in previous seasons, though I don't have the data to be certain.  (This is one of my concerns about WNBA injury reporting - I wish this data was more readily available!)  Anyways, I thought this would be a great opportunity to discuss concussions a little bit from an acute response perspective - rather than what the longer term care looks like when I treat kids who've experienced a concussion at Seattle Children's Hospital. 

I think it is of key importance to mention that a concussion is a brain injury.  No two people experiencing a concussion have the same symptoms or present the same way.  This differs from your general ankle sprain patients where they mostly behave similarly and follow a similar trajectory for recovery.  Where there is a similarity: athletes at all levels who experience a concussion generally want to get right back into the game.  It makes sense - they're competitors.  But this is dangerous and as a sports medicine provider, it would be irresponsible to allow a symptomatic athlete to participate in activities that could be life-threatening.  I'll say it again - a concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury.

Every (major male) professional sports league has a concussion policy.  During WNBA training camp before the season gets underway, players complete a baseline testing on a computer for neurological and cognitive function.  If a concussion occurs in a game, a physician evaluates the athlete and then this same computer testing can be completed for comparison.  You can see the moment of injury at the Storm versus Sparks game at the 2:45 mark in this video - also included below.   

If a head injury occurs on the basketball court, the athlete needs to be evaluated in a quiet area without distractions.  This initial screening is conducted by an athletic trainer or team physician and includes a lot of questions such as any symptoms they may be experiencing: headache, dizziness, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound.  Then a physical exam including a screen of what the eyes are doing - if they can track a moving target or if they operate abnormally, an evaluation of the neck is conducted, the nervous system is assessed, and balance, memory, and comprehension are all considered.  Generally concussion symptoms don't always show up right away and it's best to wait several minutes to determine if anything comes on after a delay.  This is a complication for sports such as football where an athlete may take a hard hit and initially seem symptom-free, only to worsen a few minutes later where sideline assessment often occurs on the field where there isn't really a quiet place to conduct a thorough assessment. 

The NBA announced that they would initiate a concussion protocol in 2011 - following in the steps of many other professional sports leagues, particularly the NFL who was dealing with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy - a neurological disease found in athletes and veterans likely related to repeated hits to the head and diagnosed post-mortem).  The WNBA Concussion Protocol wasn't easily accessible from my search - but it's based on the NBA's policies which are summarized here.  Basically the athlete will go through five stages of recovery including 1) asymptomatic at rest, 2) asymptomatic with bike riding, 3) asymptomatic with jogging, 4) asymptomatic with basketball drills without defense, and 5) asymptomatic in full practice.  The computerized testing will be conducted between stages to compare to baseline and determine that the athlete is not having increased symptoms.  These stages can be completed in as few as about 3 days, more typically a minimum of 5 days based on articles about players I've read about online - but the maximum duration varies based on the individual athlete's response to their progressively increasing activity level.

The stages for recovery are fairly similar to what is used at Seattle Children's - but the key difference is that physical therapy interventions on kids who have experienced a concussion generally only occur if the child has been experiencing post-concussion syndrome (sometimes referred to as delayed symptom resolution).  By definition - this means they've had symptoms for at least a month, but usually by the time I'm evaluating a kid for concussion in the clinic, they've generally been experiencing symptoms for more than 3 months. (At least 70% recover spontaneously in less than one month).  

This paper that examined concussions in multiple sports found that 4.7% of all injuries in women's basketball are concussions.  In general, only football, women's soccer, men's and women's ice hockey, and men's and women's lacrosse had more concussions than in women's basketball.  Across all sports, 5% of all sports injuries were concussion.  The paper also breaks down mechanisms of injury for concussion for each sport which interestingly showed that, in basketball, women tend to experience the injury while ball handling or playing defense whereas men tend to have it diving for a loose ball or rebounding.  Interestingly, the mechanism of injury you'll see in the video link above for the Storm injury was a loose ball retrieval effort.  In my personal opinion, as the level of play of the WNBA has gotten increasingly better year after year, the difference in mechanism of injury is likely to change.  WNBA athletes are incredibly athletic and are doing things on the basketball court that we didn't see in women's sports 15 years ago when this data was collected. 

If you or someone you know experiences a head injury, please get them examined by the appropriate healthcare provider. 

Beauty. Strength. Poise. Confidence.

The ESPN “Body 10” issue was released online this week and hits magazine stands tomorrow, June 29, 2018. This publication is a real work of art that I look forward to each year - because I love working with athletes and it gives the reader a better appreciation for the differences between bodies. This is a display of athleticism showcasing famous athletes from numerous sports and tastefully posed with beautiful backgrounds. This year’s edition features Seattle Storm point guard - and four-time Olympic Gold Medalist- Sue Bird along with Seattle Reign star soccer player - and also Olympic gold Medalist - Megan Rapinoe.

http://espn.reprintmint.com/galleries/the-body-issue/001-180709-sbmr.html

The first time I saw a Body issue was their 2nd edition when Diana Taurasi posed with a black basketball in 2010. At that time, I had known Diana for about 6 years and had maybe seen her without her hair in a ponytail three times... but her hair was gorgeous and the poses were elegant.  She looked strong and fierce... this is empowering!

http://espn.reprintmint.com/galleries/the-body-issue/001-101018-6-duo.html

What struck me the most from previous issues were the stories the athletes told, the tattoos so many of them have which are art in and of themselves, and, of course, the variation between people and unique human circumstances.  Last year the magazine included Kirstie Ennis, a Paralympian who wears a prosthesis after an above-knee amputation following her helicopter crashing while she was serving as a US Marine in Afghanistan.

http://espn.reprintmint.com/galleries/the-body-issue/001-170717-ke.html

She is rock climbing wearing a prosthetic leg! They've also photographed beach volleyballer Kerri Walsh (Jennings) late in her pregnancy and then again holding her newborn daughter.  The human body is capable of so many feats and is really so amazing, that I feel it is vital to celebrate our unique differences.

This magazine promotes positive body images for strong women. Of course there are strong athletic men included year after year, but there isn’t societal stigma against men having large muscles. So often women don’t want to be muscular- but this gives you a chance to see the beauty in strength.  It gives you an appreciation of the differences between body size, variety of sports that people compete in, and tells you something personal about each athlete.

ESPN doesn’t need any promotion... but if you haven’t yet seen the Body magazine for 2018, start googling and check it out because there is real beauty, poise, strength, confidence, and more beauty in this publication.

2018 WNBA Season Update - A Race to Stay Healthy!

Throwback to my Connecticut Sun Days with Allison Hightower, Kelsey Griffin, and Tina Charles

The 2018 WNBA Season is heading into its second trimester.  How quickly time flies when you love watching your favorite teams and favorite athletes who play a short 34-game season (plus some pre-season and playoffs) with most teams around 11 games in.  This season is condensed with the upcoming FIBA World Cup being held in Spain starting September 21st, with a USA National Team that will take the greatest stars from all the WNBA Teams resulting in this abbreviated schedule.  The usual length season, which already felt like a whirlwind, is now a hectic schedule with games practically every other day. This week the Seattle Storm played three home games in six days, but recovering and preparation between games becomes a challenge under these scheduling circumstances. And above all that, if a team is influenced by injury, how does this affect ticket sales and the entertainment on the court?

I've spent many years on the WNBA sidelines, but now that I'm a healthcare provider, my perspective on the league is different.  When I started working for the Connecticut Sun in 2007 as their Travel Coordinator and Equipment Manager, I helped out in the athletic training room, but I was in charge of laundry and buses.  My biggest concern for players' health was if their sneakers were giving them blisters. I also needed to remember to pack uniforms for injured reserve players who generally were not listed on the line-up but could potentially play if someone else got hurt.  At that time, teams could keep a player available to fill an injured player's spot... that doesn't exist anymore.  

From a physical therapy perspective - this season's playoff contenders will likely be the teams that can stay healthy despite the crazy schedule.  Rookie players will need to learn how to take care of themselves in ways they didn't have to in college. When I was at UConn, we had meals as a team that offered nutritious options and salads pretty much daily.  It is easy to see that a new grad WNBA player might not know how to cook because they never had to before.  They also need to self regulate their recovery, figure out what works best for them, and start taking direction from new athletic trainers than the ones they've used for the past four years. It's a little bit of a relationship-building game in a really quick span of time, and it's been really interesting to watch how that develops year after year. 

Veteran players will also need to find ways to take the best care of themselves to recover between games.  There aren't many days off and the need to re-fuel, rest, and feel good through massage or chiropractic care or ice baths or foam rolling need to be well managed and consistently available.  The WNBA could not have picked a better season to get a league-wide partnership with Cortiva, a massage therapy training school, to have more massage therapists available in certain cities.  Recovery will be key this season.

Since I wrote my PT School thesis on women's basketball players' injuries at the college and WNBA level, I've been thinking about player injuries in this league for a long time.  Feel free to be the fourth person to ever read that paper in your spare time. I try to follow what's going on around the league with regard to injuries - and have several ways of doing so. This website and this website (and there are several others that are similar) list WNBA injuries and stay fairly current... but the first website lists injuries as a service for people who are betting (gambling) on women's basketball and the second one is a fantasy sports team database.  They generally seem to be getting their information from news articles so it's not certain how reputable any of the sites are.  There are currently injuries listed on 9 of the 12 teams, with several teams listing multiple injuries.  I also follow numerous writers on Twitter who write about the injured athletes for their local teams.  The schedule has been up for discussion quite a bit more this season than in the past. 

What I keep waiting for is a bigger entity to start organizing this information.  ESPN has an NBA Injury Report page, but no WNBA Injury Report page, CBS Sports has an NBA Injury Report Page but doesn't have one for the WNBA - nor does their header even include a link to the WNBA at all!  Research publications in the WNBA are limited, but this 2006 paper examined WNBA versus NBA injuries and acknowledges that, even at that time 12 years ago, the rates in the WNBA were higher.  So why isn't this information more readily available yet?  Part of the problem is that the NBA has an Athletic Trainer's Association (NBATA)  which reports and tracks their injuries whereas the WNBA Athletic Trainers report their injuries to the WNBA, and then nothing happens with that information (or at least it is not published and made available for public consumption).  This is something I, personally, am hoping to remedy in the future.  

I didn't look to the research for specific data on the impact of fatigue on injuries - but I learned in school that there is a likely correlation, particularly with postural muscles which would include the muscles of the calf and also with reaction time where the brain is slower to react when it is fatigued which could impact injuries.  Since ankle sprains are always considered the most frequent injury in basketball players, it's not really surprising that we're seeing a lot of ankle injuries already this season.  Here's to hoping that these injuries are low grade and the athletes will recover quickly and get back to playing - but there's a lot of basketball left to be played by fatigued athletes.

I'm already trying to prepare myself for the dark ages that will come between the end of the 2018 WNBA Season and the beginning of NCAA Women's College Basketball almost two months later... it's going to be rough.  Fortunately there is time to continue enjoying WNBA basketball right now while it's here.  Good luck to all the WNBA Athletes, Athletic Trainers, Strength Coaches, and team personnel this season.  And a friendly reminder - if you're part of the travel party - you need to take care of yourself too!  Hydrate and recover!

Palm Trees and Tennis

Today I'm out of town on a quick adventure to the Bay Area of California for a UConn Athletics event, but while I was in town, I decided to walk around Stanford University.  I've never been to this campus and I always like to check out basketball arenas when I get a chance, but unfortunately, Maples Pavilion was closed.  I was so looking forward to a photo with the court wearing UConn attire, but I guess I'll have to come back for a game. 

On Stanford's Campus

Anyways, the campus is gorgeous and the sun was shining.  There are palm trees (and awesome Mexican food), something Seattle and Connecticut are both lacking.  I came upon the Taube Family Tennis Stadium, got in a few stairs to move around after my morning sitting in an airport from flight cancellations causing lots of waiting around.  Then the women's tennis team walked out to start their practice.  Opportunity!!!

I haven’t spent much time watching tennis live - a few matches in high school to support some friends and occasionally on TV when the big names are playing.  Beyond that, I've also only played a few times, so I'd be lying if I said I know much about this sport.  But I love to watch how people move and I have treated patients who played tennis so it's always good to consider the demands of different activities on the body and where injuries might potentially come from. Here's what I observed watching the first 15 minutes of their practice: 

First - I watched their dynamic warm-up.  I've recently been becoming an even bigger fan of the dynamic warm-up in my own training and also with my patient care.  I will admit that sometimes it becomes fairly routine and I'm not always creative - but sometimes the children I'm working with just need to get their heart rate elevated, get their bodies moving, and get some dynamic balance activities in before some more intensive loading.  I strongly believe that a warm-up has a functional purpose of getting you transitioned from the day to day tasks into the mindset of "I'm about to get to work" and also should serve as a primer for the movement patterns that are going to follow it.  It's also a good chance to include some rehabilitation activities or "activation" exercises, so when the tennis players started taking out their resistance bands to complete most of the "Thrower's Ten," my heart smiled. Shoulder Care in Tennis! I LOVE THIS!  They also put on sunscreen... which I appreciated.  Safety first Cardinal. 

Second - I was surprised to observe that all their players used two hands in their backhand stroke. I know I've seen players do this, but I didn't think it was used so commonly and for some reason it made me immediately Google if Serena and Venus Williams did the same.  I found this article which goes into detail about Serena's which is considered to be an old-school (traditional) back swing with an "unorthodox" stance and a "text book" follow through.  I guess Stanford's crew is not only on top of their prep work, but also on their use of two hands with the backhand stroke.  Photos popped up with Venus also using both hands.  Then I Googled Raphael Nadal and Andy Roddick- also using two hands.  Apparently I just thought everyone used one hand... and I was wrong. Ya learn something new every day.

I came across this article that discusses numerous hand grips for backhand in tennis and talks about how it mostly falls on player preference and the preference is usually based on where the most power can be elicited. It summarized 5 different grips!  There are pros and cons to each one, but the use of two hands adds stability and strength and can influence the spin on the ball.  Neat! 

All this reading helped me to consider one more thing that was easily apparent during their volleying warm-ups I observed but that I often don't think about: timing.  I've previously read a few articles about the timing of the shoulders and hips with baseball pitchers so this concept wasn't new, but watching how they let the ball come to them and timing the swing and how they ramped up their distances from the net and the speeds of the ball was really neat and gave me some things to think about. 

Back to the sunshine... hope I run into Coach VanDerVeer!

My Three Favorite Things About Working With Dancers

Spectrum Prop

I have to be honest... I don't know a thing about dance.  Somewhere there are photos of eight year old Abby in a pink tutu from the only recital I was ever in.  (If I get more than two comments on this blog post, I'll find the photo and post it on here to replace the creepy doll prop -->). That day I stood on the stage bawling my eyes out.  It's shocking to me now since I love being the center of attention, why couldn't I just dance the number!? Somehow dance was not for me.  I loathed the outfit. The tights were itchy. I loved (and still love) wearing sneakers so being barefoot grossed me out a bit.  And my balance was poor, so I kept falling over.

My first job as a physical therapist landed me in a clinic with Boyd Bender, Physical Therapist for Pacific Northwest Ballet.  It was a privilege to work with him, and I was able to attend two of their performances to see what physical therapy looked like in that setting.  Some of the dancers of PNB and other local dance groups would also come to our clinic to see him.  If his schedule couldn't fit them in, sometimes I got to treat them... which is how I came to meet the dancers of Spectrum Dance Theater.

My top three favorite things about working with this particular group of professional dancers:

1) They have the best body awareness.  This likely applies to all dancers, but I feel it differs from athletes of other sports.  Keep in mind that my permanent job is working at Seattle Children's Hospital in pediatric sports medicine.  Sometimes kids who are new at sports haven't fully developed their coordination skills yet and need guidance on how to properly breathe or roll over so they can start to integrate their body systems and function in the world.  They might trip over their feet or have poor hand-eye coordination or have difficulty coordinating activities across their mid-line.  But not dancers.  These athletes know their muscles and what they feel like on a regular day.  They know when things feel "right" and they're very in-tune to when something's "off."  The night before I'm scheduled to head to the beautiful Madrona neighborhood of Seattle to meet with them, I get an email listing their current concerns.  Never before in my career have I had a patient or client say to me - "I pulled my sartorius yesterday doing an arabesque." Or "my left shoulder subluxed while lifting my partner yesterday and it relocated on its own so can you just check it out and give me some suggestions for what to do so I can lift again today."  My personal favorite so far, "I stubbed my toe and I don't think there's anything you can do about it, but I'm pretty sure it's causing me to have a cramp in my calf and can you check it?" Compare these to the usual response I get, "my leg hurts" and you can recognize why treating them is so great.

Awesome view of Mount Rainier from Madrona, Seattle, WA next to Spectrum Dance Theater 

2) They're smart! I can't generalize this to all dancers - it may just apply to the Spectrum group. This is a team of performers taking interest in being informed about issues of the world, or at least the issue of their current show. Perhaps Donald Byrd, Spectrum's Executive Artistic Director, might just recruit intelligent people willing to support the company's mission "Dance as an art form and as a social/civic instrument."  But the diversity in the group and their varied educations and upbringings make them more culturally aware and socially responsible.  It doesn't hurt that he has two dancers from Connecticut, making my home state proud!

This week, I spent a few hours treating the dancers before their performance of "H.R.3244" at Washington Hall in Seattle.  (Shows continue April 8th, 10th, and 11th - check it out!)  From the show notes, "H.R.3244 is the bill number for the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 passed by the US Congress and signed into law on October 28, 2000. It states 'to combat trafficking in persons, especially into the sex trade, slavery, and involuntary servitude, to reauthorize certain Federal programs to prevent violence against women, and for other purposes.'"  The performance represents the emotional response to human trafficking - both informing the audience about the legislation while reminding us that this problem continues to exist today - and demonstrating the emotions it can evoke with hope to elicit conversation and action.  Following the show, several of the dancers had the opportunity to explain their research processes to learn about the issue and find a way to identify with their roles.  It was wonderful.

Spectrum Dancers and Executive Artistic Director, Donald Byrd, in a panel discussion after the show

3) Their ability to move covers all varieties of movement and the whole spectrum of emotions. (Like what I did there?)  Pick an adjective- they can embody it.  And they're not using words!  The first time I went to PNB for the ballet of Don Quixote, I didn't realize that it was different from a musical play... and kept wondering when they would start speaking!  That's how little I know about dance.  But about human movement?  I know a little something about movement and they can be so many different things - Smooth versus Rough, Flowing versus Rigid, Light versus Dark, Superficial versus Deep, Cerebral versus Visceral, Explosive versus Contained.  This is the human body as an art form.

The last production I saw from Spectrum was (IM)Pulse, a reaction to the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando and to victims of hate crimes based on gender identity.  I had seen several of the dancers in the clinic for neck pain and finally asked them what was going on with the choreography to make them present the way they were.  They were basically dancing out seizures with rapid head movements several times throughout the show.  I had to see the performance and immediately understood the relationship between the choreography and the conditions I was seeing on the treatment table, and it really did elicit an emotional response to the social issue on display.

https://spectrumdance.org/impulse-review-city-arts/

So I'm finally learning a little bit about dance.  I have a long way to go.  Maybe if they like having me around, they'll give me a chance to take a class or two to feel how they really move and learn a few things.  To be fair, it would probably take many more than just a class or two.  But maybe I'll have a similar reaction to dance as I did to yoga!

"Every athlete dies twice."

"Every athlete dies twice.  Once when they take their last breath and the other when they hang it up." - (Original version, since this quote has been modified numerous times, is credited to Roger Kahn, The Boys of Summer.)

© Creative Commons Zero (CC0)

Last night was the death of the 2017-2018 UConn Women's Basketball team.  With two graduating seniors, that group won't play as the same unit ever again.  A similar - but different - team will be born in the fall for the 2018-2019 campaign.  It will look about 90% like this one, but with the departure of Gabby Williams and Kia Nurse, it just won't be the same.  This outgoing team lost a hard-fought battle in overtime to long-time rival Notre Dame, 91-89, in a spectacular Final Four game.  Almost all sports teams change season after season, so win or lose, the last game of the season is the death of any team.  But after last year's stunning end and this one looking so similar, my heart is broken for the Huskies.

I feel like I'm in mourning... a little numb from the replays of the last minute bucket that gave Notre Dame the W.  I also sit back and appreciate how much better the Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament has gotten.  Beyond that - how much better women's basketball has gotten.  Period.  I grew up without a WNBA and now these college athletes have had years to watch professional women's basketball and strive to achieve a life in professional sports.  Both final four games went into overtime for the first time, ever.  The rise of the Mississippi State Women's Basketball team, new to the top echelon in the past three years, is only one symptom of  improving parity to the game. Sixth seeded Oregon State's team has also had increased success the past three seasons with a respectable upset of #2 seeded Baylor.  There were 11 seeds upsetting the 6 and 3 seeds all over the bracket.  There were some really, really good basketball games all season long.  And we don't even need to talk about how much better the Women's Final Four games were to watch than the Kansas vs Villanova men's game tonight.

And what about off the court?  ESPN-W published this piece on 11 of the 12 assistant coaches in the final four, who happen to all be women.  There is only 1 female head coach, Muffet McGraw from Notre Dame, in the Final Four (and now she's 1 of 2 in the Championship Game).  But there are so many more female commentators and reporters providing game coverage - including Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo, Kara Lawson, and Holly Rowe who have each elevated the game with their contributions in such a significant way.

The loss hurts, but the underlying truth is so much more valuable.  I can't wait to watch the National Championship game, and then it'll be time for the WNBA Draft with the WNBA season starting just a few weeks later.  In the women's basketball world, we get to watch our sport year-round, and I couldn't be happier.  The Huskies will be back soon enough.

#BleedBlue

Professional Women's Soccer - The Seattle Reign

Hello March Madness!   My brackets for the men's NCAA basketball tournament are hanging on by a thread and UConn Women's Basketball is on a roll!  There have been so many awesome basketball games and there's still a week left to go! I openly admit that I love basketball, but soccer has started to steal a tiny place in my heart.  I think it has something to do with the fact that it's played outside and the weather is starting to get nicer. And soccer players are insanely athletic!

Last night I attended the Seattle Reign season opener versus the Washington Spirit.  For those of you who don't know, the Seattle Reign is a member of the National Women's Soccer League.  This is professional women's soccer.  The Reign play at Memorial Stadium which sits in the shadow of the Space Needle, just a stone's throw away from Key Arena where the Seattle Storm plays.  Last month it was announced that the ownership group for the Seattle Storm - Force 10 Sports Management - would be adding management responsibilities for the Seattle Reign to their ever growing portfolio.  Having been around the WNBA for the past decade, I've learned a lot about how the league operates and I know a little bit about the teams and some of their ownership groups.  Over the past few years, I have attended a handful of Reign matches, but, prior to now, hadn't given much thought to how little I knew about the team, their players, the ownership, or the league.   So I did some digging.

The league: The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was launched in 2012 - so 2018 is their 6th season with competition between their nine teams.  It is the longest running professional women's soccer league as the (several) leagues that came before it only lasted up to three seasons.  In 2017, the league averaged about 5,000 tickets sold per game with the Portland Thorns leading the way averaging 17,000.  Interestingly, on the men's side, Major League Soccer games averaged about 21,000 tickets sold per game in 2016 with the Seattle Sounders averaging over 40,000 per game.  Seattle is just a huge sports city!  In the WNBA, ticket sales for the league and the Seattle Storm averaged 7,700 tickets per game.  When looking at salaries, this 2016 article listed limits to NWSL salaries as $37,800 per season.  That's the limit!  WNBA minimum salaries are $35,000 and NWSL minimum salaries, according to this article, were $15,000!  In comparison, the average (men's) MLS salary of $300,000 (median $100,000) is a liveable wage.  The gender discrepancy is appalling.  The best way I can try to help combat this is to attend games and buy an occasional ticket to show my support.

The team: The Seattle Reign is owned by Bill and Teresa Predmore.  Bill Predmore founded the company POP in 1996 - they're a digital marketing solutions company whose website looks like they're doing some really cool stuff.  Fun fact about Mr. Predmore, though, is that from 1993 - 1996, he was Assistant Director/Assistant Editor for the Bill Nye Show.  His wife, Teresa Predmore, played college soccer at Oregon State and a quick google search brought up her twitter account which looks like she does some work with Water 1st which is a super cool organization that helps provide clean water and sanitation to communities who would otherwise not have access to it. (They also look to empower women and help communities own their water works once the system is implemented.)

The players: You can find the Seattle Reign roster here, but a few quick notes worthy of mention.  In last nights season opener, which the Reign won 2-1,  Megan Rapinoe scored in the 7th minute and Jodie Taylor in the 35th.  Megan is a US Women's National Team player and Olympic Gold Medalist and Jodie, born in England, plays for their national team which won a Bronze at the 2015 World Cup.  The team underwent a major overhaul with 12 new players since last season and a coaching change.  In addition to the ones I've already mentioned, the team is full of athletes who have played for numerous national teams including: Allie Long - USA including the 2016 Olympic Games, Nahomi Kawasumi Olympic Bronze medalist for Japan, Rumi Utsugi former Japanese national team member, Theresa Nielson for the Denmark national team, Jess Fishlock plays for the Welsh National Team and Elizabeth Addo plays for Ghana.  I haven't even mentioned how many of their players are on US teams that are U-23!  So much talent.

Who wants to join me for a game?!