Posts by: League of Fans
By Ken Reed
Last week, 31-year-old Wynton Bernard finally got the news he’d been waiting 11 years to hear: He was going to the big leagues.
The Colorado Rockies called up Bernard from their AAA farm team, the Albuquerque Isotopes, last week. It was a mountaintop moment for Bernard after a long, hard, winding climb […]
By Ken Reed
In the Southwest Region final of the Little League Baseball World Series tournament, Kaiden Shelton of Texas drilled Oklahoma’s Isaiah Jarvis in the head (which luckily was protected with a batting helmet). Jarvis fell down like a rock and was shaken up for awhile. But he eventually got up and made it […]
League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast
[Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor and others]
Our guests on this episode are Nathan Braaten and Taylor Ricci, the founders of Dam Worth It, a non-profit organization created to end the stigma around mental health at colleges and universities across the country […]
By Ken Reed
The sports world took a couple major hits this week with the passing of Bill Russell and Vin Scully.
Two giants in SportsWorld. And two people who positively impacted the world in ways beyond their sports role.
To many, including thousands who never met him and only knew him through […]
By Ken Reed
When I heard that laugh, I knew instantly that Bill Russell was near me. I turned around and there he was, one of the greatest basketball players and civil rights activists of all-time.
I had never met Russell but as it turned out, I was fortunate to be placed next to him […]
By Ken Reed
The following sign is posted on the fence at every Glendale Little League (Wisconsin) field:
PLEASE REMEMBER
1. These are KIDS.
2. This is a GAME.
3. Coaches are VOLUNTEERS.
4. Umpires are HUMAN.
5. Your child is NOT being scouted by the Brewers today.
Thank you,
Glendale Little League
What a […]
By Ken Reed
Dr. Monnica T. Williams, a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa, wrote an important article about the value of exercise on mental health for Psychology Today last month. In the article, she outlined why exercise can be as positive for mental health as it is for […]
By Ken Reed
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has given ten organizations its annual sports award for 2022. Each award comes with a $30,000 cash prize.
The award winners vary from a running and mentoring organization for youth facing a high level of adversity to a free inclusive summer camp that provides sports and […]
By Ken Reed
Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson, baseball’s civil rights pioneer, turned 100 on July 19th, appropriately enough on the day of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.
Jackie was a Rookie of the Year, MVP and World Champion for the Brooklyn Dodgers during his Hall of Fame career. […]
By Ken Reed
Cameron Smith won an exhilarating British Open golf tournament at the home of golf, St. Andrews, on Sunday, outdueling crowd favorite Rory McIlroy, and young stars Cameron Young and Viktor Hovland. It was compelling theater as the four elite golfers pursued the world’s biggest golf title.
But now, the beauty that was […]
Sports Forum Podcast
Episode #24 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Mental Health and Athletes: Ending the Stigma – Nathan Braaten and Taylor Ricci are the founders of Dam Worth It, a non-profit created to end the stigma around mental health at colleges and universities through sport, storytelling, and community creation.
Listen on Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor and others.
Follow on Facebook: @SportsForumPodcast
More Episodes on Apple Podcasts; Spotify; Google Podcasts; PocketCasts; & Anchor
Episode #23 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Olympian Benita Fitzgerald Mosley Talks Title IX, Youth Sports and the Olympics.
Episode #22 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Rethinking Sports Fandom with Author Craig Calcaterra – We discuss Calcaterra’s new book “Rethinking Fandom: How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game” and explore new ways to be a fan.
Episode #21 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Chatting About a Broken Game With Baseball Writer Pedro Moura – Moura is a national baseball writer for Fox Sports. We discuss how and why the game of baseball is broken, what factors caused it, and offer a few thoughts on how to “fix” a great game.
Episode #20 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Coaching Youth and High School Sports Based On What’s Best for the Athlete’s Holistic Development – We chat with long-time youth, high school and college basketball coach Jim Huber.
Episode #19 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Capturing the Spirit of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League with Anika Orrock – We discuss the hoops AAGPFL women had to jump through to play the game they loved as well as the long-term impact and legacy they have in advancing sports opportunities for girls and women.
Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- League of Fans Sports Policy Director Ken Reed quoted in Washington Post column titled "What happened to P.E.? It’s losing ground in our push for academic improvement," by Jay Mathews
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
Books
