Sam “Sweet Feet” Gordon made national news when the video of her football highlights went viral. “Going Viral” is often an overused term but in Sam’s instance it’s a case study in what it truly means to “go viral” with a video. She went from unknown 9 year-old (at the time) girl on a football team to a Wheaties Box, multiple tv show appearances and hanging with the NFL commissioner during the Super Bowl.

It’s never too early to be a hardbody.

Sam has set up her own Youtube Channel and been diligently updating it with a variety of videos. In the videos you’ll see she has charisma, talent and isn’t afraid of hard work. After watching her speed and agility workouts you’ll see why she’s able to smoke the boys on the field.

Sam shows why she’s a champion in her latest video. As the video shows her yards ahead of the pack she shares, “We started out with conditioning and I wanted to set the pace for my teammates.”

Check out her room tour. It’s pretty awesome.

Follow Sam:
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE
TWITTER

Mo’Ne Davis throws like a girl. She is a girl. She’s the first girl to throw a shut out in Little League World Series (LLWS) history. At just 13-years-old she’s already become a bit of a sports celebrity.

In an Associated Press story she shared, “It’s very unreal. I never thought at the age of 13 I would be a role model.” Davis went on to say, “Hopefully, more girls play Little League.”

She isn’t the first girl to play in the LLWS, but it doesn’t make her accomplishment any less remarkable. The first female to play in the Little League World Series was Kathryn “Tubby” Johnston Massar. In the summer of 1950, Kathryn cut her hair short and used the nickname “Tubby” to give the impression she was a boy so she could play baseball. Masser, now 78, told the Associated Press, “It’s truly amazing. I’m very happy to see girls playing.”

Mo’Ne’s instagram account already has over 8,500 fans with just three posts.

In an interview earlier this week, FOX NEWS’ Eric Bolling asked Mo’Ne about playing in a more “female friendly sport like soccer”. She let’s him know she plays soccer but it’s not her favorite sport. When Bolling’s co-host asks if she could strike him out Mo’Ne doesn’t hesitate with saying “yes”. Eric chuckles and says, “now there’s a challenge.” Seriously dude?

Let’s hope he sticks to his promise of being “up for that challenge” after the Little League World Series and Mo’Ne can show him how a 13-year old girl throws.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 9th, 2014

NBC SPORTS GROUP TO PRESENT EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF THE INAUGURAL NATIONAL PRO GRID LEAGUE PLAYOFFS AND FINAL
More Than 10 Hours of Coverage For First Ever Professional Fitness League on NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra

Final to Air Live on NBCSN on Friday, October 3 at 10:30 p.m. ET

STAMFORD, CONN. – July 9, 2014 – NBC Sports Group and the National Pro Grid League, the country’s first ever professional fitness league, today announced an exclusive coverage agreement to present more than 10 hours of the league’s inaugural playoffs across NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra.

NBC Sports Group’s coverage will culminate with a live telecast of the National Pro Grid League Final on Friday, October 3 at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. NBC will broadcast an encore presentation of the NPGL Final on October 5 at 1 p.m. ET. Leading up to the Final, NBCSN will telecast the National Pro Grid League Quarterfinals, September 23-24 from Charlotte, N.C. and the NPGL Semifinals, September 30-October 1 from Las Vegas, Nev. All races shown on NBC and NBCSN will be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets.

Featuring some of the premiere functional fitness stars in the United States, including Annie Thorisdottir, Kenny Leverich, Lindsey Valenzuela, and Marcus Hendren, the National Pro Grid League is a collection of eight co-ed teams (five men and five women, one of each 40 years of age or older) who compete in head-to-head timed fitness competitions throughout a season. Teams include the Boston Iron, Los Angeles Reign, Miami Surge, New York Rhinos, Philadelphia Founders, Phoenix Rise, San Francisco Fire, and Washington D.C. Brawlers.

“We are thrilled to bring this new sport category and innovative league to television,” said Ron Wechsler, Vice President, Original Programming and Entertainment, NBC Sports Group. “The skill and athleticism of the National Pro Grid League competitors is incredibly compelling, and something sports fans and fitness enthusiasts alike will enjoy.”

During each telecast, viewers will be provided a front-row seat as teams go head-to-head across 11 different races. Each race is slightly different, incorporating a variety of weightlifting and bodyweight challenges such as, deadlifts, cleans and snatches, pull-ups, handstand push-ups, and sprinting. In addition, the all-access experience will chronicle the stories of many of the amazing athletes competing in the races.

“We are excited to showcase our first ever playoffs and championship to a national audience with a world-class partner like NBC Sports,” said Tony Budding, Founder and CEO of the National Pro Grid League. “Grid features many of the world’s best functional fitness athletes working together under a professional coach. Viewers will be astounded by the speed and strength of the players. No one has ever seen team racing quite like this.”

The Grid Playoffs and Final Television Schedule: (All times ET)

NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets — will stream all Grid playoff presentations on NBC and NBCSN. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play and on Windows 8 and Windows mobile devices.

ABOUT THE GRID
The National Pro Grid League is the world’s premiere expression of Grid competition. Currently, there are eight professional teams representing major U.S. cities competing for the championship trophy known as The Pinnacle. For more information, visit www.npgl.com

Alysia Montaño is known as the “Olympic runner with the flower in her hair.” She’s an accomplished middle distance runner with five national championships and represented the U.S. in the 2012 Olympic Games. Montaño is still the runner with a flower in hair, but  this week she was the “running pregnant lady”. On Thursday, Alysia ran the 800 meters in the U.S. track and field championships, nearly eight months pregnant. Despite being 35 seconds slower than her personal best, it wasn’t about setting records or even winning the race.

In a phone interview with espnW Montano said, “This is what it looks like for a professional woman, first of all, continuing her career and pursuing her dream and starting a family simultaneously.” Alysia was cool, calm and collected in her interview just like she was while running the race.

As you  might expect, the public has been chiming in with their opinions and not all of them are positive. Anyone who speaks negatively about Alysia’s race should take time to educate themselves. Pregnancy isn’t a disease. It isn’t a disability. Exercising while pregnant isn’t a bad thing, in fact it’s enocouraged. Montano’s doctors were “100% on board” with her running the race. There will always be misguided comments from the uneducated and ill-informed. Kudos to Alysia for being bold and embracing her pregnancy in a positive light.

Alysia received a standing ovation from those in attendance and when asked about it she says with a laugh, “even though I came in last, I was the first pregnant lady.”

Follow her journey not only as an athlete but also as a role model. Visit alysiamontano.com and follow her on twitter @AlysiaMontano. Read more on espnW.com.

The 2014 ESPYS nominees have been announced and there are a few familiar female athletes on the ballot. UFC Women’s Bantamweight Chamion, Ronda Rousey will square off against the men in the “Best Fighter” category. She’s also nominated for the “Best Female Athlete” award. Snowboarder Jamie Anderson won gold in slopestyle’s Olympic debut, at the 2014 Winter Olympics. She’ll face fellow Olympic Gold Medalist, freestyle skier Maddie Bowman in “Best Female Action Sports Athlete” and “Best Female U.S. Olympian”.

NEWS:
Peyton Manning, Floyd Mayweather, David Ortiz, Kevin Durant, LA Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Rafael Nadal, Miguel Cabrera, Serena Williams, Maya Moore are all nominees for The 2014 ESPYS, hosted by Grammy Award-winner, platinum selling recording artist and multi-faceted performer Drake.

WHAT:
Initial list of nominees for The 2014 ESPYS presented by Capital One, hosted by Drake, are revealed and voting has begun.
Pardon the Interruption’s Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will host The ESPY Nomination Special on Thursday, July 3, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

WHERE:
A current list of The 2014 ESPYS nominees is available to members of the media at http://es.pn/1q4SgeV and for voters at ESPN.com/ESPYS. Additional nomination categories will be released before the show.

WHEN:
Voting is underway and all categories will close when the live show starts Wednesday, July 16, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

HOW:
Fans will determine the winners in most ESPYS categories by voting online at ESPN.com/ESPYS up to the start of The 2014 ESPYS.

2014 ESPYS FACTS & FIGURES:
• “Best Male Athlete” has stiff competition this year, with NBA MVP Kevin Durant, MLB AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, NFL MVP Peyton Manning, and undefeated boxing champ, Floyd Mayweather, all vying to take home the honor for the first time.

• LeBron James is after his third-straight and fifth-total win in “Best NBA Player.” Five-time nominee Kevin Durant is angling to take his first.

• The “Best Female Athlete” category showcases a collection of fresh faces this year. WNBA star Maya Moore is the only returning nominee. She is joined by the first female UFC champion, Ronda Rousey, the youngest Olympic slalom gold medalist, Mikaela Shiffrin, and the college basketball Player of the Year, Breanna Stewart.

• The Connecticut women’s basketball team is in the hunt for their second “Best Team” award on the heels of a record ninth NCAA title. The Huskies have been nominated seven times, but have not taken home the honor since 1996.

• Novak Djokovic is chasing his third-straight “Best Male Tennis Player” award. He is up against two fellow 2013 nominees, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.
Floyd Mayweather is going for his fifth “Best Fighter” ESPY in seven years, and his third straight.

• Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is nominated for the second-straight year in both the “Best Male Athlete” and “Best MLB Player” categories. He won the “Best MLB Player” award in 2013.

• Ronda Rousey is the first UFC athlete, male or female, to be nominated for a “Best Athlete” award. She is the first and current UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

• Serena Williams is after her 7th “Best Female Tennis Player” award, and her second straight.

The ESPYS gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2014 ESPYS marks the show’s 22nd telecast and will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” and best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. The ESPYS honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYS in 1993.

Voting will be open June 24 through July 16 at 9 p.m. ET at ESPN.com/ESPYS. Follow The 2014 ESPYS on Twitter @ESPYS.

A limited amount of ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase at www.axs.com. For information on discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more, call (877) 234-8425.

Info provided by ESPN.

May 22, 2013 (VAIL, Colo.)– The 2014 GoPro Mountain Games will be center stage for the best competitive climbers in the world when the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Bouldering World Cup hits Vail this summer. An international field of climbing superstars will face off on Friday and Saturday, with the finals taking place on the massive bouldering wall located near Gondola One at the foot of Vail Mountain at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 7. Immediately following the Finals spectators can enjoy a free Cold War Kids concert in the heart of Vail Village.

At the GoPro Mountain Games bouldering events, athletes free climb the man-made climbing structure and are scored based upon their ability to complete a succession of increasingly difficult routes throughout several rounds of competition. The competitor’s score is determined by the overall number of routes completed, the number of attempts needed and is also affected by the climber’s ability to reach a bonus hold set within the course.

Austria’s dynamic Anna Stohr (AUT) will vie for her fourth GoPro Mountain Games gold at this year’s IFSC Bouldering World Cup event. She will be faced with intense competition from the likes of Akiyo Noguchi (JPN) who placed second at last year’s Games and American favorite Alex Puccio who finished third. Other likely contenders include Alex Johnson (USA), Shauna Coxsey (GBR), Juliane Wurm (GER) and Angela Payne (USA).

An impressive lineup of strong male climbers will try to upset current champion Dmitri Sharafutdinov (RUS) who simultaneously won last year’s event and the 2013 IFSC Bouldering Overall World Cup championship. Challenging Sharafutdinov are last year’s silver and bronze winners Rutam Gelmanov and Jorg Verhoeven (NED) and Killian Fischhuber (AUT) who won the event in Vail in 2011 and 2012. American climber Daniel Woods will have a home field advantage against a daunting field of international male competitors.

On Sunday, June 8 at 11 a.m. the climbing wall will be open to a citizen’s competition including a paraclimbing division, giving aspiring climbers the chance to compete on the same venue as the pros, with over 32 graded climbing problems to choose from. Earlier in the day, the wall will be open for youngsters, with the Youth Bouldering competition kicking off at 8 a.m.

For more information on bouldering events at the GoPro Mountain Games, please visit the the Mountain Games website.

About the Vail Valley Foundation
The Vail Valley Foundation is charged with enriching the Vail Valley and sustaining its unique spirit through the delivery of unparalleled arts, world class athletics and inspiring education programs throughout the community. For additional information on the Foundation, visit www.vvf.org.

About GoPro
GoPro makes the world’s most versatile cameras, enabling people to capture immersive and engaging footage of themselves during their favorite activities. GoPro’s HERO line of wearable and gear mountable cameras are used collectively by more consumers, professional athletes, and video production professionals than any other camera in the world. Based in San Mateo, California, GoPro’s products are available in more than 30,000 stores in over 100 countries worldwide and direct via GoPro.com.

GOPRO®, HERO®, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Woodman Labs, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company, product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their rightful owners.

News via www.mountaingames.com.

Top Active Lifestyle and Outdoor Brands Partner with GoPro Mountain Games
May 14, 2014 (Vail, Colo.) — For 12 years, the Mountain Games in Vail has teamed up with leading outdoor brands to produce the country’s largest celebration of mountain sports and culture. The Vail Valley Foundation, organizer of the annual event, is pleased to welcome many returning sponsors and a host of new brand partners to make the 2014 version of the GoPro Mountain Games the biggest and best yet.

Leading the list of brands is title sponsor GoPro, which returns for a second year.

“GoPro truly helped elevate the Mountain Games last year, raising overall awareness of the event on a global scale via their publishing platform and partnership,” states Michael Imhof, Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations for the Vail Valley Foundation. “Now that they’ve got a year of experience under their belt, the team at GoPro is really committed to making this the best outdoor festival in the world with bigger on-site activation, top music talent, more world-class athletes from their roster and more social media promotion.”

New to the event is Native Eyewear and sister brand Costa. Native will have a strong presence throughout the event footprint and Costa will be title sponsor of the new “Costa River Town” neighborhood inside Gerber Gear Town. Costa and Native will feature their latest sunglasses perfect for adventures on and off the water. 
Costa River Town will showcase daily free kayak & SUP clinics, morning SUP yoga, free fly fishing casting clinics and daily cocktail hours.

Another new brand partner at the event is Vasque, which is the title sponsor of the 10K Spring Run Off trail race, part of the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Ultimate Mountain Challenge and one of the biggest and toughest 10K races in the country. LifeProof is also joining the GoPro Mountain Games as the presenting sponsor of the Gibbon Slackline World Cup event.

Returning to the GoPro Mountain Games are longtime sponsors Eddie Bauer, Redington, Thule, GNC, Eukanuba, Gerber, Vail Resorts, Subaru, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, Vibram, Goal Zero, Klean Kanteen and many more.

About the Vail Valley Foundation
The Vail Valley Foundation is charged with enriching the Vail Valley and sustaining its unique spirit through the delivery of unparalleled arts, world class athletics and inspiring education programs throughout the community. For additional information on the Foundation, visit www.vvf.org.

About GoPro
GoPro makes the world’s most versatile cameras, enabling people to capture immersive and engaging footage of themselves during their favorite activities. GoPro’s HERO line of wearable and gear mountable cameras are used collectively by more consumers, professional athletes, and video production professionals than any other camera in the world. Based in San Mateo, California, GoPro’s products are available in more than 30,000 stores in over 100 countries worldwide and direct via GoPro.com.

GOPRO®, HERO®, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Woodman Labs, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company, product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their rightful owners.