Stronger Women

I'm back.

It’s been a long time since I wrote The Stronger Women Get, The More Men Love Football.

As you may know, I’m a former Stanford and pro basketball player. I’ve written hundreds of articles and seven books, mostly about the empowerment of women through sports.

I stepped back.

I never learned the step-back logo shots that Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has perfected (WOW) but I did step back after more than two decades of writing and speaking about women and sports. My parents were old and needed help. I had grown tired of traveling around the country to give speeches. I heard about this thing called salary and benefits.

Brief summary of where I’ve been

Surely my skills are transferable, I thought. But how? Who wants to hire a lesbian feminist writer and speaker with clear but controversial opinions about sports?

At first, no one. That was depressing. But then, one by one, three nonprofits did.

First: AARP. I’d spoken to their leadership team about ageism and they hired me to direct their speechwriting team.

Then the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (now SHAPE America). They hired me as Executive Director.

Then ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership. They hired me as VP for Innovation and New Product Development. All three jobs were surprisingly satisfying.

I said “no” a lot

Meanwhile, people kept inviting me to write and speak and appear in the media to discuss controversial issues in sports: Rape and football players. Sexual abuse and gymnasts. Title IX. Homophobia. I said, “No thanks.” I was busy with my parents and my jobs and my sports (swimming, cycling, golf) and my dear spouse, Katherine.

I referred people to my friend Nancy Hogshead, Olympic swimmer and Title IX attorney. Or my friend Donna Lopiano: former CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation. Or my friend Pat Griffin: author of Strong Women, Deep Closets: Lesbians and Homophobia in Sport.

Goodbye to Dad (at 89), then Mom (at 95)

My parents kept getting older. They thanked me for everything. I thanked them for everything. They died.

I grew older too (funny how that happens) and left the third “real job.”

“Welcome home.”

Then the most controversial issue in women’s sports today — the eligibility question: who gets to compete as a woman? — lured me back. And Nancy Hogshead and Donna Lopiano, along with Martina Navratilova, Donna de Varona, and Tracy Sundlun invited me to join the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group.

Donna de Varona said, “Welcome home,” which felt great.

The Women’s Sports Policy Working Group

I do a lot of writing for that group. Which I love: the writing and the people and the mission. More about that another time.

Writing called me back, too

Now I’m writing for literary journals such as Fourth Genre and news journals such as Forbes. I’ve guest-posted on Kara Dansky’s excellent Substack. (Thanks, Kara.)

Open letter to USA Today

Today, Sarah Barker published my Open Letter to USA Today on her excellent Substack: The Female Category. (Thanks, Sarah.)

Somehow I became an artist

Somewhere along the way I became an artist and now I’m creating graphic stories, too.

And now I’m here.

I don’t know how often I’ll post. I don’t know what the mix will be between female-athlete-related essays and female-athlete-related graphic stories. I need to feel it out. (I’m a kinesthetic person. I feel stuff out.) See how much fun it is for me - and for you. If I establish a schedule, I’ll let you know.

This is what swimmers do: We swim.

I once read a story in Sports Illustrated (I think it was there) about a team of swimmers who experienced an awful tragedy. I don’t remember what the awful thing was — maybe their teammate was murdered. Devastated, the team considered canceling the season. But they didn’t. The story included this line: “This is what swimmers do: we swim.”

This is what writers do: We write.

That was maybe 40 years ago but I still think about that line. I’m a lifelong swimmer, and I’ve swum through many troubled waters. Because that’s what swimmers do: we swim.

And this is what writers do: We write.

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Want to join my team?

I’d be delighted if you’d join my team so we can chat about strong women. You may have a lot to say too, and I’d like to hear whatever it is. (As long as it’s respectful.)