PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Can I Play? Dreaming In The Wave Of Title IX
The recent loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has left me heartbroken. I didn’t have a personal connection to her, but what I know of her, I love, and I am grateful for how she fought for women’s rights and equal rights.
It is because of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (and many other strong women before my time), that I have the right to vote, that I have access to birth control, that I was able to get a credit card before I was married and that, if I want, I can buy a house without my husband’s signature, to name a few.
And of course there’s Title IX (which bans sex discrimination and sexual harassment in federally subsidized educational programs, including athletics). This 1972 Education Amendment is what opened up doors for me to play the sport I love at the next level and get a better education, and for that I am grateful. Had I been in school a few years earlier, before Title IX, things may have been different.
Can I Play? Dreaming In The Wave Of Title IX is an article I published several years ago about how lucky I was to grow up after Title IX was enacted, and how it allowed me to pursue my dream of playing college basketball.
Can I Play? Dreaming In The Wave of Title IX by Sonya Elliott
“Mom, I want to play basketball,” I said as I watched the boys move up and down the court, dribbling around each other in an effort to get to the hoop. I was seven at the time.
My mom peered at me through the bottom of her glasses and explained, “They don’t have basketball for girls your age, Sonya.” But when I narrowed my eyes and huffed, she gave me an exaggerated wink and said, “That doesn’t mean […]
PEN TO PAPER: Wants & Needs
There’s a feeling in my soul right now that has inspired me to blog again. Maybe I’m working through anger and frustration about what is happening in the world with the pandemic, the coming election and the onset of fires across the west coast. Or perhaps it’s simply the fact that I’m at home a lot these days. Whatever the case, I’m finally doing more writing. And I like it.
I haven’t felt such a strong urge to write for a while. Not like this. Other than my Thursday’s with Jenny, my writing time has been more of a grind. Sonya, you should work on your book. Sonya you should blog. I want to finish my book, so I sit down and write and rewrite and write some more, and I’m always glad that I do, but it’s been hard.
I love the feeling that I have right now, where I can’t think of much else, so I’m taking advantage of the fire in my belly and getting to work. It’s a little bit of a problem because it’s been keeping me up at night as my mind whirls with ideas, but honestly, I prefer it this way. The urge to write is always inside me, it’s just hidden at times, but when it surfaces like this, it reminds me that not only do I want to write, I need to write.
Set your goals and work like a turtle if you need to, in order to reach those goals, and when you feel the urge to write, take advantage of every minute and write on!
WRITING PROMPT #1: What are your wants & needs? Or simply put WANTS & NEEDS at the top of a blank page and start writing and see […]
LIFE INSPIRED FITNESS: Tracking Your Success
At the start of the pandemic, my husband, son and I, set goals to stay in shape and do core workouts daily, so I made a chart so that we could track what we did. It worked. At least for me (the boys didn’t keep up with the chart even when they were working out). When my chart ran out, however, so did my consistent workout schedule.
I’m pretty good at letting life inspire me to get some workouts in and stay in shape, but part of staying healthy for me these days includes working on my flexibility and mind, so I’m trying to include yoga and meditation. I even added those categories to my chart, which is where the chart was really helping me.
When I was young I was always busy, playing basketball and running around. I’m still busy, just not as busy, and for some reason for me it’s easy to put other tasks ahead of yoga and meditation. So I’m doing whatever it takes to create a new habit. I’ve tried simply jotting a note on the calendar or in my daytimer, but I don’t use those on a daily basis these days, so I went for a chart again. My daughter has a bullet journal where she tracks all sorts of things including workouts. And you can download all kinds of apps that can help you track or log your workouts like Fitocracy and the Simple Workout Log. My husband loves to track his bike rides on Strava.
The important thing to remember is your tracking system doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to work for you. For me, the more basic, the better. Try charting your workouts in a way that you enjoy and feel your body and mind grow stronger.
LET’S GET SERIOUS
I’m not one to talk politics, but because our nation’s response to the worldwide pandemic is affecting our nation’s health, I can’t help myself. I’ve been tweeting my views and yes, now, because I care about my friends, family and my community, I’m publishing this blog, one that took me a month to edit while I worked to soothe the fire that’s been burning in my blood. I am frustrated and angry, not only because we are in a global pandemic, but because the United States of America hasn’t had a consistent, united response to COVID-19, which has made things even worse.
There are a lot of confusing facts out there, but one fact that can’t be denied is that the United States is doing a terrible job with controlling the spread of the virus. And as the virus continues to spread across the nation, hundreds of thousands of people are dying. As of today, September 4th, 2020, over 187,000 Americans have died. Imagine if one of those deaths were your mother, your father, your sister, your brother, or your best friend.
My message today is please, for your health, the health of your friends and family, and the health of our nation as a whole, please, please, social distance and wear a mask. It’s not that difficult, and it’s exactly what other nations are doing so that they can live a new normal life.
The fact that the president of the United States doesn’t scream this message just baffles me. It’s like we are living in a dystopian world here in the USA. I don’t understand Trump’s response to COVID-19 (or lack there of), just like I don’t understand how it’s okay for him, the president of the United States, to bully-tweet and lie, to encourage white supremacy, to attack honored Veterans, […]
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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PEN TO PAPER: New Year’s Goals
I’ve never been one to set New Year’s resolutions, but I am a goal-setter, which I suppose isn’t so different. I guess my tendency to shy away from New Year’s resolutions comes from my long held belief that they are unsuccessful. In fact, a quick Google search on history.com confirmed my thinking, while as many as forty-five percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only eight percent are successful in achieving their goals.
Still, setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation, so if a New Year’s resolution does that for you, go for it. Or if you’re like me, don’t put so much pressure on yourself and simply call them goals, that happen to take place at the beginning of the year.
Many wishes for a healthy and happy New Year! Write on!
WRITING PROMPT 1: Write down your writing goals for this year
WRITING PROMPT 2: Write about what you are looking forward to in […]
PEN TO PAPER: Be Present, Connect & Listen
Last Thursday when my friend Jenny and I did our freewrite, we chose three words from her Anchored Card Deck. The words were Presence, Connect and Listen. My fingers flew across the keys, what powerful words to focus on during the holidays, and especially during a pandemic.
It can be difficult to be present. With bills and work, and these days the constant worry about everyone’s health, stress levels are high. And my to-do list seems to get longer everyday. But, this is also when I use my past, my history with loss, to remind myself to slow down, to be present. If you’ve lost people you love, you know what I’m talking about.
Sometimes I have to have a little conversation with myself. Sonya, who cares if the house is a messy, hang out with your son, he will be back at college soon. Enjoy walks with your […]
PEN TO PAPER: Food For Thought
I love food. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just good. Still, as I write this blog I realize that I’m known to take pictures of my food. Do I just want to remember how good it was? Do I want a picture to remind me of that time and the experience? I’m not sure, but I do know that food is a huge part our lives and that’s why it can be a great starting point for writing.
Our meals not only give us nutrients but they become a bigger part of our lives in different ways. For some people, one of the best parts of a meal is putting it all together. I enjoy cooking, but I certainly don’t love it. My friend Kathy, on the other hand, loves to cook and bake (Instagram @lick.the.plate). She baked the beautiful Bolo Polana cake in the photo above (Recipe […]
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