NCAA Tennis Tournament Goes Green The Central Florida Sports Commission hosted the first-ever “green” outdoor NCAA tennis championship May 12-15 in Seminole County, Florida. GSA USA Champion for Change Natalie Spilger served as keynote speaker to help spread the word about green initiatives. Spilger is a professional soccer player with the Chicago Red Stars and founder and CEO of GreenLaces, an organization that encourages athletes to care about the planet.
With the guidance of GSA USA, the NCAA and Seminole County incorporated eco-friendly initiatives into the tennis championship, including:
Reducing travel impact through carbon-offsetting projects and practices
Launching recycle, recover, and repair projects, including a recycling hub at the event
Reusing of sports equipment by donating used tennis balls to the community
Natalie Spilger signing books and speaking with students at this year’s first ever green NCAA tennis championship
Tennis tourney participants sporting Natalie’s GreenLaces in support of the environment
Events
International 14 Pacific Rim Invitational in Hawaii The International 14 Pacific Rim Invitational will be held at the Kaneohe Yacht Club in Hawaii on October 9-12. Hawaii Team Captain Andy Bates will represent GSA USA at the regatta, fly the ecoflag, and supply GSA USA information to participants and spectators.
The race will include ecoflags on each boat, a kids’ day, local junior youth sailing, and promote clean air and water initiatives.
I14 race sailing this October in Hawaii!
El Tour Registration Now Open UMC’s 28th annual El Tour de Tucson presented by Diamond Ventures will take place on Saturday, November 20. Nearly 9,000 cyclists from all over the globe will ride to benefit several nonprofits, including Global Sports Alliance USA. Come join the GSA USA team of riders and be part of the fun. Get your registration in to GSA by August 15 for a chance to win an additional prize!
Registration fees are $100 plus a minimum contribution of $50 to GSA USA. The desert has gorgeous weather in November and this is an opportunity not to be missed! Contact Dina Delaney for more information. The registration form can be downloaded here.
GSA riders Greg Hockensmith and Rich Pierson crossing the finish line at the El Tour de Tucson
G-ForSE 2010 The sixth annual Global Forum for Sports and the Environment, or G-ForSE, will be held at the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) compound in Nairobi, Kenya on November 8-9, 2010. Organized by UNEP and GSA USA, G-ForSE meets every two years to discuss increasing environmental action and awareness in sports. GSA USA Florida Team Captain Leon Larson will also attend.
Sports and environmental stakeholders will meet to discuss the integration of environmental concerns into the development of sports facilities, manufacturing of sports equipment, and the organization of sporting events. For inquiries regarding G-ForSE 2010 contact info@gsa.or.jp.
GSA and UNEP’s Global Forum for Sports and the Environment
GSA Team Captain Joins Environmental Task Group New York Team Captain Kevin Trotta has accepted an invitation to serve on the Sports Turf Managers Association's (STMA) Environmental Task Group, created to develop STMA’s environmental charter. In 2009, GSA USA and STMA signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to share information and identify opportunities to work cooperatively to promote the principles of environmental stewardship in the world of sports. Congratulations Kevin!
GSA New York Team Captain Kevin Trotta to serve on environmental task group
Jane Poynter and Liv Arnesen at ideaCity GSA Champions for Change Liv Arnesen and Jane Poynter served as two of the presenters to a packed house at ideaCity in Toronto, Canada on June 19. Dubbed “Canada’s Premiere Meeting of the Minds,” ideaCity brought 50 inspirational speakers to challenge the international audience. Presenters spanned a range of industries and expertise, including writers, filmmakers, philanthropists, architects, educators, activists, musicians, choreographers, and more.
Jane presents to a packed house at ideaCity in Canada
Volunteer Spotlight
This month we highlight Melissa Eckmann, our amazing GSA volunteer who organizes and edits our monthly newsletter. Team Captains and other volunteers submit GSA news from around the country, and Melissa puts it all together in a consistent format.
Melissa lives in San Diego, California and works full-time as a marketing consultant. She has enjoyed learning more about GSA and its environmental efforts through her volunteer position. In her free time, Melissa takes her dog to the beach, spends time with friends and loved ones, and enjoys yoga and Pilates.
Thank you for all your hard work Melissa!!
Melissa hiking Yosemite’s Half Dome with her brother
Resource Development Volunteer Opportunity We have an ongoing opportunity for a Resource Development Volunteer to research online environmental resources and make those resources available on the GSA website. The position will include email and phone communication, and can be done either offsite or in our office.
Our current resource page is now available online. We would like this page to be a resource of “green” information for sports events organizers or individual sports and outdoor enthusiasts. The volunteer will help add a variety of environmental guidelines and resources to the page, including a green score card and green event guidelines and pledges. Please contact Dina Delaney for more information.
Eco-Tips
Start Your Own Weekly Earth Hour Earth Hour is an annual international event where both residences and businesses turn off all electricity for one hour to promote saving energy and protecting the environment. The next Earth Hour is March 26, 2011 at 8:30 p.m.
Try incorporating this annual event into your life on a weekly basis. Turn off all of your lights and unplug any appliances for at least one hour at night and go out to play some fun games. For safety purposes, go with a group or organize a community event at the local park. You can play games like Frisbee, kickball, softball, or other activities where the lights are already on at night. Save electricity, save the environment, and of course, have fun playing sports!
New Resources
The University of Rochester in Rochester, New York takes their sustainability program seriously. Check out their link from our GSA News for great information.
University of Rochester students making their campus and community more sustainable
A no-cost way to raise money for non profits. Go to www.goodsearch.com and enter Global Sports Alliance USA as your non-profit of choice. Every time you goodsearch instead of using other search engines to surf the web, money goes to GSA (or any other nonprofit you would like to help out). Please ask your friends to do the same. It adds up fast, and is a great way to help non-profits in this difficult economy.
