Latest / The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast / #120: Gill1918 Presents Coach Kamara Sitton “The Importance of Female-Only Competition Opportunities” Powered by Coach O

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#120: Gill1918 Presents Coach Kamara Sitton “The Importance of Female-Only Competition Opportunities” Powered by Coach O · The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

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  Welcome to the Gill 1918 Project, a podcast series by
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  coaches for coaches, powered by Gill Athletics.
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  Think of it as the Ted Talks of track and field coaching.
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  Short, insightful, and packed with valuable strategies to help
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  you grow as a coach. This episode is part of the
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  Youth and Beginner Series, brought to you by Coach O.
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  In this series, we focus on topics relating to coaching
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  youth athletes, coaching beginner athletes of any age,
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  and supporting brand new coaches as they find their way.
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  With that in mind, let's grow. Hello everyone, my name is
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  Cameron Sittin, track coach with the Titans Track Club.
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  Today I want to speak to you about something that is bigger
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  than sports, bigger than the wins and losses, bigger than the
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  medals and trophies. Today I want to talk to you
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  about why it's critically important to give female
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  athletes a platform to showcase their count talents just as much
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  as their male counterparts do. Sports is one of the most
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  powerful tools we have in society.
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  It helps build discipline, teach teamwork, develop real
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  resilience. It helps create leaders.
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  But for generations, the spotlight in sports has not been
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  shined equally. And here's the truth.
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  The issue has not been talent within the female athletes.
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  Female athletes train just as hard.
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  They wake up just as early. They push through injuries.
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  They balance academics, family responsibility and social
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  suppressors just as much as their male counterparts.
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  They make sacrifices, they make commitments, and they compete
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  with the same heart and intensity, if not more.
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  But what they have always lacked is equal visibility.
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  When we give female athletes a real platform, not a secondary
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  stage, not leftover filler coverage to set to cover a spot
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  by true intentional spotlight, we send a powerful message that
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  their excellence matters. The impact of seeing someone
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  that looks just like you on the grand stage trusted Allison
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  Felix, who is one of the most decorated American track and
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  field athletes in Olympic history.
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  Young women see women that looks like them performing at the
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  highest level, representing their country.
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  They see possibility. Representation expands their
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  imagination, which fuels them. When girls can see it, they
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  believe. And when they believe, they will
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  continue this pursuit of excellence.
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  However, providing equal platforms also challenges
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  outdated narratives. For far too long, strength in
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  women are question. Aggression was criticized.
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  Confidence was labeled as arrogance.
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  But sports shows us something different.
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  They show us that strength, speed, power, and leadership are
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  not defined by gender. They show us that excellence
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  speaks for itself. And let's be clear, supporting
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  women's sports is not charity. We have seen record-breaking
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  attendance and viewerships in women's sports such as the WNBA
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  and NCAA women's basketball. As the sport continues to grow
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  in popularity and Fluence, we see that there is a demand, that
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  we have fans and that the talent is undeniable.
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  The only thing that has been inconsistent is the investment
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  and spaces to do so. But when we invest into these
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  platforms, promote women, and we create intentional spaces,
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  everything changes and confidence is built.
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  It carries over into the classroom, it carries over into
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  careers, and it carries over into society in general.
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  Providing female athletes with equal platforms is about
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  equality, but it's also about import empowerment.
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  Equality in sports influences equality in society.
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  Now This is why platforms matter.
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  This is why visibility matters, and This is why intentional
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  events matter. Which bring us to our
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  intentional event, the Pink Spike Festival.
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  The Pink Spike Festival is an all girls track meet.
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  It is not just a track meet however, it's a movement.
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  It's a movement to build around community, competent competition
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  and confidence for our female athletes.
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  Community because when female athletes come together in one
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  space, design specifically for them, something powerful
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  happens. They can see one another, they
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  can support one another, and they realize that they are not
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  competing for a seat at a table because they already have one
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  competition. Because excellence deserves a
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  stage. These women, young women,
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  deserve a platform where their speed, their strength, their
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  discipline and their dedications are the focus.
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  They are in the spotlight and the spotlight will shine fully
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  on them. And confidence.
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  Because when our girls steps onto the track at Pink Spikes,
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  she is not just racing the clock, she is building belief,
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  she is building courage, and she's building a mindset that
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  will carry with her far beyond the finish line, but into
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  everyday life. The Pink Spike Festival is
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  intentional. It creates space, it creates
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  opportunity, and it creates visibility.
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  It says to every female track and field athlete, you matter,
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  your work matter, and your goals matter.
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  And when we created this space, we create champion female
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  athletes loudly and proudly, and we are just not hoping hosting
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  an event. We are shaping culture, we are
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  building leaders, and we are challenging the narratives.
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  We are looking forward to seeing all female athletes on the track
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  at Chapman High School this coming Saturday, March the 7th.
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  Registration is open until Wednesday at 11:55 PM.
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  If you would like to donate to our 'cause You Can, you may
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  reach us on our social media play pages at Pink Spike
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  Festival on Instagram and Facebook.
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  Thank you. Once again, if you are a girl or
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  a woman all the way up through Master's age, interested in
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  participating in the Pink Spike Festival?
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  It takes place March 7th, Chapman High School, Inman, SC
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  and the registration link is available at coacho.com under
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  the calendar tab. Hope to see you there.
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  Hey gang, Mike Cunningham here. Thanks for joining us for this
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  episode in the Youth and beginner series Powered by Coach
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  O Powered by Coach O is more than a platform.
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  It's a movement to benefit track and field by supporting coaches,
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  athletes, parents, officials and event directors in countless
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  ways. Find out more and get yourself
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  plugged in to the Powered by Coach O by visiting coacho.com
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  today.