Grand Valley: GVSU Sport Leadership Program Spotlights

Not Just a Game: Politics and Power in American Sports

Thursday February 2, 2012

1968 Olympic Bronze Medalist, Dr. John Carlos and sports writer and author Dave Zirin presented to the GVSU community on the intersection between sports and politics. During the 1968 Olympic games Carlos and teammate Tommie Smith showed their support for the Civil Rights movement by raising his fist during the medal ceremony.

Carlos and other athletes, like Muhammad Ali and Billie Jean King, have used sports as a platform to support the causes they believe in. Rarely is this viewed as a popular way to use the fame that sports can being athletes but it does reach a lot of people.

Dave Zirin talks about the sacrafices Carlos and other athletes have made in order to use sports to get their voices heard. The backlash it can cause is not always easy to deal with but over the years it has made a difference in how people view sports as a part of American society.

The presentation was well recieved by over 700 listeners, many of which stayed after to get pictures, autographs and books signed by Carlos and Zirin.

The Sport Leadership Club along with OMA and the LGBT Center sponsored this event

Alumnus Kim Hansen visits Grand Valley

On Friday October 28th, Alumnus Kim Hansen took the time to speak with students in the Movement Science Department. She spoke of her own journey through playing and coaching basketball to the experience she had as a teacher in multiple settings. She had words of wisdom and great advice for the students who attended.

Biography:

Kim earned a BS in Physical Education from GVSU in 1981. As an undergraduate student, she was a stand-out on the women’s basketball team, earning a spot on the NCAA II All-American Team in 1980. Upon completion of her intercollegiate playing career, Kim made history at GVSU and in the U.S. when she was drafted into the first ever women’s professional basketball league (WBL). Her professional career led her to play for the San Francisco Pioneers, Chicago Hustle, and Minnesota Fillies before the league folded in the early 80’s. Kim’s accomplishments as a basketball player were further recognized by GVSU when they inducted her into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.

Upon completion of her playing career, Kim entered the college coaching ranks as a graduate assistant at Lamar University in Texas where she earned a Master’s degree in Physical Education in 1983. She quickly moved up in the ranks and was hired as an assistant women’s basketball coach at The Wichita State University, an NCAA I university in Kansas. After 5 years at Wichita, Kim was named the Head Coach at North Central College, an NCAA III school in Naperville Illinois, where she spent the next decade in a combined coaching and assistant professor position

In 1997, Kim decided to step away from the college ranks to begin her second career as a high school teacher and coach so she returned to school at John Carroll University to earn her Post-Baccalaureate Certification. Since that time, Kim has taught high school physical education and coached girls’ basketball at a variety of schools, including her current position at Cleveland Heights High School in Cleveland Ohio. Not only is Kim a dedicated and successful teacher, her coaching achievements include her earning “Coach of the Year” honors in 3 different school districts in less than 10 years.

VIDEO: GVSU Celebrates Girls in Sports 2011

Grand Valley recently celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day by hosting 200 middle school girls. Thourghout the day the girls were given the opportunity to try new sports, watch a Grand Valley State Volleyball game, and learn about the importance of Title IX for women in sports.

Celebrate Women in Sport and Physical Activity

On Saturday February 23, 2013 Grand Valley State University will be celebrating the accomplishments of women in sports and physical activity past and present. The celebration will honor Varsity Athletes, Club Sport Athletes, Physical Education Majors, and Sport Leadership Majors who are continuing the advancement of Women in Leadership Postitions.

The event will also be the kick-off an endowment fund recognizing the efforts of Pattie Rowe and Joan Boand, 2 of the pioneer for women in the field here at GVSU.

For more information and to register visit the Website: http://www.gvsu.edu/womeninsports/

Sport Leadership Students Travel to Conference

February 15th-16th

16 Students from the Sport Leadership Program traveled to Central Michigan University to learn from experts about whate it takes to work in the field. Speakers worked in High School, Collegiate, Professional and Olympics Sports. The topics covered included marketing, nonprofits, public relations, business, ticket sales and more.

Pictured above are some of our students will Hall of Fame football coach Lloyd Carr, one of the conference's keynote speakers.

For more information about the conference please visit the website:

http://www.cmichsmac.com/

National Girls in Sports Day 2012

September 22, 2012,

GVSU hosted over 200 middle school students from across West Michigan. The day was filled with athletic clinics, a volleyball game, an autograph session and a speech from Women's Basketball Coach, Janel Burgess. The participants learned the importance of staying in school and going to college while also having fun in sports.

Pictures coming soon!