CEHD News Jonathan Sweet

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CEHD News Jonathan Sweet

Tucker Center’s “Myths About the Popularity of Women’s Sports” on espnW

July 7, 2015

Tucker Center logoThe statistics surrounding the 2015 Women’s World Cup (WWC) make it clear that people are interested in women’s sports.  In sum, the WWC final:

  • was seen by 25.4 million viewers on Fox—a record for any soccer game, men’s or women’s.
  • generated record numbers of viewers on the Fox Sports Go streaming app.
  • drew 2 million more viewers than Game 7 of the compelling 2014 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants in October, which attracted 23.5 million on English-language television.
  • eclipsed the recent NBA Finals Game 6 featuring Golden State’s title-winning victory over Cleveland last month on ABC with 23.25 million viewers.
  • buried Chicago’s Stanley Cup-winning victory in Game 6 over Tampa Bay last month on NBC with 8 million viewers.

Despite these statistics, many myths about interest in women’s sports continue to prevail. In a piece that Tucker Center Scholars wrote for espnW, “Even in the Wake of a Record-Setting Women’s World Cup, Myths Still Surround Women’s Sports,” the four most common myths are refuted.

Read the espnW piece, then help prove that interest in women’s sports does exist by joining the #HERESPROOF social media campaign!

Houston Chronicle article quotes Kane

June 29, 2015

Mary Jo KaneDr. Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center and professor in the School of Kinesiology, is quoted on opportunities and barriers in “Despite increased participation, women’s athletics struggle to gain pro foothold,” an article exploring women’s participation in sport.

Tucker Center program on media coverage airings in July

June 23, 2015

Media Coverage and Female Athletes video coverThe Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport is proud to announce new tptMN public television statewide digital MN Channel airings of its groundbreaking video, “Media Coverage and Female Athletes.”

Friday, July 10, 2015 at 2:00 AM
Friday, July 10, 2015 at 8:00 AM
Friday, July 10, 2015 at 2:00 PM
Friday, July 10, 2015 at 8:00 PM

For viewing options, click here: Media Coverage

Media Coverage: The video builds on a research-based examination of the amount and type of coverage given to female athletes with commentary from expert scholars and award winning coaches and athletes who discuss this timely issue from a variety of perspectives as they help dispel the common—but untrue—myths that “sex sells” women’s sport , and no one is interested in it anyway. Effective strategies for increasing media coverage and creating images which reflect the reality of women’s sports participation and why this is so important are also discussed. … To view the entire program online now, click here.

The Nation quotes Tucker Center’s Mary Jo Kane

June 23, 2015

Mary Jo KaneIn his regular column in The Nation, Dave Zirin quotes Dr. Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center and professor in the School of Kinesiology. In the piece, “Soccer’s Enduring Sexism and the Magnificence of Marta,” Zirin talks about the standout Brazilian player Marta and the almost total lack of coverage of the Women’s World Cup.

Kane interviewed tonight on media coverage of women’s sport

June 10, 2015

Mary Jo KaneDr. Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center and professor in the School of Kinesiology, is interviewed today at 7:00pm for the Hamilton Spectator’s Scott Radley Show on Radio 900CHML. Radley will be speaking with Kane on the recent report by Cooky, Messner, and Musto on the marked decrease in media coverage of women in sports over the past 25 years.

LaVoi joins international experts at 2015 Conversation of Women in Sport

June 8, 2015

LaVoiN-2010aDr. Nicole M. LaVoi, faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, joins a host of international experts on July 9-12 at the 2015 Conversation of Women in Sport hosted by Université Laval in Québec, Canada.

Culturally appropriate active wear co-design project hosts fashion show

June 5, 2015

LaVoiN-2010aThulC-2015aTucker Center affiliated scholar Dr. Chelsey Thul and co-investigator Tucker Center associate director Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, both faculty in the School of Kinesiology, today announced a fashion show featuring culturally appropriate active wear designed in collaboration with researchers in the College of Design and 25 East-African middle school girls from the Cedar-Riverside community, who will model the sport clothing.

The project represents a unique, interdisciplinary community-University team, including Dr. Elizabeth Bye, professor and department head of the Apparel Design Program, Fatimah Hussein, participants in Girls’ Initiative in Recreation and Leisurely Sports (G.I.R.L.S.) (a female-only culturally appropriate physical activity program), coaches Jennifer Weber and Muna Mohamed, community partners and the Tucker Center. Full information about the project is available at z.umn.edu/girlsresearch. The event takes place in Rapson Courtyard, at the School of Design’s Ralph Rapson Hall (89 Church St SE, Minneapolis) on the U of M’s Twin Cities campus on Wednesday, June 10, at 7 p.m. A press release is available.

Related articles

TC affiliated scholar Cheryl Cooky publishes 25-year study on coverage of women’s sports

June 5, 2015

Dr. Cheryl Cooky, PurdueTucker Center affiliated scholar Dr. Cheryl Cooky (Purdue University) and her colleagues Michael Messner and Michela Musto (University of Southern California) have released “It’s Dude Time!: A quarter century of excluding women’s sports in televised news and highlight shows,” a five-year update to a 25-year longitudinal study. The research, sponsored by the University of Michigan’s Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy (SHARP) Center, indicates that the quantity of coverage of women’s sports in televised sports news and highlights shows remains dismally low with network affiliate sports news programs devoting only 3.2% of broadcast time to women’s sports and ESPN’s SportsCenter devoting a scant 2% of broadcast time to women’s sports. To download a free PDF copy of the study, please click here.

Related articles:

Kane in New York Times on WNBA success

June 5, 2015

Mary Jo KaneDr. Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center and professor in the School of Kinesiology, is quoted in a New York Times article, “Problems Accompany W.N.B.A.’s New Success,” commenting on recent recent growing pains in women’s professional basketball.

TIME quotes LaVoi on lack of women coaches

June 2, 2015

Nicole M. LaVoi, Tucker Center Associate Director, 2013 imageTIME Magazine has quoted Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport and faculty in the School of Kinesiology. The article, “The Cost of Not Hiring Women Coaches,” addresses the question, Why are there so many men coaching women’s sports and so few women coaching at all?

LaVoi gives TEDx talk at Gustavus Adolphus College

May 26, 2015

Nicole M. LaVoi, Tucker Center Associate Director, 2013 imageDr. Nicole M. LaVoi, faculty in the School of Kinesiology and the associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, gave a TEDx talk entitled “Now You See Her, Now You Don’t: The (In)visibility of Girls and Women in Sport” at her alma mater, Gustavus Adolphus College on April 18. LaVoi’s talk was part of a 9-member TEDx conference, “Leading the Way Forward: Being, Seeing, Doing.” View the talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAcipMsqwaw

Kinnaird First Recipient of Borton Endowment

May 20, 2015

Marnie KinnairdThe Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport is pleased to announce that Marnie Kinnaird, Master’s student in the School of Kinesiology, is the inaugural winner of the Pam Borton Endowment for the Promotion of Girls and Women in Sport Leadership Award. This first-of-its-kind endowment honors the legacy of Pam Borton for her contributions to the U of M both on and off the basketball court. During her 12-year tenure, Borton became the winningest women’s basketball coach in Golden Gopher history. She was a two-time Naismith National Coach of the Year nominee and in 2011 received the Ann Bancroft Foundation’s Dream Maker Award for her efforts to encourage the achievements of girls and women.

The Borton Endowment provides financial support to graduate students in the Tucker Center. Award winners engage in research and community outreach initiatives that promote leadership development among girls and women within a sport context. Kinnaird is a native of Oak Park, IL and received her B.A. from Occidental College in Los Angeles. She conducted her senior thesis on the development of mental toughness in Division III female athletes. Kinnaird came to the U of M and the Tucker Center to pursue her research interests while obtaining her graduate degree in sport and exercise psychology. She is a member of the U of M’s cross-country and track & field teams.

U of M Foundation’s Legacy Magazine features Mary Jo Kane

May 14, 2015

Mary Jo KaneThe University of Minnesota Foundation’s Legacy magazine, whose print publication will go out to over 19,000 people, is now online profiling the work and thinking of Dr. Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center for Research on girls & Women in Sport and professor in the School of Kinesiology. The lead article, “Up Close with Mary Jo Kane,” features Dr. Kane’s recent Emmy for a co-produced film with Twin Cities Public Television, “Media Coverage and Female Athletes,” and interviews Dr. Kane on topics ranging from the Tucker Center’s philanthropic success to Title IX to Dr. Kane’s exercise regime.

Tucker Center honors China Champions

May 7, 2015

China Champions receive Tucker Center T-shirtsThe Tucker Center presented the School of Kinesiology’s China Champions with TC T-shirts at a graduation celebration hosted by the school and the College of Education and Human Development. This first cohort of China Champions were ten Chinese Olympic and world champion athletes and one Olympic coach who this past year attended specially designed courses in the School of Kinesiology, including academic seminars, workshops and English as a Learned Language classes in an exchange of culture, education and sport. Congratulations, Champions!

Kane in New York Times on Isaiah Thomas WNBA Liberty presidency

May 6, 2015

Mary Jo KaneDr. Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center and professor in the School of Kinesiology, is quoted in a New York Times article, “Isiah Thomas Is Back at Garden in Surprising Role: President of Liberty,” commenting on his appointment to the WNBA team in light of Thomas’s sexual harassment lawsuit and record in previous roles in professional basketball.

LaVoi to speak at Minneapolis Athena Awards ceremony

April 30, 2015


Dr. Nicole M. LaVoiDr. Nicole M. LaVoi, faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, will be speaking tomorrow, May 1,
at the Hilton DoubleTree in Bloomington, MN at the 43rd Annual Minneapolis Athena Awards ceremony. This year 54 female student-athletes will be honored with an Athena award, which recognizes outstanding senior female athletes from each of the Minneapolis city, suburban and private schools for achievement in one or several sports.

LaVoi to speak at NCAA Inclusion Forum in La Jolla

April 22, 2015

Nicole M. LaVoi, Tucker Center Associate Director, 2013 imageDr. Nicole M. LaVoi, faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, will be speaking at the NCAA Inclusion Forum in La Jolla, CA on Saturday, April 25. Dr. LaVoi will present in a session on gender equity issues with Nancy Hogshead Makar, CEO at Champion Women.

College of Education honors two U of M alumni affiliated with the Tucker Center

April 22, 2015

Terrance Jordan, 2008Nicole LaVoi, 2013Among this year’s group of U of M College of Education and Human Development Alumni Rising Stars, the Alumni Society selected two alumni affiliated with the Tucker Center: Nicole M. LaVoi, TC associate director, and Terrance Jordan, a 2008 summer intern with the TC. LaVoi earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Kinesiology at the U of M. Jordan earned a B.S. in Kinesiology and M.A. in Educational Psychology at the U of M, and is currently completing his Ph.D in Counseling Psychology at Georgia State University. The Rising Star recognition is given to CEHD alumni who have achieved early distinction in their careers, demonstrated emerging leadership, or shown exceptional volunteer service in their communities. The awardees will be formally recognized at a special event later this month.

Distinguished Teaching Award to Tucker Center’s Nicole M. LaVoi

April 21, 2015

Nicole M. LaVoi, Tucker Center Associate Director, 2013 imageDr. Nicole M. LaVoi, faculty in the School of Kinesiology and the associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, has been awarded the 2015 College of Education and Human Development Distinguished Teaching Award.

LaVoi leads breakout session at Gustavus Women in Leadership Conference

April 14, 2015

Nicole M. LaVoi, Tucker Center Associate Director, 2013 imageThis Thursday, April 16, Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, faculty in the School of Kinesiology and the associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, is leading a breakout session, “Drive, Thrive and Survive: The Role of Sport & Physical Activity in the Lives of Women,” at her alma mater Gustavus Adulphus College’s Gustavus Women in Leadership Conference 2015.