U.S. Department of State

Girls Rule the (Sports) World: Mentoring the Next Generation of Global Women Leaders in Sports

About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

On Thursday, I met with 17 inspiring women from Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Macedonia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Tajikistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Individually, they’re up-and-comers in the world of sports — as athletes, coaches, reporters, and managers. Together, they’re the inaugural class of the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program. The group arrived at the State Department this morning for an orientation to kick off their month-long mentorships with leading American women in sports-related fields.

For the next four weeks, these emerging leaders will work alongside their American mentors from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut,… more »

The U.S. Department of State and espnW’s Global Sports Mentoring Program starts today! Learn more at http://youtu.be/wTy—cQVTXk

Egyptians and Americans Connect Over Soccer

Egyptian soccer coach poses with youth during SportsUnited exchange program in Washington, D.C., 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Kelli R. Davis serves as a Program Officer for SportsUnited in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Recognizing the positive power of sports, a delegation of soccer coaches from Egypt took to the soccer field, to the classroom, and to local communities to engage with their American counterparts. For 10 days, these soccer coaches, who primarily coach women and girls’ soccer teams across Egypt, not only fine-tuned their soccer and coaching skills — they also got a first-hand glimpse into the lives of every-day Americans.

“We had a chance to work with people of different age groups, different social backgrounds…children with disabilities, and we also covered every single aspect of the game,” said Safia Abdel Daymen, a member of the Egyptian delegation.

As a part of the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls through…more »

London 2012 Olympics Countdown Calls for Friendly Competition

U.S. Department of State employees pose for a photograph after participating in Embassy Olympics at Reeves Field American University in Washington, D.C., on April 18, 2012, to mark 100 days until the start of the London Olympics. [Photography copyright Tony Powell/ British Embassy]

About the Author: Cindy Gire serves as Division Chief of Sports United in theBureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Today marks 75 days until the start of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. As London prepares to welcome the world for the Olympics, the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. organized a medley of sports activities or “Embassy Olympics,” in recognition last month of the “100 Days To Go” mark. On April 18, international colleagues from the diplomatic community joined to compete in the “Embassy Olympics.” SportsUnited representatives from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs along with their colleagues in the Bureau of International Information Programs and Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs were key “players” in the event.

Even the rainy weather — true to form for a British activity — did not dampen the spirits of the participants. Embassy teams enthusiastically represented countries that have previously hosted the Olympics… more »

Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports: U.S. Department of State Announces Sports Exchange for Egyptian Soccer Coaches

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
May 7, 2012

Recognizing the role coaches play in empowering women and girls through sports, the U.S. Department of State announced today a soccer exchange program that will bring 11 Egyptian soccer coaches to the United States May 9-21, 2012, to work alongside their American counterparts. In partnership with D.C. United, and its charitable organization United for D.C., the Egyptian delegation will participate in trainings and workshops with American athletes; meetings with U.S. sports professionals; and clinics on coaching, sports administration, women’s empowerment through sports, Title IX, conflict resolution, and disability sports.

On Friday, May 11, the Egyptian delegation will participate in a United Soccer Club training where they will work with youth from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, from 4:30-6:00 p.m. at the Barry Farm Parks and Recreation Center, which is located at 1230 Sumner Road, SE, Washington, D.C. Media interested in covering this training should contact: Kyle Sheldon at KSheldon@DCUnited.com; Ryan Tronovitch at RTronovitch@DCUnited.Com; or Nicolas Fernandez at NFernandez@DCUnited.com.

These Sports Visitors are a key component of the Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative, which aims to increase the number of women and girls worldwide who are involved in sports. Click here to learn more.

Under this new initiative, the Department is mobilizing all of its international sports programming, from Sports Envoys traveling overseas to Sports Visitors traveling to the United States, to increase the number of women and girls worldwide who are involved in sports. A cornerstone of this initiative is the creation of a new sports mentorship program that will connect women and girls from across the globe with their American counterparts. Click here to learn more.

In addition, this exchange builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power,” which embraces the full range of diplomatic tools – in this case the game of soccer – to bring people together to foster greater understanding.

Through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ SportsUnited Division, the U.S. Department of State conducts sports exchange programs to engage youth worldwide. Sports Visitors are youth and coaches who travel to the United States for an exchange. Sports Visitor programs give young people an opportunity to discover how success in athletics can be translated into the development of life skills and achievement in the classroom. Since 2003, SportsUnited has brought more than 900 young athletes from more than 50 countries to the United States to participate in Sports Visitor programs.

For more information, contact Talley Sergent at SergentRT@state.gov.

U.S. Department of State Names Evan Lysacek as Sports Envoy

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 6, 2012

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has named Olympic gold medalist figure skater Evan Lysacek as a Sports Envoy. On his inaugural trip done in partnership with U.S. Figure Skating, Lysacek will travel to Stockholm, Sweden and Minsk, Belarus April 6 – 13.

While in Sweden, Lysacek will hold ice skating clinics with youth from the Stockholm area, organized in cooperation with the non-governmental organization Sports Without Borders. In Minsk, from April 11 - 13, Lysacek will conduct clinics with the Skating Union of Belarus and speak with students of the University of Physical Culture about the importance of sports in society. He will also attend a competition for wheelchair fencers and wheelchair dancers.

Mr. Lysacek won the gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and was named the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sportsman of the Year in 2010. In 2010, he also won the Amateur Athletic Union’s Sullivan Award, given to the most outstanding U.S. amateur athlete of the year based on athletic accomplishments, leadership skills, character and sportsmanship.

Sports diplomacy builds on Secretary Clinton’s vision of “smart power” diplomacy, which embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools, including sports, to bring people together for greater understanding.

Sports Envoys are current and retired professional athletes and coaches from a range of sports that travel overseas to conduct clinics and team building activities, as well as engage youth in a dialogue on the importance of education, positive health practices and respect for diversity. The U.S. Department of State’s sports diplomacy division, SportsUnited, works in close partnership with professional sports leagues, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and respective National Governing Bodies so that American athletes may engage overseas youth in positive dialogue. SportsUnited is the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ division devoted to sports diplomacy programs at the U.S. Department of State. Since 2003, SportsUnited has brought more than 900 athletes from 58 countries to the U.S. to participate in Sports Visitor programs. Since 2005, SportsUnited has sent more than 200 U.S. athletes to over 50 countries to participate in Sports Envoy programs.

For more information on sports diplomacy, please visit http://exchanges.state.gov/sports/index.html or contact: Marthena Cowart, U.S. Department of State, at cowartMS@state.gov; in Minsk, Carrie Lee at leeCK2@state.gov; in Stockholm, Danielle Harms at harmsDA@state.gov.

In the midst of the NCAA’s March Madness, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today an international sports exchange that will bring 18 teenage girl athletes and six female coaches from all corners of the globe to Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado March 25 — April 7 as part of its Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative.
The exchange, in partnership with the NCAA, USA Basketball, and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), will enable the young athletes and coaches from Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe to participate in a variety of activities including: basketball clinics with their American counterparts, teambuilding exercises, workshops on Title IX and nutrition, and community events associated with the NCAA’s Women’s Final Four Championship.

Final Four-Focused Youth Basketball Exchange Empowers Women and Girls

About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

In the midst of the NCAA’s March Madness, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton welcomed 18 teenage girl athletes and six female coaches from all corners of the globe to the United States as part of the Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative.

Check out the video on how sports empower these young athletes and coaches.

While in the United States, the delegation from Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe are participating in a variety of activities including: basketball clinics with their American counterparts, teambuilding exercises, workshops on Title IX and nutrition, and community events associated… more »

The Legacy of #42 Lives on Through Sports Diplomacy »

Baseball players wear number 42 in tribute to Jackie Robinson in Chicago, April 15, 2008. [AP File]

About the Author: Cindy Gire is the Director of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ SportsUnited Office at the U.S. Department of State.

Whether they play in the National League or the American League; infield or outfield; pitcher or catcher — on April 15 every player in Major League Baseball dons the number 42.

Today marks the 64th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in professional baseball. He wore the iconic number 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was the trailblazer who opened the door for young people of all backgrounds the opportunity to play sports together at the highest level.

It was Major League Baseball great Ken Griffey Jr., a sports diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, who started the tradition of wearing the retired number 42 to honor Robinson on April 15.

Griffey, Jr. and several professional… more »