(Hi! Howard Megdal here. The IX helps build the necessary infrastructure for women’s sports media. By connecting these worlds, it gives women’s sports the networking boost men’s sports can take for granted.
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The Reason for the Season
May I wish a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! My family did our first-ever Secret Santa last night. We celebrate on Christmas Eve in the traditional Latine fashion. Tomorrow, my sister and I will recognize the first night of Kwanzaa, the festival of ‘First Fruits’.
My headline for this week is actually not meant to be about religion or spirituality. It is however, meant to be about culture. About our hockey culture. We are set to receive the beautiful gift of women’s hockey via college, PWHPA, and NWHL play.
Let’s be real. The reason for any 2020-21 sports season is rooted in money. Let’s be really real. Women’s sports often operates with as little money as possible. You join us at The IX because we seek to pivot the power as it currently exists in our society.
We need more women and more marginalized voices in this space. To do that, we must commit to ongoing learning, growth, and sustainable change. The reason the NWSL, WNBA, and now the NWHL/college hockey/PWHPA are trying to give us a season is not because (and certainly not only because) of sponsorship money or even player and staff salaries. The WNBA less so, but women athletes are used to having multiple streams of income. One single season might not be worth playing for your favorite player.
Thus, the reason for the 2020-21 season is for the future. Sports amid Coronavirus showed me a few things:
Women (generally speaking) are great with crisis management
Women’s sports fans are dying for more consistent and nationally televised coverage
THIS GRAPHIC IS NUTS
Women’s sports culture is underserved and tired of it. The WNBA orange hoodie is just one example
Women make sacrifices at all levels — less pay, less exposure, less respect (these EOY lists were insulting), and less support – but …
Women do the most with the least
Again, the reason for the 2020-21 season is beyond crowning a champion. There is much more at stake. We at The IX are taking a break until the new year, but we hope you engage with us individually and @TheIXNewsletter until we bombard your inbox again!
Remember the reason for the season. See you in the future!
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This Week in Women’s Hockey
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MORE COVERAGE FOR WOMEN IN SPORTS? Good, click these links and show decision-makers that if you post it, we will read it! If you have any hot tips for great stories or voices you’d like to see in The IX, email me: erica@ericaLayala.com.
Must-Click Links through Tuesday, December 23
PWHPA New Hampshire & Minnesota will call Tampa home.
The NWHL (Playoffs) on NBC Sports!!!
Black Girl Hockey Club scholarship application deadline is December 31st!
USA Hockey helps identify ten women to work #NDubble.
Learn about Hockey Canada’s new $1 million Assist Fund.
I may or may not have manifested this, waiting for the other part to come true 😉
Meghan Duggan and Gillian Apps: Rivals on the ice, power couple off the ice.
Sarah Nurse is the bomb dot com (and for this once I will overlook that the Barbie doesn’t really look like her)!
Lebanese national team training in Montreal.
Hockey Canada head coach Troy Ryan shares his quarantine activities.
COVID Updates
NWHL partners with Yale Medical to provide COVID testing.
Tweet of the Week
We want more than two games, but yes! Listen to Jessica.
Five at The IX:
Here is my panel from the MacEwan University Anti-Racism Hockey Summit. I was joined by Moezine Hasham from Hockey 4 Youth Foundation. This HOT STOVE was moderated by Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Harnarayan Singh
Click here to Watch