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The CWSA Podcast features exclusive interviews with winners of the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards from its family of athletes across a range of sports.
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26 JUL 2021 · On the final episode of the season we hear from a representative of the CWSA Board of Directors and presenting partner American Honda, Katie Falk. Katie serves as Unit Lead for Local Corporate Social Responsibility of American Honda. She has had more than a decade of experience in working to address key social issues on a local, national and global scale. Katie shares the reasons why America Honda has found a partner in The Collegiate Women Sports Awards for over 35years. She explains why Honda supports the awards program: fitting into their goals of education, creating discovery experiences and realizing dreams in society. She believes that the women CWSA honors serve as exemplary role models and are a natural fit to their commitment to dreams; a challenging spirit, continual improvement, and passion.
Sports were important to Katie growing up and remain a vehicle where she has learned the value of teamwork that she applies in the workplace. As a Board member she is pleased to be serving aside so many passionate professionals. Katie shares her particular fondness of a recent social media project of Honda and CWSA, ‘When She Leads She’s Unstoppable’. She revels in women changing the game and the fact that so many past Honda Cup winners are in deed doing that in society as well. Katie is proud and excited about the upcoming broadcasts - both the June 22nd DEFYING the ODDS on CBS-SN, which features the Honda Inspiration Winners and finalists, and then the June 28th CWSA Honda Awards Show.
Here’s to one of the longest corporate sponsorships in the nation and history of supporting women in sport.
Host: Chris Voelz
For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.
Transcribed
19 JUL 2021 · Jennifer Rizzotti grew up playing sports with older boys. Undersized then and throughout her career she chose to work harder, smarter and make up for a smaller stature with a bigger heart and ambition. It worked as Jennifer had a great college career serving as point guard for the UCONN Huskies basketball team and playing professionally before becoming a coach for more than 20 years. Along the way she nabbed most every post season award including the Honda Cup in 1996, the Associated Press Player of the Year, All American, All Academic American and Wade Trophy.
The advice given as a player served her well as a coach, including knowing your teammates, what motivates them and building relationships. She credits Geno Auriemma, her collegiate coach, with building the national championships and being a model for coaching. He wants athletes who value teamwork and who are willing to work harder in practice than in a game. And he expects good academics; good character and good players.
Check out what Jennifer has to say about eight basketball players of the CWSA family who also won the Honda Cup. She describes her professional experiences as a dream for making a living as an athlete and having an opportunity to compete at the highest level every outing, her ultimate competitiveness and need to pay attention to details. Jennifer shares with the audience her experience as President of the WBCA and what comes with paying attention to something bigger than yourself. She credits sport with teaching her the life lessons of humility and appreciation, that no success happens by yourself, and the possibility of having lasting impact as a leader. We hear what success looks like to Jennifer.
Jennifer is using her growth mindset in her current position as President of the WNBA franchise, the Mohegan Sun. Let’s cheer that franchise on during this big professional pivot for Jennifer Rizzotti. But first let’s cheer on the USA Women’s Basketball team in Tokyo at the Olympics where she will be on the bench as an Assistant Coach - a culmination of decades of contributions to USA basketball.
Host: Chris Voelz
A co-production of WiSP Sports and the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards.
For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.
Transcribed
12 JUL 2021 · The 2013 Honda Cup Winner, Keilani Ricketts, a 6’2” left-handed softball pitcher billed herself exactly as that when pitching to coaches for college recruiting. That not only got their attention but height and hand served her well on the mound for her collegiate career at Oklahoma University and now with USA Softball. Keilani was introduced to a variety of sports in childhood and followed three siblings onto to collegiate competition. Her collegiate team won a national championship because they all bought in to a common goal and as she was showered with awards she modestly attributes them to her team… claiming she just was the one on the mound. She does admit that it takes heart, grit, confidence, enjoying the pressure and buying into the game plan to perform as a champion pitcher. Playing professionally took a great deal of transition especially handling her new found freedom. Keilani describes her fellow softball players who are Honda Cup winners, and relates the best advice given to her by her coaches over the years. She believes a champion’s attributes must include a strong work ethic and being a good teammate. She looks forward to the upcoming Olympics after the enforced interruption due to the pandemic. Her life lessons from sport include control what you can control. Cheer on Keilani and the USA softball team at the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.
Host: Chris Voelz.
A co-production of WiSP Sports and the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards
For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.
Transcribed
5 JUL 2021 · Sarah Pavan, the 2007 Honda Cup winner is one of the best and rarest examples of a volleyball athlete who excelled at both indoor and beach games at the highest level. A collegiate four-time All American and University of Nebraska National Champion, Sarah went on to play professionally and is now headed to the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
Coming from a sports minded family in Kitchener, Canada, Sarah shares what it was like to be a member of her Canadian national volleyball team at the age of 16. She relates her journey to the U.S., and then the close bonds that brought the Huskers a collegiate national championship .
One of her favorite quotes given to her by her collegiate coach was Thoreau’s “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” This would serve her well as she fulfilled her dream to become an Olympian. Though beach volleyball was not initially on her radar she saw it as the path to fulfill that dream. Continuing to play professionally, both indoor and outdoor she shares the differences in the games and the necessary transitions to be made.
Sarah, a hard hitting 6’6” lefty, notes that from sport one learns discipline, teamwork, communication skills and confidence and would not be the person she is without sport. She encourages all youth to be involved in sport and laments that girls are dropping out at an early age. During the pandemic she wanted to connect with those volleyballers who were quarantined and created ‘Sarah Pavan Volleyball’ on You Tube, helping beginners to learn basic volleyball. Sarah closes by recognizing the difference collegiate sports made in shaping her life. If you want to cheer on a great athlete, accomplished student and delightful person cheer on the Canadian team of Sarah and Melissa ( Humana-Parades) in the Tokyo Olympics beach volleyball.
Host: Chris Voelz
A co-production of WiSP Sports and the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards
For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.
Transcribed
28 JUN 2021 · The 1990 Honda Cup winner, Suzy Favor, excelled as a middle distance runner for decades and in three Olympics. It all began with adventures in her family. However, starting as a high school US Jr. Record Holder in the 1500m and as she went to University of Wisconsin she was also coping with bulimia. Having overcome it she now shares her insights and explains that it’s not about food but about control. Her turning point was when she learned that stress fractures would continue unless she changed her eating habits and nutrition. Having faced that she was always incredibly prepared by her collegiate coach and able to move on. This she did with winning 23 Big Ten Championships becoming the first woman to win 800m and 1500m at the NCAA Championship in the same season.
Suzy ’s running in the 80’s (in a sport that was not yet mainstream) led her to winning every collegiate race and then the Honda-Broderick Cup in 1990. The Class of 1990 was filled with future Olympians and yet what Suzy appreciates most about her fellow honorees was their incredibly good character. Some of the best advice she was given from coaches throughout her career was to keep sport fun.
Years of professional running brought more challenges and benefits including traveling the world and meeting international people. When asked what made her so good she responded that she was coachable. She then went on to say that after decades she lost her voice and only in the past years is finding it once again. Learning to face the pressure in her third Olympics, Suzy went into the race as the fastest women in the world at 1500 meters. We also hear how she dealt with suffering from postpartum depression after having daughter Kylie and how subsequently medications triggered bipolar. Learn about her commitment to mental health issues and her reflections as she pursues her art within a slower and thoughtful world that she has created in the mountains of California.
Host: Chris Voelz
A co-production of WiSP Sports and the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards
For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.
Transcribed
21 JUN 2021 · Misty May was the national champion Long Beach State volleyball player as well as three time Olympic gold medalist, and the 1999 Honda Cup winner. Misty says she is one of the lucky ones. She was not asked to choose a sport in her youth. Rather she played multiple sports all the while living on the beach where volleyball became the sport she loved the most. Growing up in a sports oriented family with father who was a volleyball Olympian and mom a ranked tennis player, they both gave her sound advice. Her father admonished her “to play for those who can’t play “ while her Mom insisted that “when it is no longer fun, don’t do it “.
A positional switch from outside hitter to setter under the tutelage of Olympian Debbie Green at Long Beach State plus the vacancy of two setters ahead of her not only brought her collegiate team an undefeated season and national championship but it served as a groundwork for her beach volleyball success over the next 13 years. She advises athletes pursuing success that they must be willing to put in the work when no one else is around. And no doubt that is what she and her beach partners did as she won on the pro circuit and qualified for the Olympics.
Misty shares with the audience the differences between hard floor and beach volleyball training and competition, and the excitement and challenges of three Olympics - each uniquely different. The beach team of Misty and Kerri Walsh Jennings won all three gold medals and has been tabbed the greatest beach team of all times. She reflects on why she and Kerri were such a great team including both possessing great drive; holding each other accountable; having energies that counterbalanced one another and could feed off of each other; great all around games individually; common goals, and each respecting the others differences.
Looking back, sport has taught Misty not to procrastinate, to be game ready, realize life is not a sprint but a process and journey, to be a better communicator, and to make sure that choices are aligned with goals. Misty has used those skills as a mother of three daughters, and as a community college coach and personal trainer. Misty describers herself as a competitor then and a person now and what is essential to become a champion.
Host: Chris Voelz
A co-production of WiSP Sports and the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards
Transcribed
14 JUN 2021 · Tara Kirk’s transition from swimming—she was former American Record holder in the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter breaststroke—to a professional career was much different than many others. And it was not without lessons learned that she went from swimming on the world stage to the world stage in pandemics and bioterrorism. And this has never been more relevant than in this unusual year where a pandemic has affected all of our lives.The swimming stage for Tara included growing up in Bremerton, Washington State followed by Stanford for national championships where she broke records. The professional stage began as a biology student at Stanford, capped with a doctors degree from John Hopkins to now serving as a Senior Associate at the John Hopkins Center for Health Security and Assistant Professor in their Dept of Environmental Health and Engineering.
Tara shares what it meant to her when Athens hosted the 2004 Olympics - truly a welcome home from where it all began. After that, she trained throughout the 2008 Olympics before retiring. From being at the top of her game for so long she was suddenly at an entry level position where her peers were five years younger. Tara built upon the qualities that made her a champion swimmer: hard work; penchant for precision; embracing details to achieving more in academics and in her career. She also was advised, and believes, that one has to dig deeper, take criticism and apply and learn or simply keep going. And she concedes that it helps t have talent… although, without training, that is not enough .
Tara shares the simulated exercises she co lead about Covid-19 in early 2019. She acknowledges the role communication plays in terms of a national strategy for mis and disinformation, and emphasizes how social behavior factors are critical to the response. She shares with us her niche, which went from the theoretical to reality in a matter of months. Tara weaves into her life journey the story of relationships, be it at Stanford, her husband’s relationships that connect her professionally or testifying in front of Congress.
She laments the barriers and the equity needed for women sports and women in science, urging us all to fight the good fight as we are not yet there. All the while we recognize what a terrific role model she is for both sport and science.
Host: Chris Voelz
A co-production of WiSP Sports & the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards.
For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.
Transcribed
7 JUN 2021 · Named Best Female Athlete of the 20th Century, there is no doubt that Jackie Joyner is the GOAT. She also appears as humble and even tempered as she was as a competitor. Though there were violence and drugs in her East St Louis community, Jackie grew up with great support and encouragement. While watching the Olympics on TV in 1976, Wilma Rudolph and Evelyn Ashford became important role models for her. The community center was the center of her childhood where she fortunately was introduced to male coaches who really cared about girls and women having opportunities …and couldn’t help but notice she had talent. Jumping 21 feet while still in high school and winning basketball championships brought her onto the radar of UCLA coaches in both sports. She compliments her coaches and UCLA for working with her training needs and redshirt year as her first Olympics taught her a lot about the need for strength not just physically but emotionally and mentally. Jackie understood that injury was just part of the athletic experience - her experience to last another three Olympics.
Some of her best advice given by coaches and family included: lead by example, be patient, rid your self of doubt and instead believe, finish something if you start it and embrace other’s greatness. Jackie surrounded herself with family throughout her Olympics, eventually marrying her coach Bobby Kersee who also coached Flo Jo who married Jackie’s Olympian brother, Al. She tells the stories of Olympics that affirms her will to win. Jackie names three things that sustained her throughout four Olympics: faith, family and great coaching.
She describes what she learned from each of her Olympic Games. And Jackie also credits the generosity of others who taught her the value of volunteering. At the end of her long career she returned to East St Louis where she founded the Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation, and brought back the community center where they offer an after-school program, transportation, meals and sports opportunities.
Host: Chris Voelz
A co-production of WiSP Sports and the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards
For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.
Transcribed
31 MAY 2021 · This episode reaches back to the origins of The Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards in 1976 with Dr. Judie Holland, one of the CWSA founders who served 37 years as its Executive Director. A phone call from Tom Broderick (of the Broderick gym clothes company ) was the beginning of 45 years of celebrating female collegiate athletes. Judie shares with us the challenges, the rewards and the progress that the CWSA has made, although she laments the lack of support at times, She shares her favorite award winners and program emcees, like Elizabeth Dole, then Secretary of Transportation. You can hear what she has to say about Elena Della Donne and Britney Griner, as well as her beloved Bruins. Judie describes the new path that was taken in terms of the award designs. Judie is most proud that the program continues to this day as we celebrate our 45th year. Some of her best decisions include; moving the award program from AIAW to NCAA; insisting that the voters were all NCAA school Senior Women Administrators; converting the program to a non-profit under the umbrella of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards and empowering the Board of Directors. Finally we hear what this seasoned legend is looking forward to in terms as women’s sports evolve.
Host: Chris Voelz
A co-production with the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards.
For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.
Transcribed
24 MAY 2021 · A childhood surrounded by four athletic siblings contributed to the support Cheryl Miller needed when not many girls were competing. Those four siblings went on to be a MLB player; Hall of Fame NBA player; varsity volleyball player and All American and Olympic gold medalist. Cheryl’s unfettered energy and exuberance remains in tact some 35 plus years after she scored 105 points in a high school basketball game and was named four time All American by Parade magazine. She went on to University of Southern California, winning two national championships, and by her senior year two Naismith trophies; two Broderick (precursor to Honda ) sport awards and the Broderick Cup. Her reputation for playing big still remains as do many Trojan records including scoring, rebounding and steals. She recounts that her favorite part of basketball was stealing and taking it into the basket and taking the charge - not always executed by someone so lean and wiry.
Cheryl’s Olympic experience includes the lowlight of the Soviets boycotting, the highlight of winning the gold and the memories of being coached by Pat Summit. She believes it takes integrity, accountability, honesty… and amnesia in the locker room to be a champion. Cheryl describes the basketball champions who also earned the cup: Ann Meyers (1978 winner) as -student of the game - loyal, soft-spoken yet strong, Nancy Lieberman (1979 winner) as cocky, competent; greatest basketball entertainer, Kamie Ethridge (1986 winner) as swiveling eyes who saw everything and everyone, managed emotions and took care of players as point guard, Theresa Weatherspoon (1988 winner) as a physical point guard, bruiser with the best motivational speeches. She describes her coaches, Linda Sharp as being relationship oriented and trusting, Pat Summit structured and detailed, and Kay Yow as blending Sharp and Summit while giving all the benefit of the doubt in her spiritual way.
Cheryl coached at all levels from pro with the Phoenix Mercury, NCAA D I and NAIA. Her talents and familiarity with the game took her to a career in sports broadcasting, which may also be her next step.
Host: Chris Voelz
A co-production with the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards
For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.
The CWSA Podcast features exclusive interviews with winners of the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards from its family of athletes across a range of sports.
Information
| Author | WiSP |
| Organization | WiSP Sports |
| Categories | Sports |
| Website | www.wispsports.com |
| wispsports@gmail.com |
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