By: V. Messana “Visionary. Pioneer. Legend. As a tennis champion and social activist, Billie Jean King lives her life according to the principles of equality, empowerment, and access.” - The Official Website of Billie Jean King.
Billie Jean, born November 22, 1943, in California, U.S., is a former American tennis player whose influence and style dignified the status of women’s professional tennis. She won 39 major titles in her career, competing in both singles and doubles and even became the world’s number one Tennis player. But, how did Bille revolutionise the tennis world? One of King’s major achievements was getting equal prize money for men and women at major tournaments, such as the U.S. Open. When Billie Jean King won the U.S. Open in 1972, she didn’t make the usual remarks about hoping to win again. Instead, she threatened not to play at all the following year and added that no other women would either. For over 50 years now, all four semi-finalists in both singles draws of the US Open get $1 million apiece. In 1973, King formed the Women's Tennis Association and rallied more than 60 other women players to create it alongside her. The WTA is now the global leader in women’s professional sports. It is the principal organising body of women’s professional tennis and governs the WTA Tour, the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. In 1974, she co-founded World Team Tennis, the only professional, co-ed team sports league. She also co-founded Women’s Sports magazine and started the Women's Sports Foundation, dedicated to creating leaders by providing girls access to sports and to defending Title IX in lawsuits. King participated in “The Battle of the Sexes”, where she played a match against Bobby Riggs that drew over 30,000 fans and was watched by 90 million people worldwide. King won the match in straight sets. This led to a boom in women's sports participation, and empowered women to advocate for equal pay in all workforce sectors. In 2006, the United States Tennis Association renamed the National Tennis Centre to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre, and in 2020, the Fed Cup, a global annual world cup of women's tennis competition, was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup. King was undoubtedly a remarkable woman, and these are just some of the many things Billie Jean King did that completely changed the sexist world of tennis and brought women to sports.
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By G. Ball In the world of football, a new chapter is being written for England with the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as England’s coach. Known for his innovative thinking, the German football manager and former player, will bring a new perspective to England. The burning question on every fans' mind – Can he be the one that finally brings football home?
Tuchel has previously taken charge of Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, guiding the Blues to the UEFA Champions League title in 2021. This will be the first time England has appointed an international coach. He had said in a previous interview, “I understood very quickly that it’s a big job” Tuchel said it suited his passion and strive to put a second star on the shirt. However, many England fans are wary of this choice. Appointing a German coach to lead England is a significant shift to England’s tradition and many supporters have wondered whether the manager will be able to connect with english football culture. For Tuchel, adapting to the expectations of English fans and players could be a challenging adjustment period. England’s fans, too, will have to embrace a period of change, where the usual familiarity is replaced by fresh tactics, new strategies, and possibly a different style of play on the field. This new chapter sparks curiosity and anticipation. Could this be the game changer that England has been waiting for? By: C. Gontijo Sports analytics is the use of data to improve athletic performance and efficiency in sports. It involves collecting, processing and interpreting data to make decisions and solve problems. With all the current technological advancements, players and organizations are resorting to sports analytics as a critical component in decision-making in sports strategy. For example, one of the most compelling uses of data analysis in sports is the "Moneyball" strategy used by the Oakland Athletics in baseball. Instead of relying on traditional scouting methods, they used data to build their competitive team, which led them to a 20-game winning streak in 2002 and completely redefined the way teams approached recruitment and strategy.
Since the 80s, mathematical methods have been used to track a team's performance. In the beginning, they were majorly based on statistics and predictions. Fortunately, with all the technology available, data analysis has evolved into a more sophisticated approach, based on AI, machine learning and big data. Therefore, it is clear that coaches are changing the way they develop strategy, using data analytics. Data collected is used to analyze opponent's weaknesses, predict game outcomes and to optimize game decisions and strategy, like player substitutions and formations. NBA teams also use this technique to determine high-percentage shooting areas on the court and adjust their tactics according to results. These methods are also being used to enhance individual athlete performance and reduce the risk of injuries. Biometric data collection, for example, can be used to measure an athlete's physical conditions, fatigue levels and biomechanics. Professional teams use data analytics to calculate and monitor training loads and recovery processes, with the aim of preventing injuries. It is also amazing how this innovation is transforming the fan experience and the sports marketing world. Data has been used to personalize fan interactions, enhance live experiences and to create targeted marketing campaigns to improve fan engagement. However, it is important to also highlight the potentially negative side of using data analytics in sports. Issues regarding data privacy, the misuse of biometric information and the potential for unfair advantages in more data-advanced teams can emerge. For example, the debate surrounding data ownership is getting more serious, especially when athlete's personal health metrics are involved. In conclusion, we can say that the impact of data analytics on the entire sports industry is a transformative one. It has shifted sports into a more strategic, efficient and engaging route. And as technology continues to evolve, it is important that we continue exploring ways to protect athlete's privacy within data analytics, since its significance will only continue to expand, and therefore, shape the future of sports in ways we are just beginning to understand. By: A. Hemnani Many of us play and enjoy sports in our day to day lives. Sports is something that brings us closer together in many ways, it is a way to de stress, and it is very significant in our lives. However, have you ever wondered what it would feel like for a person around you not to be able to do what everyone else does?
In 1960 the very first Paralympics took place in Rome. This was a thrilling and very innovative event, there were 400 athletes from 23 different countries. As the games progressed, they adapted to the opening and closing ceremonies. Even though there were many people against this movement Ludwig Guttmann persevered and managed to host the event after all. Trischa Zorn is an American swimmer; she has been blind since birth, yet she is still able to compete spectacularly in the events. She has won the most paralympic medals in the world! Trischa has competed in 7 Paralympics and has won 55 medals, 41 of those medals are gold. Even though Trischa Zorn was presented with many challenges early on in her life, that never stopped her from becoming the amazing person she is today, let this be a message to all of us, no matter how difficult the situation is, there is always a way to overcome them, with the right mind set. By: T. Fakhoury If you frequently practice a sport, you know you need to be consistent, always training to become better and achieve your goals, these goals may be becoming part of your school’s team, maybe being part of the starting team, or even receiving an offer to play for them or even to go Pro. Game changers are all about that, since when you look at this steep mountain of achievements you know that you are not the only one who is trying every single day, hundreds of thousands of people want to be a part of that, they also may want to go places nobody has ever been. They all want to do what the best of the best do, they all want to play just like their idols, that exactly where the making not becoming part comes in.
Every team wants to have the best of the best for them, the ones that can do it all, but occasionally, a better player comes around, but why would a team who has a player who can do it all, want him? Game Changer, a new athlete who has developed things which were not yet thought of, which has no explanation, no original value, no counter-defense, and why may that come in handy? In crucial times of the game, he can do what no other can, this may not even be about his ability in the sport but it may be about the way he handles pressure or perseveres to lead his team to a victory by altering the way of the game. Of course nobody wants to become any other average player out there, but what makes the difference is finding ways to stand out, to show that you can do what others can’t, you can change what others can’t, or by breaking the norms of the sport, Breaking barriers. Find ways to stand out, don’t let the game pass by, and before telling yourself “I am not good, and I practice a lot” find ways around the barriers, or even break them, learn about your sport, take calculated risks. Don’t let that time pass by, take that time and think how to implement your own unique style to it. The best way to do this is now to think to yourself “Would the Game outcome be different if I wasn’t in it” and remind yourself not to wait for a moment but to create a moment, You can always be a Game Changer. |
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