November 6, 2025 • 42 mins
Allie Kleva, the Chief Growth Officer for Athletes Unlimited, joins Sarah to discuss the latest season of AU Volleyball, big announcements to expect ahead of the next Athletes Unlimited Softball League season, the power of investing in top front office talent, and how advice from an Uber driver resulted in a years-in-the-making gift for her kids. Plus, a battle we’re not sure we want, our favorite border war is back, and celebrating the midway point between the legs.
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Check out Joey’s incredible women’s sports calendar for 2025 here and 2026 here
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Read Katie Barnes’ story on Azzi Fudd here
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The WTA Finals schedule is here
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're wondering
if the high tides of that big blue wave across
America on Tuesday had anything to do with the full
Beaver supermoon we've been hearing so much about. I don't
know in my experience. You want something done, get a
beaver involved. It's Thursday, November sixth. Then on today show,
we'll be chatting with Ali Cleva, the chief growth officer
for Athletes Unlimited, about the latest season of AU volleyball,
(00:23):
big announcements to expect to head at the next Athletes
Unlimited Softball League season, the power of investing in top
front office talent, and how advice from an Uber driver
resulted in a years in the making gift for her kids.
Plus a battle we're not sure we want and not
entirely altruistic move, and celebrating the midway point between the legs.
It's all coming up right after this Welcome back slices.
(00:51):
Here's what you need to know today. Let's start with soccer.
The NWSL, the league's players Association, and the Orlando Pride
have all issued statements in support of Barbara Banda in
response to the latest de Lujah harassment directed toward the
Pride Star. Earlier this week, Banda was named to the
fIF Pro World eleven Team, an award given to the
(01:12):
most outstanding players on the globe and voted exclusively by
the players, but she's also been subjected to continued online
abuse following the publication of Elizabeth Eddies New York post
op ed in which Banda's photo was used to promote
the story about gender policy in the league. In a statement,
the Players Association said, quote, we stand firmly with all
our members, including and especially the African women, who have
(01:33):
been targeted by divisive and demeaning rhetoric. Every NWSL player
was assigned female at birth, and every NWSL player has
earned her place in the women's game, and those whose
eligibility is being questioned have already competed on the world's
biggest stages, the Olympics and the Women's World Cup. Our
league is better because they play in it. End quote.
Now that PA's statement has received some criticism because in
(01:54):
defending current players who are assigned female at birth and
shouldn't be facing transphobia, it unfortunately doesn't provide any support
for the potential of trans players in the league in
the future. Meantime, the league made its own statement saying,
in part quote, Barbara's selection to the FIEF Pro World eleven,
a distinction voted on exclusively by her peers from across
the global game, is a testament to our extraordinary talent,
(02:16):
relentless work, ethic, and impact on our sport and league.
Her contributions to the Orlando Pride and the NWSL have
been transformative. Any harassment or hateful attacks toward Barbara are
unacceptable and have no place in our sport, league or
our communities. We stand unequivocally with Barbara and with every
NWSL player end quote. Now. The statement from the league
(02:36):
has received criticism from some fans who have expressed frustration
that transphobic attacks weren't explicitly called out as such, and
the statement from the PA has been criticized for using
a trans exclusive argument to rebut a very transphobic attack. Now.
A year ago, I would have said the same thing
about including the word trans. But now I wonder if
leagues and teams are actually served in the long term
(02:57):
by statements with specific language involved transgender athletes. Understanding the
way the current media space operates and knowing that the
Trump administration and his right wing lackeys are more than
willing to involve themselves in these things and potentially recavic
policies should be clear, internal dialogue should be clear, and
support for players should be clear. But what a statement
here with specific words actually result in more abuse and
(03:21):
speculation for BANDA than this league statement which is clear
to those in the space but won't necessarily draw the
eye of those outside of it, Because that's really what happens.
Usually is a very specific quote or statement they can
get weaponized via quote panels or chirons on TV programs,
riling up the worst of the worst and drawing more attention, anger,
and harassment to a league that hasn't and doesn't have
(03:43):
a problem. No matter what Elizabeth Eddy says, I never
want to be scared into not speaking out or being
specific about things. But I do think we have to
be smart about whether a statement that clearly and definitively
shouts down bigotry and anti transsentiment but actually makes things
worse for the most vulnerable and targeted is the right
approach in the current moment. In the meantime, Elizabeth that
he has been milking the moment including on a Fox
(04:04):
News appearance on Wednesday morning, and it was pretty much
exactly the type of quote unquote journalism you'd expect from
that outlet. More on WSL News. Olivia Moultrie has signed
a contract extension with the Portland Thorns, an agreement that
runs through twenty twenty nine. In a statement, Moultrie said,
quote from day one, this organization has believed in me
and supported my development in ways I'll always be grateful for.
(04:26):
I grew up in this league wearing Thorn's colors, and
that's shaped me and my expectations. End quote. The now
twenty year old Moultrie first signed with the team as
a fifteen year old in twenty twenty one, at the
time the youngest player ever to sign with the NWSL.
In fact, in order to join the league, she had
to file an antitrust lawsuit against the NWSL, challenging its
rule that athletes must be at least eighteen to play.
(04:48):
During her tenure with the Thorns, Moultri has appeared in
ninety five matches, scoring eighteen goals and recording eleven assists,
helping the team to the twenty twenty two NWSL title.
Along the way, She's also earned time with the US
women's national team, including scoring a brace against Portugal and
a friendly during the last international window. Oh And Moultrie
isn't the only one who has signed on for the
long term. On Tuesday, the Chicago Stars announced the resigning
(05:09):
of Canadian national team player Julia Grosso to a contract
that runs through twenty twenty eight. The midfielder appeared in
twenty four matches for the color Neutral Stars this season,
recording a team high twenty five chances created. More NWSL
expansion team Denver Summit FC announced on Monday it'll play
the first game of its inaugural season in March of
twenty twenty six at Empower Field at Mile High. The stadium,
(05:30):
which is home to the NFL's Denver Broncos, seat seventy
six thousand fans. For the rest of the twenty twenty
six and twenty seven seasons, Denver plans to play at
a temporary stadium in Centennial, Colorado, before moving into a
permanent venue at Santa Fe Yards in Denver in twenty
twenty eight. More soccer, this time from that league up north,
the Northern Super League and the playoffs are in full swing.
(05:52):
The league uses a two legged format for as semi
finals aka home and away, and the team with the
highest aggregate score will advance to the single game championship.
On November fifteenth, AFC Toronto took the first leg of
their semi final with the two nail victory over the
Montreal Roses on Saturday, while the Vancouver Rise defeated Ottawa
Rapid FC two to one in the opener of their
semi Tuesday night at t D Place. Ottawa and Vancouver
(06:15):
meet again this Saturday, while Montreal and Toronto play game
two on Sunday to the ice and the final meeting
between Team USA and Hockey Canada before the two top
ranked teams meet in the Olympics in February. It's the
sixth iteration of the rivalry series, and Team USA hosts
the first two games tonight at seven pm Eastern at
Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, and Saturday at the Key
(06:35):
Bank Center in Buffalo, New York. Canada hosts the second
pair of games December tenth and thirteenth in Edmonton, Alberta.
These four games will help decide the twenty three players
who make each team's Olympic roster to tennis. It was
announced on Tuesday that women's world number one Arena Sablenka
will play men's world number six hundred and fifty two
Nick Kyrios in a quote unquote Battle of the sex's
(06:56):
exhibition match in Dubai on December twenty eighth, more than
fifty years after Billy Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in
nineteen seventy three. Curios, who has been ranked as high
as number thirteen in the world, has been out for
most of the year after having risk reconstruction surgery, and
he's previously been criticized for his comments about women in tennis,
women in general, and in twenty twenty three he pleaded
(07:18):
guilty to common assault of his ex girlfriend, though the
charge was later dismissed. The match will be a best
of three sets and played on adjusted sized court, with
the court on Savalnka side shrunk by nine percent in
both length and width. Both players will get just one serve.
The event has been organized by the agency that reps
both players, called the Volve, and it seems to mostly
be about publicity. While it'd be nice to see notorious
(07:40):
shit poster and manchild Curios take one on the Chin.
I think women have kind of moved past needing to
defeat men to prove something, And if Kurios wins, his
already tired stick about how women aren't worthy will likely
only get louder and more vitriolic. So for me feels
like there's more to lose here than win more tennis.
The women's singles group played stage of the WTA Finals
(08:01):
concludes today in Riad, Saudi Arabia. At the end of
the round robin portion of the competition, the top two
players in each group four athletes total move on to
the semi finals. As of this recording, American Amanda Nisimova
and kazakhstans Elena Rebakina have both earned spots in the semifinals,
while Arena Sablenka, Coco Goff, and Jessica Pagoula are currently
in contention for the remaining two berths. We'll link to
(08:23):
the full WTA Finals schedule in the show notes and
can you Believe it? Even more Tennis. In an interview
with Sky Sports, Tunisian player On Jabur criticized the current
tennis schedule, saying its quote unquote killing everyone. Jabur cited
the number of star players who ended their season early
as an example of how the tour length and intensity
is harming players. Jabor, a three time Grand Slam runner up,
(08:45):
announced her own break back in July. In an Instagram post.
At the time, she wrote, quote, for the past two years,
I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and
facing many other challenges, but deep down, I haven't truly
felt happy on the court for some time now. End quote.
Shabor expanded on that sentiment in the interview with Sky Sports,
saying quote, I'm done letting the schedule dictate what I
(09:06):
should do and what I shouldn't do. I suffered a
lot mentally more than physically, but my body was screaming
for help for a long time. I haven't listened. I
think I had depression without even knowing. And people call
me the Minister of Happiness. I wasn't minister of happiness anymore.
I was very sad for a long time. I'm putting
myself first for me. That's a huge step end quote. Finally,
(09:28):
some more basketball news. The Unrivaled club roster reveal is
happening right after this recording, so we'll get you updated
on all the players and where they're playing. In Friday's
show Slices, we mentioned the exciting news that the Denver
Summit will debut at Mile High, But there's a little
more Summit content to get to want to shout out
slice Charlie Johnson, who reached out after our episode with
(09:49):
Summit president Jen Millett. He wrote in to say he
was bummed that the interview quote didn't mention that a
men's Ultimate Frisbee team I know, I know, already owned
that name and agreed to give it up, not sell
it in order to make a welcoming environment for the
new women's team end quote. We were intrigued, so we
searched the trademark database for records, and while it's true
that the Ultimate Frisbee Team did give the name up,
(10:09):
there's a little more to the story. So you may
recall that the Denver and WSL team picked its name
following a name the club fan vote back in February. Specifically,
on February nineteenth, the club announced that fans could vote
from a shortlist of six names, which didn't actually include
the name Denver Summit but did include Colorado Summit. While
February twentieth, the day after the shortlist was announced the
(10:31):
Ultimate Frisbee Team, which had been using the name Colorado
Summit since twenty twenty two, first filed their trademark application. Now,
it's not uncommon for organizations to use a name without
having a trademark for it, but having a trademark provides
legal protection and gives organizations the power to protect against
an unaffiliated group wanting to use the same name. So likely,
the frisbee team saw the potential for the soccer team
(10:52):
to snag the name trademarket and make them change, so
they filed for it themselves fair enough, but after some
talks between Summit Frisbee and Summit Soccer, things changed. In
early June of twenty twenty five, the US Patent and
Trademark Office received an abandonment request from the Ultimate Frisbee Team,
and one month later, the NWSL team officially introduced itself
as the Denver Summit. That same day, the Ultimate Frisbee
(11:15):
Team announced on its Instagram that the team was quote
handing over its name in a new partnership with the
Denver NWSL team end quote. The team also said, quote
the partnership represents a rare and refreshing show of sportsmanship
in the Colorado Sports World, where a team from the
fast growing sport of Ultimate frisbee is enthusiastically supporting the
rise of Denver's new professional women's soccer team, the globe's
(11:36):
most popular sport end quote. A spokesperson for the Denver
Summit told local news Org the Denver Right quote. There
was no payment for the team name. The two clubs
collaborated on a mutually beneficial relationship end quote, and it
is the soccer team gets to use the name most
voted by their fans, and the Ultimate Frisbee team got
a ton of pub out of their support for and
(11:56):
partnership with the soccer team. The frisbee team is now
listening new names for twenty twenty six. You can chime
in if you want at Colorado Ultimate dot myshopify dot com.
By the way, I reached out to Denver sum at FC,
the soccer club, for any other missing info, and I
learned there's one more twist. A queer flag football club
also named Denver Summit FC, part of the Denver Gay
(12:17):
and Lesbian Flag Football League. The flag football team is
sticking with their name and the Soccer Summit have pledged
not to file trademark complaints or mess with the flag
football team's name in Marx. We love it. Good game
to everyone involved. Isn't it best when we all summit together?
Wink wink. We got to take a quick break when
we come back. It's AU's Ali Cleve. I caught up
with her on Monday, one day after Jordan Thompson won
(12:39):
this year's AU Volleyball title. Ali was in a busy
space helping coordinate the upcoming AU Hoop season in Nashville.
So you might hear a couple pings in the background
of the combo stick around joining us now, she's the
Chief Growth Officer for Athletes Unlimited. A former consultant for
(13:00):
Bloomberg Philanthropy, she also spent a decade at CNN, including
several years as VP of Strategic Partnerships in Marketing. Before that,
eight years in the Mayor's Office for New York City
and a few years at New Line Cinema helping promote
ELF and the Notebook. Asuma cum laud graduate of Boston College,
she sends emails that won't arrive to their recipients till
at least twenty thirty six. It's Ali Cleve Hi, Ali
(13:22):
Hi Sarah. Before we get to those emails, and before
we get to what's been a huge year for athletes
unlimited in particular in the pro softball space. I do
want to talk about that resume because it's kind of
a wild mix of things, a lot of movies, some government,
always with a tie to entertainment. What's the biggest lesson
that you learned at the Mayor's office and also the
biggest lesson learned at CNN.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
For both experiences, I just enjoyed working for these incredibly
kind of visible brands that had real world impact on
the folks that interacted with it, whether it be constituents
of the City of New York or viewers and users
from around the world when it's a global news media company.
So I just think, I look at the through line
of my career, I think the thing that I've just
(14:02):
really loved is being able to shape and grow and
build within these organizations that truly do have impact on
people's lives. And it was just an incredible run at
each of those organizations and really just enjoyed every experience
that I had.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
You got kind of sick of the news game, though,
and I don't blame you, and I'd have to say,
I think you got out in time for things to
get even worse in the news games. So how did
you end up at Athletes Unlimited?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
When I left News, I knew I wanted to be
in sports.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I loved working with our Turner sports colleagues when I
was at CNN. Every time we did it was just
bringing such positivity and kind of a feeling of uniting,
especially coming from a world of news at the time
that was more increasingly kind of divisive. And so I
loved kind of working with our sports colleagues. And so
when I left, I said, I want to do something
that's again kind of highly culturally relevant, visible and leveraging
(14:54):
personalities to make a solid positive impact in the world.
And so when I left, I was just looking around
the space and reconnected with John Patchrikov, who I had
known while he was the president of Tribeca Film Festival
back in my Mayor's office days, and just seeing what
he and Jonathan Soros had built for the few years,
you know, since they founded AU, and just kept the
conversation going. You know, the networking game, when you're looking
(15:15):
for a job, you're just always keeping those contacts open,
and one conversation will inevitably lead to an opportunity, and
that's what happened in this case.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
A year after I connected with him.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
They posted this job and he said, you might be
interested in kind of The rest is history. I've been
here for a year and a half and feels like
dog years, but in a good way.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yeah, a lot has happened. You've had a lot of
work to do and a lot of crazy cool things
have happened. Do you have a sports background? I feel
like you were an athlete, right.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I mean a washed up high school one like I.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Before working at AU I thought I was a pretty
solid athlete, and then you're quickly humbled by being surrounded
by these you know, badass athletes. And so I do
believe I have a passion for sports. As a kid,
I loved playing sports. I think it taught you so
much in terms of how to be a good team
a leader, how to manage your time, how to win,
how to lose, like all the things that we now
(16:05):
talk about as I talk about as a parent of
why A my kids, I want I want my kids
to experience that. It's the same thing I feel like
growing up that I loved about sports and then I'm married.
I'm a lifelong New Yorker married a Boston native, and
so my house is just constantly in chaos with all
of the sports. So I'm excited to be in it.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Love that love that, you know. In an interview with
AU Siarah Jones, you said, quote, I feel like I'm
a generalist in that I can approach a professional challenge
with an entrepreneurial mindset coming to AU and understanding that
that skill is exactly what is needed to help grow
the brand. It's just an application of skills in a
different environment. I love that. What was the biggest learning
curve upon arriving at AU to try to figure out
(16:45):
how to take the skills you had in your previous
gigs to the space.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
It's really interesting.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I never worked in a startup environment before, so I
think that was the biggest kind of I wouldn't say challenge,
but adjustment that I'd have to make. I mean, coming
from the City of New York, which is a massive,
massive organization, and then the global media brand, you know,
you just are It's a scale, and so you have
resources that not even financial resources, which is like human
capital resources that you're able to tap into and with
(17:11):
AU it was really just recognizing like where we are,
what we are looking to achieve, and then figuring out
what we have, what levers to pull in, how to
organize around that, and so it was a very interesting challenge.
I think in the year and a half that I've
been here, the team collectively has has I felt. I
feel like we've evolved like that we're really trying to
(17:31):
evolve our systems so that we're really kind of being
the most efficient that we can be in getting the
things that we want to achieve. So I think that
was the biggest change. But you know, in each of
it's interesting. In both CNN and in the Mayor's office,
particularly while these were massive brands, I did have the
freedom within those two opportunities to act a little entrepreneurial
(17:52):
because of the spaces that I was operating and I
was not a journalist, I was not an editor, so
I was really responsible for connecting in CNN case, with
kind of our new audiences and so how do you
take that brand and how do you do really creative
things around how to connect and grow it. So I
was given a lot of creative freedom and license there,
and so I think that piece was able to translate
very easily to AU because it's that same kind of
(18:14):
what are we looking to do and how can we
be scrappy and creative to do it?
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Yeah. Well, one of the things that AU did was
a shift from their player led model, which is what
they use across moost so there's sports, to a more
traditional softball league. And this was the first season for
the Athletes Unlimited Softball League AUSL. What a first season.
Twenty sold out games, three hundred and forty seven thousand
(18:39):
peak viewership during the championship game on ESPN, over a
million dollars in merch sales, two hundred and forty million
plus impressions across your social channels, and five point three
million page views on THEAUSL dot com, which is something
I have to remind myself because whenever I type in
AUSL dot com, I get to a different way. So
it's the AUSL dot com until you can kick those
(19:01):
people off or buy it from them or whatever. But
that shift to a more traditional league, how did that
come about? Who was like this, this is the time,
this is the moment, and this is what we need
in order to really grow in this space.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I think AU to its core.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
When we even say player led, its player centered listening
to athletes both, you know, in governance of the leagues
for you know, traditionally with our leagues in volleyball, basketball
and softball having that PEC Player Executive Committee to lead
in governance. And I think what we saw after the
twenty twenty four season was focus groups with our athletes
to ask them what they were interested in, our softball
(19:38):
athletes what they wanted more of, and all of them
really were saying, we want to play traditional softball. And
I think that player desire coupled by the fact that
from a competitive landscape, you looked across the pro softball
space and there was a bit of a white space
for us, right like, there was an opportunity for us
to expand and extend our softball footprint in a space
where we knew that there was opportunity to really that
(20:00):
we knew that we had the institutional and organizational kind
of prowess that were running this leave, we know how
to operate it, we had the trust of the athletes
to do so. And so those kind of two combinations
of seeing the opportunity from a competitive landscape as well
as understanding that our athletes wanted more and wanted traditional
we said, Okay, this is the time to do it.
And so June sixth of twenty twenty four we made
(20:23):
that announcement I believe or June fourth, of one of
the June early June's And a year later, you know,
on June seventh, we threw the first pitch and so
that shift was a definite shift for us. But I
still think while the AUSL is not governed in the
same way that the other sports are, it is still
very much centered around the athlete, and our PEC still
(20:43):
has a voice in the AUSL considerable voice. We want
to make sure that we're operating this thing, you know,
with our ear to what they want, what their what
their issues are, what their challenges are, how we make
it better. We want to hear where they can you know,
lean in, and whether it's weighing in on logos or
uniforms or cities that we're going to be in. We
(21:03):
want to make sure that where we can partner, we
are partnering. And I think you see that a year later.
I just got off a PC call this morning and
they're still very, very engaged. So I think that shift,
while operationally looks different from what we've done before, still
maintains who we are at it's core.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Yeah, I mean, I think it's something I've talked about
with athletes unlimited since I first started to learn about,
was how much there is a back and forth between
ownership and the players in terms of what they want
to prioritize, if there's money, where they want that to go,
if they care more about something than something else. You
can actually have that conversation with them about and I
think that pipeline between the two sides is so necessary
and would benefit a lot of other leagues if they
(21:40):
had a better through line conversation between ownership and front
office and players. Also, you've got this incredible player advisor group,
So you've got the Player Executive Committee, which is active
players who are talking about and helping you create and
continue to evolve leagues. And then you've got former players
and in this case for AUSL, folks like Jessica Mendoza
and Jenny Finch, some of the greatest players of all time.
(22:02):
What did they teach you as you were putting together
the AOSL about what's worked in previous professional softball leagues,
what hasn't and what you needed to make sure you prioritized.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
I think they were invaluable sources of information. Kat and
Jess have been involved with AUSL for quite some time,
Jenny had not, and Natasha, you know, tangentially somewhat on
the broadcast side. And I think what they brought was
exactly what you reference, which was decades long experience in
failed professional experience, understanding what players want, having the ability
(22:32):
to step back and thoughtfully consult with us. I think,
you know, we again announced them in June and brought
Kimming on very shortly after as a senior advisor at
that time. And I think they worked incredibly closely with Kim,
who they all wildly respect and admire, to make sure
and Kim ask the right questions.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
She wanted their input, She wanted to.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Know where the potholes were, what we were going to
step into, what you know, what worked and what didn't.
And I think they've been incredibly close aligned with us
over the past year, both as consultants and as champions.
They step in to help us to promote this league
where possible, and they do that truly out of a
love for the sport and a desire that it sees
(23:14):
and maintains a home in terms of a sustainable organization.
So their their partnership in this could not be overstated.
I think, you know, with Jenny, for example, you bring
one of the best mainstream, well known softball players in
American history, and I think that she brings such that
you know, such validity to this, as do her her
teammates and friends. So we're so lucky to have them
(23:37):
join Kim. And you know, Kim's pedigree speaks for itself.
But having an executive of her caliber thirty plus years
in MLB running a team at the highest level, come
in and shape this organization and lead this organization again
just brings such a seriousness and a validity to what
we're trying to achieve. And so those you know, Kim
(23:57):
at the Helm, supported by those women in terms of
helping to shape it, has been invaluable.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yeah, let's talk about Kim ng because bringing her into
AUSL and the naming her commissioner seemed to me to
be a massive turning point. She obviously carries with her
such incredible pedigree. The first female GM of any of
the four major men's professional sports league spent a long
time in MLB before coming over to AUSL has her
own background in softball, but that move felt like you
(24:25):
were stepping into a new level. And the connection that
it brought to the MLB. I have to assume that
Kim's relationship is part of the reason that MLB finally
made a significant investment in a professional women's softball league.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
I think you know that the conversation with MLB had
preceded Kim joining us, but it's hard to imagine that
her coming did not shift the scale. She You know,
she has the respect again from the front office at
MLB and so many of the people at that building
an organization that I would you know, I'm sure that
that helped to put that decision or crystallize that decision
(24:57):
for them, just knowing that this organization was in such
an using capable hands, and knowing what her track record was.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
I guess the question is have they seen her dance
to footloose with a full glass of wine in her hand?
Because you and I have and have they tried to
convince her to get on the shoulders of another AUSL
employee and walk into the party like two kids in
a trench coat, Because we did. It didn't happen, but
she was close.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
She was close, and I will have that happen before
before my days a day you are over.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
But no, I don't think they had that on her either,
not the pleasure.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Yeah, they got a lot of sturdy folks with good
shoulders out in the LB, though, what a real missed
opportunity for them, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
I agreed. But at least we're having a good time.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
That's right. This was, of course, at the espnW summit
After Dark if you will. AUSL was named one of
the most innovative leagues of twenty twenty five by Front
Office Sports, and it did step into, like you said,
a space that professional softball was lacking. I think some
of the other AU leagues being individually led, it's additive
(25:58):
to pre existing leagues, or it's an interesting and cool
and new way to see the players that you know.
But without having an established, dominant league with all of
the best players in it that followed the traditional format
for softball, it seemed necessary. So it's interesting how going
traditional made it innovative, right.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, absolutely, And I still think like trying to do
things a little bit differently, trying to be a responsive
right traditional in the format, But where we can be
thoughtful and innovative and responsive to players and still keeping
that out of our core I think is really important.
And so I think that that is an interesting observation
to go from our format to traditional as being innovative.
(26:36):
But I also think it's sowing like we're responsive, right,
we're adaptable. We're looking at the landscape and understanding where
opportunity is and we're going to go there. And so
I think it was a really a huge credit to
the company for taking that leap and for seeing that
that leap is actually really helping helping it thrive.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Well in some of the really smart decisions, like having
it be a barnstorming league in that first season so
you can really in practice see which cities responded, Where
were the fans showing up, Where did the infrastructure make
sense to put a team full time. Do we expect
soon that announcement about expansion, the new teams and the
home cities for the teams. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
I think we're going to have some really exciting announcements
coming up. As we've said before, we're excited to expand
from four teams to six teams and marry those teams
to cities. I think you'll see that coming up in
the next few months. You know, we have a season
to play in June, so in order to make those
local markets have increased fandom and get everybody excited, we're
going to want to do that thoughtfully. So we're excited
(27:35):
about the many, many announcements that are coming our way.
Like I said, Team Cities, we're going to be doing
our Golden Ticket College Draft again, So I think we
have a lot to look forward to between now and
first pitch of twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
The Golden Ticket was such a fantastic idea for those
who don't remember showing up for top collegiate players while
they're still playing with their college teams and handing them
a ticket that they will be part of the draft.
The AUSL is such a great way to connect the
enthusiasm and excitement at the collegiate level with this professional
league and hopefully pull some of those fans from the
(28:08):
players that they love watching in the Women's College World
Series and in the collegiate level up into this new league.
Just really really smart. You know, you've got a really
impressive advisory board at athletes unlimited, folks like Cheryl Swoops,
Kevin Durant, Rich Kleinman, Abby Wambach. How does their feedback
or advice inspire decision making. Do you recall in particular
anything that that board brought to the table that you thought, wow,
(28:30):
that is different and innovated or something we should consider.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
You know, when that board was first set up that
predated me, and I do know that, you know, folks
like Angela Orgerio were so critical in how, you know,
in advising on how we were setting up. I think
our advisory boards often there to you know, bounce ideas
off of I think they're an incredible group of people. Obviously,
Cheryl is engaged far beyond her advisory role with AU
(28:54):
Pro Basketball at time, so I think, you know, just
having the ability to have that group of people at
the ready to give us advice, I think is just
something that we don't take lightly at all. So I
think you know that it's an impressive group. We want
to make sure when we ask them for things that
we're using their times time wisely. So I think, you know,
we continue to just make sure that we were keeping
(29:17):
them in the loop and obviously open to any and
all advice and thoughts that they have to make this
league and this company just continue to grow and evolve.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
You mentioned Cheryl Swoops and AU Basketball. AU Basketball is
back in Nashville with some big, big names this year.
What are you most excited about as AU pro Hoops approaches.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
You know, I'm here now in Nashville.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
We're here with nine players, a real incredible mix of
vets and newcomers, so everyone from you know Isabelle and
Dory Harrison or Daughters of Nashville, Sidney Coulson, Teresa Place once,
Lexie Brown and bringing newcomers like Tahina Poupou and Anissa
Morrow and Jace Sheldon here to experience what AU pro
(29:57):
Basketball is, which is, you know, a really uniq format
where we bring forty you know, professional basketball players and
we have them compete in four weeks of intense competition
to crown an individual champion. You know, hearing from the
players what they love most about this and I think
the strength of the roster this year shows how this
brand continues to grow. Is that's a really interesting community
(30:18):
place for them to play. It's a place where they
can play five on five basketball, where they can learn
from each other, where there's freedom that you know, the
PEC has a huge role in Aupro Basketball where there's
some kind of level of mentorship and mentee ship, not
obviously official, but more that you have you know, folks
at various stages of their career in community together, a
lot of them falling back in love with the game
(30:39):
that they play. And so I couldn't be more excited.
I think Megan Perry, who is our vice president of basketball,
has done an incredible job every year of leveling up
the play. I think, you know, there's more players and
there is opportunity women's basketball, so to be able to
convene these incredible athletes together and give them a platform
here in Nashville, which AU Pro Basketball is the only
(31:02):
women's professional sports league in Nashville, and so we have
the opportunity of being a kind of a destination for
women's sports fans here. The community here has embraced us
with open arms, with you know, true Southern hospitality. Everybody
from city hall to local government officials, community groups, the Titans,
(31:22):
the Predators, Nashville s see all really leveraging their platforms
to drive awareness of the fact that we're here in
February for four weeks.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
So we are really excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
We think Nashville is an incredible place with a storied
history of women's basketball, and to be able to deliver
this product to fans is just a huge opportunity. So
we could not be more excited. I mean it's a
pretty fun city.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I mean, yeah, good place to be for a couple
of weeks.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Yeah, there are worse places to be in February. So
I think our athletes obviously enjoy it, we as a
staff enjoy it, and the fans enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
I'm just bummed because I couldn't make it down last
year and then I was like, oh, I'm going this year.
I've been mean to get back to Nashville and now
I'm going to be in Italy for all of February.
Not that I'm complaining to be covering the Olympics, but
I'm missing AU hoops again, which is a bummer. You know,
you mentioned the mentorship, and I do love this because
talking to someone like Alicia Clark who's been playing AU
for a long time, her ability to bond with younger
(32:18):
players and to help them learn and understand what it's
like to be a professional basketball player and have a
long career so important. And you mentioned young folks like
Tahina Pow Pow, Caitlin Chen making their debuts alongside someone
like Tina Charles, who I believe is the longest run
and player ben at it for maybe Alisha. I know
Alisha is the oldest, but you've got these incredible vets
(32:40):
meeting up with these new players, and because of the
way the teams switch each week, you really have a
lot of contact with different players, different styles of play.
It's a great place to hone your game. And then
there's you know, five hundred thousand dollars in prize bonuses,
so that's not too bad either. What do you hear
about the desire to come play especially I think now
with Unry you would consider it almost a rival, But
(33:02):
I actually think what it does is drive more players
to want to play basketball in the States and not
leave in the off season and have the five on
five opportunity.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Exactly exactly, And listen, this is a community of players
that talk to each other, right, and so they're choosing
to come here because you know, I'm sure that they're
hearing from folks that have played with us, just what
the experience is like, how AU feels like a community,
what we're trying to build here and should you want
to play domestically and want to play five on five,
it's a really great place to be.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
Competitive for four weeks.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
So you know, I think more basketball all around is
good for women's professional sports. I think having the opportunity
to play with US or with unrivaled is again great
for these athletes. And so again, you know, we are
super excited about the group our returners many come back,
and the new folks that are coming to see what
it's about. And it's all because of incredible leadership that
(33:56):
we have within that PEC. Who are you know, ambassadors
for this lead to the community. So I'm excited to
see what it's going to be like. I think it's
it's I think it's going to be fun. I think
it's going to be a really interesting thing to see
who is at the top of the leaderboard. I mean
last year it was so cool that you know, several
folks come here unsigned and many were invited to camps
(34:17):
and many were signed to teams. I mean, sid Coulson
will say the story of how she came to au
not without a contract and then was on the aces.
And Sidney Coulson is you know, has been in the
w for years.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Face of the league, face of the league, as she
likes to say, Yeah, I was gonna say, Sidney Coulson
is there, so it can't be boring. It will be
a good time if Sidney Coulson is anywhere, But especially
in Nashville, we've seen some of those performance. Is a
is a generous word for what she's doing at karaoke,
but what a blast. I'm looking forward to seeing all
the dispatches from Nashville and that group. You just recently
(34:50):
wrapped up the volleyball season. AU Pro Volleyball best roster
of players yet, I mean, didn't it just feel like
you had the best group pulling from Love and M
in all the top international leagues.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
I think you know, we were really proud to be
the first league five years ago to prove that there's
a market for women's volleyball in the US. And obviously
since then, you LOVE and MLV have entered the landscape,
and again it's great that there's more opportunities for folks
to play domestically. I think this year we repositioned ourselves
as essentially an all star competition, and so you saw
that in the roster. You saw the best of the best.
(35:23):
You saw Jordan Thompson last night be crowned the champion.
She's a two time Olympic medalist for Team USA. I
think our roster spoke to the incredible level of talent
and competition, and I think they too enjoyed the experience. So,
you know, we couldn't be more proud of about the
level of talent and the competition that we are building
(35:44):
with the volleyball property.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
And you mentioned Jordan Thompson talk about an advertisement for
competing with AU after she was crowned the season champion.
She said that AU really helped her fall in love
with the sport again, which is just a wonderful thing
to hear from someone, particularly as we talked about kind
of a different and unique experience that isn't just replicative
(36:07):
of their other league, but something that allows them to
engage with their you know, fellow players in a different
way and really cool to see that. What's next for
a You got any big announcements to make or any
changes that we should anticipate coming down the pipe.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
I think we are just going to continue to grow
these three properties, create their identities, and serve the fans
that they each have. I think we had an incredible year,
and I know I'm not trying to blow smoke, but
I can't even wait to see what the next year brings.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Because if you had told me a year ago we'd
be sitting here.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Today, I'd be hard pressed to acknowledge that we could
come this far in such a short time. That's not
because of blood, sweat and tears, but because it's in
the case of AUSL it's exponential, and I see that
with the basketball property as well. It's coming a year
back to Nashville. It feels like we're in a very
different place. And seeing with volleyball, to see, you know,
Jordan Thompson being crowned last night, it's a matter of
(36:58):
where these things are going to go. We have a
lot of work ahead of us, but I couldn't be
more encouraged and excited by all that's to come.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Yeah, and I love that you mentioned serving the different
fans of these sports, because that's one thing I think
AU is stepping into is better understanding how the demos
are a little bit different for basketball, volleyball, and softball,
and how do you make sure that the sport feels
still like it's AU but it's its own thing and
it has a fit for that space totally.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
I think, you know, recognizing that there are different communities
of athletes, they're different communities of fans, and how do
we speak to those fans and create a genuine experience
for all of them to connect with athletes unlimited, which
has a through line right of centering with the athlete,
and so it just it might be expressed in different ways,
in different properties, but that's still at the core of
who we are.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
Yeah, before I let you go, we're going full circle
back to the beginning. I need to hear about these
emails and how an uber driver inspired you to start
sending emails that won't be read for at least another
decade or so. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
I was traveling a lot for business pregnant, and the
driver told me that he was writing in a book.
He was writing notes to his daughter when he was
on between rides, and it just struck me because I thought,
what an amazing gift to be able to, you know,
communicate to your kids without you know, just in a
very different kind of headspace. And so before they were born,
(38:21):
after they were born, I each have an email address
for both of them and I send them notes all
the time, and it could be anything from like don't
be friends with idiots, to you know, a funny story
about who their best friend is this week, or if
somebody you know happened to maybe look at somebody else's paper.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
For the first time.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
So it's just a way that I hope that when
they do read them over time, they hear me talk
to them in my voice, not as their mom, but
as a person, and kind of I talk to them
like I would talk to my friends, And I think
that that might give them a different perspective when I'm old,
and I love that.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Yeah, no, hopefully not sad, but you might be there
because I hear that from my every pair.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
They want to hang on to the useful years. But
I do love that because I think you can try
your best to stay quote unquote cool and young as
a parent. But we all know, having been through it ourselves,
that we see our parents as a certain thing no
matter what, we just can't relate to them as ever
having been our age at any point in their lives.
(39:22):
So to actually have you be a cool young mom
who's you know, traveling around doing awesome things for work
and talking to them like you hal a friend. They
will always have that sort of time capsule, which is
really cool and I think, you know, some of us
would be good to do that for ourselves in some
sort of journal or email and able to remember things.
I used to remember a lot more when I kept
(39:42):
a journal. Now everything is based on whether I took
a photo. I'm like, oh, I remember I was there
because I have a photo of it, and that's about it.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
I know.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
It actually forces me to like critically think too.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
Right and right? No, that would be an all time love. No,
not at all.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
But it's cool too because I gave it to my parents,
and you know, also for them to be able to
communicate with them. I think that's just again a gift
that will keep on giving for them.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
I love it. Yeah, so cool, so cool. Well, I
love getting to catch up with you about all things au.
We'll have to catch up again in a couple months
and see where this rocket ship has gone. Thank you
so much for the time.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Ali, Thanks Sarah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Thanks again to Ali for hanging out with us. We
got to take another break when we come back. How
is it already calendar season? Welcome back, Slaces, We love
that you're listening, but we want you to get in
the game every day too, So here's our good game
play of the day. Check out the great story Friend
at the Show Katie Barnes wrote about other friend of
(40:42):
the show, Azy Fud, from her decision to return to Yukon,
to self doubt returning from injury, and her work with
a sports psychologist. It's a great deep dive into as
one of the biggest names in college hoops. We'll put
a link to the story in the show notes. And
we always love to hear from you, so hit us
up on email Good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or
leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two o
(41:02):
four fifty seventy and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.
It's easy watch Super Slice. Joey Maldonado taken an early
lead for twenty twenty six MVP, rating twelve out of
twelve months of women's sports review. Our guy Joey is
back with a brand spankin new spreadsheet of women's sporting
events for twenty twenty six. Speeke, How's it already almost
(41:25):
twenty twenty six? The guy who brought you the very
first women's sports schedule spreadsheet is back for year two,
laying out all the Major League volleyball and AU basketball
games we know so far, and he's ready to add
more as the league roll out their schedules. Joey, you
truly are a mench. We'll link to this year's and
next year's spreadsheets in the show notes. Book Mark them,
love them, use them often. Now it's your turn. Y'all,
(41:48):
rate and review. Thanks for listening, See you tomorrow. Good game, Ali,
Good game, Joey. You to whatever weird algorithm has been
making My legitimate and very much not spam emails to
everyone who works on this show get sent to email
purgatory and not to them. Good Game with Sarah Spain
(42:10):
is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are alex Azzie
Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, and Gianna Palmer.
(42:33):
Production assistants from Avery LOFTUS and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're wondering
if the high tides of that big blue wave across
America on Tuesday had anything to do with the full
Beaver supermoon we've been hearing so much about. I don't
know in my experience. You want something done, get a
beaver involved. It's Thursday, November sixth. Then on today show,
we'll be chatting with Ali Cleva, the chief growth officer
for Athletes Unlimited, about the latest season of AU volleyball,
(00:23):
big announcements to expect to head at the next Athletes
Unlimited Softball League season, the power of investing in top
front office talent, and how advice from an Uber driver
resulted in a years in the making gift for her kids.
Plus a battle we're not sure we want and not
entirely altruistic move, and celebrating the midway point between the legs.
It's all coming up right after this Welcome back slices.
(00:51):
Here's what you need to know today. Let's start with soccer.
The NWSL, the league's players Association, and the Orlando Pride
have all issued statements in support of Barbara Banda in
response to the latest de Lujah harassment directed toward the
Pride Star. Earlier this week, Banda was named to the
fIF Pro World eleven Team, an award given to the
(01:12):
most outstanding players on the globe and voted exclusively by
the players, but she's also been subjected to continued online
abuse following the publication of Elizabeth Eddies New York post
op ed in which Banda's photo was used to promote
the story about gender policy in the league. In a statement,
the Players Association said, quote, we stand firmly with all
our members, including and especially the African women, who have
(01:33):
been targeted by divisive and demeaning rhetoric. Every NWSL player
was assigned female at birth, and every NWSL player has
earned her place in the women's game, and those whose
eligibility is being questioned have already competed on the world's
biggest stages, the Olympics and the Women's World Cup. Our
league is better because they play in it. End quote.
Now that PA's statement has received some criticism because in
(01:54):
defending current players who are assigned female at birth and
shouldn't be facing transphobia, it unfortunately doesn't provide any support
for the potential of trans players in the league in
the future. Meantime, the league made its own statement saying,
in part quote, Barbara's selection to the FIEF Pro World eleven,
a distinction voted on exclusively by her peers from across
the global game, is a testament to our extraordinary talent,
(02:16):
relentless work, ethic, and impact on our sport and league.
Her contributions to the Orlando Pride and the NWSL have
been transformative. Any harassment or hateful attacks toward Barbara are
unacceptable and have no place in our sport, league or
our communities. We stand unequivocally with Barbara and with every
NWSL player end quote. Now. The statement from the league
(02:36):
has received criticism from some fans who have expressed frustration
that transphobic attacks weren't explicitly called out as such, and
the statement from the PA has been criticized for using
a trans exclusive argument to rebut a very transphobic attack. Now.
A year ago, I would have said the same thing
about including the word trans. But now I wonder if
leagues and teams are actually served in the long term
(02:57):
by statements with specific language involved transgender athletes. Understanding the
way the current media space operates and knowing that the
Trump administration and his right wing lackeys are more than
willing to involve themselves in these things and potentially recavic
policies should be clear, internal dialogue should be clear, and
support for players should be clear. But what a statement
here with specific words actually result in more abuse and
(03:21):
speculation for BANDA than this league statement which is clear
to those in the space but won't necessarily draw the
eye of those outside of it, Because that's really what happens.
Usually is a very specific quote or statement they can
get weaponized via quote panels or chirons on TV programs,
riling up the worst of the worst and drawing more attention, anger,
and harassment to a league that hasn't and doesn't have
(03:43):
a problem. No matter what Elizabeth Eddy says, I never
want to be scared into not speaking out or being
specific about things. But I do think we have to
be smart about whether a statement that clearly and definitively
shouts down bigotry and anti transsentiment but actually makes things
worse for the most vulnerable and targeted is the right
approach in the current moment. In the meantime, Elizabeth that
he has been milking the moment including on a Fox
(04:04):
News appearance on Wednesday morning, and it was pretty much
exactly the type of quote unquote journalism you'd expect from
that outlet. More on WSL News. Olivia Moultrie has signed
a contract extension with the Portland Thorns, an agreement that
runs through twenty twenty nine. In a statement, Moultrie said,
quote from day one, this organization has believed in me
and supported my development in ways I'll always be grateful for.
(04:26):
I grew up in this league wearing Thorn's colors, and
that's shaped me and my expectations. End quote. The now
twenty year old Moultrie first signed with the team as
a fifteen year old in twenty twenty one, at the
time the youngest player ever to sign with the NWSL.
In fact, in order to join the league, she had
to file an antitrust lawsuit against the NWSL, challenging its
rule that athletes must be at least eighteen to play.
(04:48):
During her tenure with the Thorns, Moultri has appeared in
ninety five matches, scoring eighteen goals and recording eleven assists,
helping the team to the twenty twenty two NWSL title.
Along the way, She's also earned time with the US
women's national team, including scoring a brace against Portugal and
a friendly during the last international window. Oh And Moultrie
isn't the only one who has signed on for the
long term. On Tuesday, the Chicago Stars announced the resigning
(05:09):
of Canadian national team player Julia Grosso to a contract
that runs through twenty twenty eight. The midfielder appeared in
twenty four matches for the color Neutral Stars this season,
recording a team high twenty five chances created. More NWSL
expansion team Denver Summit FC announced on Monday it'll play
the first game of its inaugural season in March of
twenty twenty six at Empower Field at Mile High. The stadium,
(05:30):
which is home to the NFL's Denver Broncos, seat seventy
six thousand fans. For the rest of the twenty twenty
six and twenty seven seasons, Denver plans to play at
a temporary stadium in Centennial, Colorado, before moving into a
permanent venue at Santa Fe Yards in Denver in twenty
twenty eight. More soccer, this time from that league up north,
the Northern Super League and the playoffs are in full swing.
(05:52):
The league uses a two legged format for as semi
finals aka home and away, and the team with the
highest aggregate score will advance to the single game championship.
On November fifteenth, AFC Toronto took the first leg of
their semi final with the two nail victory over the
Montreal Roses on Saturday, while the Vancouver Rise defeated Ottawa
Rapid FC two to one in the opener of their
semi Tuesday night at t D Place. Ottawa and Vancouver
(06:15):
meet again this Saturday, while Montreal and Toronto play game
two on Sunday to the ice and the final meeting
between Team USA and Hockey Canada before the two top
ranked teams meet in the Olympics in February. It's the
sixth iteration of the rivalry series, and Team USA hosts
the first two games tonight at seven pm Eastern at
Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, and Saturday at the Key
(06:35):
Bank Center in Buffalo, New York. Canada hosts the second
pair of games December tenth and thirteenth in Edmonton, Alberta.
These four games will help decide the twenty three players
who make each team's Olympic roster to tennis. It was
announced on Tuesday that women's world number one Arena Sablenka
will play men's world number six hundred and fifty two
Nick Kyrios in a quote unquote Battle of the sex's
(06:56):
exhibition match in Dubai on December twenty eighth, more than
fifty years after Billy Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in
nineteen seventy three. Curios, who has been ranked as high
as number thirteen in the world, has been out for
most of the year after having risk reconstruction surgery, and
he's previously been criticized for his comments about women in tennis,
women in general, and in twenty twenty three he pleaded
(07:18):
guilty to common assault of his ex girlfriend, though the
charge was later dismissed. The match will be a best
of three sets and played on adjusted sized court, with
the court on Savalnka side shrunk by nine percent in
both length and width. Both players will get just one serve.
The event has been organized by the agency that reps
both players, called the Volve, and it seems to mostly
be about publicity. While it'd be nice to see notorious
(07:40):
shit poster and manchild Curios take one on the Chin.
I think women have kind of moved past needing to
defeat men to prove something, And if Kurios wins, his
already tired stick about how women aren't worthy will likely
only get louder and more vitriolic. So for me feels
like there's more to lose here than win more tennis.
The women's singles group played stage of the WTA Finals
(08:01):
concludes today in Riad, Saudi Arabia. At the end of
the round robin portion of the competition, the top two
players in each group four athletes total move on to
the semi finals. As of this recording, American Amanda Nisimova
and kazakhstans Elena Rebakina have both earned spots in the semifinals,
while Arena Sablenka, Coco Goff, and Jessica Pagoula are currently
in contention for the remaining two berths. We'll link to
(08:23):
the full WTA Finals schedule in the show notes and
can you Believe it? Even more Tennis. In an interview
with Sky Sports, Tunisian player On Jabur criticized the current
tennis schedule, saying its quote unquote killing everyone. Jabur cited
the number of star players who ended their season early
as an example of how the tour length and intensity
is harming players. Jabor, a three time Grand Slam runner up,
(08:45):
announced her own break back in July. In an Instagram post.
At the time, she wrote, quote, for the past two years,
I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and
facing many other challenges, but deep down, I haven't truly
felt happy on the court for some time now. End quote.
Shabor expanded on that sentiment in the interview with Sky Sports,
saying quote, I'm done letting the schedule dictate what I
(09:06):
should do and what I shouldn't do. I suffered a
lot mentally more than physically, but my body was screaming
for help for a long time. I haven't listened. I
think I had depression without even knowing. And people call
me the Minister of Happiness. I wasn't minister of happiness anymore.
I was very sad for a long time. I'm putting
myself first for me. That's a huge step end quote. Finally,
(09:28):
some more basketball news. The Unrivaled club roster reveal is
happening right after this recording, so we'll get you updated
on all the players and where they're playing. In Friday's
show Slices, we mentioned the exciting news that the Denver
Summit will debut at Mile High, But there's a little
more Summit content to get to want to shout out
slice Charlie Johnson, who reached out after our episode with
(09:49):
Summit president Jen Millett. He wrote in to say he
was bummed that the interview quote didn't mention that a
men's Ultimate Frisbee team I know, I know, already owned
that name and agreed to give it up, not sell
it in order to make a welcoming environment for the
new women's team end quote. We were intrigued, so we
searched the trademark database for records, and while it's true
that the Ultimate Frisbee Team did give the name up,
(10:09):
there's a little more to the story. So you may
recall that the Denver and WSL team picked its name
following a name the club fan vote back in February. Specifically,
on February nineteenth, the club announced that fans could vote
from a shortlist of six names, which didn't actually include
the name Denver Summit but did include Colorado Summit. While
February twentieth, the day after the shortlist was announced the
(10:31):
Ultimate Frisbee Team, which had been using the name Colorado
Summit since twenty twenty two, first filed their trademark application. Now,
it's not uncommon for organizations to use a name without
having a trademark for it, but having a trademark provides
legal protection and gives organizations the power to protect against
an unaffiliated group wanting to use the same name. So likely,
the frisbee team saw the potential for the soccer team
(10:52):
to snag the name trademarket and make them change, so
they filed for it themselves fair enough, but after some
talks between Summit Frisbee and Summit Soccer, things changed. In
early June of twenty twenty five, the US Patent and
Trademark Office received an abandonment request from the Ultimate Frisbee Team,
and one month later, the NWSL team officially introduced itself
as the Denver Summit. That same day, the Ultimate Frisbee
(11:15):
Team announced on its Instagram that the team was quote
handing over its name in a new partnership with the
Denver NWSL team end quote. The team also said, quote
the partnership represents a rare and refreshing show of sportsmanship
in the Colorado Sports World, where a team from the
fast growing sport of Ultimate frisbee is enthusiastically supporting the
rise of Denver's new professional women's soccer team, the globe's
(11:36):
most popular sport end quote. A spokesperson for the Denver
Summit told local news Org the Denver Right quote. There
was no payment for the team name. The two clubs
collaborated on a mutually beneficial relationship end quote, and it
is the soccer team gets to use the name most
voted by their fans, and the Ultimate Frisbee team got
a ton of pub out of their support for and
(11:56):
partnership with the soccer team. The frisbee team is now
listening new names for twenty twenty six. You can chime
in if you want at Colorado Ultimate dot myshopify dot com.
By the way, I reached out to Denver sum at FC,
the soccer club, for any other missing info, and I
learned there's one more twist. A queer flag football club
also named Denver Summit FC, part of the Denver Gay
(12:17):
and Lesbian Flag Football League. The flag football team is
sticking with their name and the Soccer Summit have pledged
not to file trademark complaints or mess with the flag
football team's name in Marx. We love it. Good game
to everyone involved. Isn't it best when we all summit together?
Wink wink. We got to take a quick break when
we come back. It's AU's Ali Cleve. I caught up
with her on Monday, one day after Jordan Thompson won
(12:39):
this year's AU Volleyball title. Ali was in a busy
space helping coordinate the upcoming AU Hoop season in Nashville.
So you might hear a couple pings in the background
of the combo stick around joining us now, she's the
Chief Growth Officer for Athletes Unlimited. A former consultant for
(13:00):
Bloomberg Philanthropy, she also spent a decade at CNN, including
several years as VP of Strategic Partnerships in Marketing. Before that,
eight years in the Mayor's Office for New York City
and a few years at New Line Cinema helping promote
ELF and the Notebook. Asuma cum laud graduate of Boston College,
she sends emails that won't arrive to their recipients till
at least twenty thirty six. It's Ali Cleve Hi, Ali
(13:22):
Hi Sarah. Before we get to those emails, and before
we get to what's been a huge year for athletes
unlimited in particular in the pro softball space. I do
want to talk about that resume because it's kind of
a wild mix of things, a lot of movies, some government,
always with a tie to entertainment. What's the biggest lesson
that you learned at the Mayor's office and also the
biggest lesson learned at CNN.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
For both experiences, I just enjoyed working for these incredibly
kind of visible brands that had real world impact on
the folks that interacted with it, whether it be constituents
of the City of New York or viewers and users
from around the world when it's a global news media company.
So I just think, I look at the through line
of my career, I think the thing that I've just
(14:02):
really loved is being able to shape and grow and
build within these organizations that truly do have impact on
people's lives. And it was just an incredible run at
each of those organizations and really just enjoyed every experience
that I had.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
You got kind of sick of the news game, though,
and I don't blame you, and I'd have to say,
I think you got out in time for things to
get even worse in the news games. So how did
you end up at Athletes Unlimited?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
When I left News, I knew I wanted to be
in sports.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I loved working with our Turner sports colleagues when I
was at CNN. Every time we did it was just
bringing such positivity and kind of a feeling of uniting,
especially coming from a world of news at the time
that was more increasingly kind of divisive. And so I
loved kind of working with our sports colleagues. And so
when I left, I said, I want to do something
that's again kind of highly culturally relevant, visible and leveraging
(14:54):
personalities to make a solid positive impact in the world.
And so when I left, I was just looking around
the space and reconnected with John Patchrikov, who I had
known while he was the president of Tribeca Film Festival
back in my Mayor's office days, and just seeing what
he and Jonathan Soros had built for the few years,
you know, since they founded AU, and just kept the
conversation going. You know, the networking game, when you're looking
(15:15):
for a job, you're just always keeping those contacts open,
and one conversation will inevitably lead to an opportunity, and
that's what happened in this case.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
A year after I connected with him.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
They posted this job and he said, you might be
interested in kind of The rest is history. I've been
here for a year and a half and feels like
dog years, but in a good way.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yeah, a lot has happened. You've had a lot of
work to do and a lot of crazy cool things
have happened. Do you have a sports background? I feel
like you were an athlete, right.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I mean a washed up high school one like I.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Before working at AU I thought I was a pretty
solid athlete, and then you're quickly humbled by being surrounded
by these you know, badass athletes. And so I do
believe I have a passion for sports. As a kid,
I loved playing sports. I think it taught you so
much in terms of how to be a good team
a leader, how to manage your time, how to win,
how to lose, like all the things that we now
(16:05):
talk about as I talk about as a parent of
why A my kids, I want I want my kids
to experience that. It's the same thing I feel like
growing up that I loved about sports and then I'm married.
I'm a lifelong New Yorker married a Boston native, and
so my house is just constantly in chaos with all
of the sports. So I'm excited to be in it.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Love that love that, you know. In an interview with
AU Siarah Jones, you said, quote, I feel like I'm
a generalist in that I can approach a professional challenge
with an entrepreneurial mindset coming to AU and understanding that
that skill is exactly what is needed to help grow
the brand. It's just an application of skills in a
different environment. I love that. What was the biggest learning
curve upon arriving at AU to try to figure out
(16:45):
how to take the skills you had in your previous
gigs to the space.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
It's really interesting.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I never worked in a startup environment before, so I
think that was the biggest kind of I wouldn't say challenge,
but adjustment that I'd have to make. I mean, coming
from the City of New York, which is a massive,
massive organization, and then the global media brand, you know,
you just are It's a scale, and so you have
resources that not even financial resources, which is like human
capital resources that you're able to tap into and with
(17:11):
AU it was really just recognizing like where we are,
what we are looking to achieve, and then figuring out
what we have, what levers to pull in, how to
organize around that, and so it was a very interesting challenge.
I think in the year and a half that I've
been here, the team collectively has has I felt. I
feel like we've evolved like that we're really trying to
(17:31):
evolve our systems so that we're really kind of being
the most efficient that we can be in getting the
things that we want to achieve. So I think that
was the biggest change. But you know, in each of
it's interesting. In both CNN and in the Mayor's office,
particularly while these were massive brands, I did have the
freedom within those two opportunities to act a little entrepreneurial
(17:52):
because of the spaces that I was operating and I
was not a journalist, I was not an editor, so
I was really responsible for connecting in CNN case, with
kind of our new audiences and so how do you
take that brand and how do you do really creative
things around how to connect and grow it. So I
was given a lot of creative freedom and license there,
and so I think that piece was able to translate
very easily to AU because it's that same kind of
(18:14):
what are we looking to do and how can we
be scrappy and creative to do it?
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Yeah. Well, one of the things that AU did was
a shift from their player led model, which is what
they use across moost so there's sports, to a more
traditional softball league. And this was the first season for
the Athletes Unlimited Softball League AUSL. What a first season.
Twenty sold out games, three hundred and forty seven thousand
(18:39):
peak viewership during the championship game on ESPN, over a
million dollars in merch sales, two hundred and forty million
plus impressions across your social channels, and five point three
million page views on THEAUSL dot com, which is something
I have to remind myself because whenever I type in
AUSL dot com, I get to a different way. So
it's the AUSL dot com until you can kick those
(19:01):
people off or buy it from them or whatever. But
that shift to a more traditional league, how did that
come about? Who was like this, this is the time,
this is the moment, and this is what we need
in order to really grow in this space.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I think AU to its core.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
When we even say player led, its player centered listening
to athletes both, you know, in governance of the leagues
for you know, traditionally with our leagues in volleyball, basketball
and softball having that PEC Player Executive Committee to lead
in governance. And I think what we saw after the
twenty twenty four season was focus groups with our athletes
to ask them what they were interested in, our softball
(19:38):
athletes what they wanted more of, and all of them
really were saying, we want to play traditional softball. And
I think that player desire coupled by the fact that
from a competitive landscape, you looked across the pro softball
space and there was a bit of a white space
for us, right like, there was an opportunity for us
to expand and extend our softball footprint in a space
where we knew that there was opportunity to really that
(20:00):
we knew that we had the institutional and organizational kind
of prowess that were running this leave, we know how
to operate it, we had the trust of the athletes
to do so. And so those kind of two combinations
of seeing the opportunity from a competitive landscape as well
as understanding that our athletes wanted more and wanted traditional
we said, Okay, this is the time to do it.
And so June sixth of twenty twenty four we made
(20:23):
that announcement I believe or June fourth, of one of
the June early June's And a year later, you know,
on June seventh, we threw the first pitch and so
that shift was a definite shift for us. But I
still think while the AUSL is not governed in the
same way that the other sports are, it is still
very much centered around the athlete, and our PEC still
(20:43):
has a voice in the AUSL considerable voice. We want
to make sure that we're operating this thing, you know,
with our ear to what they want, what their what
their issues are, what their challenges are, how we make
it better. We want to hear where they can you know,
lean in, and whether it's weighing in on logos or
uniforms or cities that we're going to be in. We
(21:03):
want to make sure that where we can partner, we
are partnering. And I think you see that a year later.
I just got off a PC call this morning and
they're still very, very engaged. So I think that shift,
while operationally looks different from what we've done before, still
maintains who we are at it's core.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Yeah, I mean, I think it's something I've talked about
with athletes unlimited since I first started to learn about,
was how much there is a back and forth between
ownership and the players in terms of what they want
to prioritize, if there's money, where they want that to go,
if they care more about something than something else. You
can actually have that conversation with them about and I
think that pipeline between the two sides is so necessary
and would benefit a lot of other leagues if they
(21:40):
had a better through line conversation between ownership and front
office and players. Also, you've got this incredible player advisor group,
So you've got the Player Executive Committee, which is active
players who are talking about and helping you create and
continue to evolve leagues. And then you've got former players
and in this case for AUSL, folks like Jessica Mendoza
and Jenny Finch, some of the greatest players of all time.
(22:02):
What did they teach you as you were putting together
the AOSL about what's worked in previous professional softball leagues,
what hasn't and what you needed to make sure you prioritized.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
I think they were invaluable sources of information. Kat and
Jess have been involved with AUSL for quite some time,
Jenny had not, and Natasha, you know, tangentially somewhat on
the broadcast side. And I think what they brought was
exactly what you reference, which was decades long experience in
failed professional experience, understanding what players want, having the ability
(22:32):
to step back and thoughtfully consult with us. I think,
you know, we again announced them in June and brought
Kimming on very shortly after as a senior advisor at
that time. And I think they worked incredibly closely with Kim,
who they all wildly respect and admire, to make sure
and Kim ask the right questions.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
She wanted their input, She wanted to.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Know where the potholes were, what we were going to
step into, what you know, what worked and what didn't.
And I think they've been incredibly close aligned with us
over the past year, both as consultants and as champions.
They step in to help us to promote this league
where possible, and they do that truly out of a
love for the sport and a desire that it sees
(23:14):
and maintains a home in terms of a sustainable organization.
So their their partnership in this could not be overstated.
I think, you know, with Jenny, for example, you bring
one of the best mainstream, well known softball players in
American history, and I think that she brings such that
you know, such validity to this, as do her her
teammates and friends. So we're so lucky to have them
(23:37):
join Kim. And you know, Kim's pedigree speaks for itself.
But having an executive of her caliber thirty plus years
in MLB running a team at the highest level, come
in and shape this organization and lead this organization again
just brings such a seriousness and a validity to what
we're trying to achieve. And so those you know, Kim
(23:57):
at the Helm, supported by those women in terms of
helping to shape it, has been invaluable.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yeah, let's talk about Kim ng because bringing her into
AUSL and the naming her commissioner seemed to me to
be a massive turning point. She obviously carries with her
such incredible pedigree. The first female GM of any of
the four major men's professional sports league spent a long
time in MLB before coming over to AUSL has her
own background in softball, but that move felt like you
(24:25):
were stepping into a new level. And the connection that
it brought to the MLB. I have to assume that
Kim's relationship is part of the reason that MLB finally
made a significant investment in a professional women's softball league.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
I think you know that the conversation with MLB had
preceded Kim joining us, but it's hard to imagine that
her coming did not shift the scale. She You know,
she has the respect again from the front office at
MLB and so many of the people at that building
an organization that I would you know, I'm sure that
that helped to put that decision or crystallize that decision
(24:57):
for them, just knowing that this organization was in such
an using capable hands, and knowing what her track record was.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
I guess the question is have they seen her dance
to footloose with a full glass of wine in her hand?
Because you and I have and have they tried to
convince her to get on the shoulders of another AUSL
employee and walk into the party like two kids in
a trench coat, Because we did. It didn't happen, but
she was close.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
She was close, and I will have that happen before
before my days a day you are over.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
But no, I don't think they had that on her either,
not the pleasure.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Yeah, they got a lot of sturdy folks with good
shoulders out in the LB, though, what a real missed
opportunity for them, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
I agreed. But at least we're having a good time.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
That's right. This was, of course, at the espnW summit
After Dark if you will. AUSL was named one of
the most innovative leagues of twenty twenty five by Front
Office Sports, and it did step into, like you said,
a space that professional softball was lacking. I think some
of the other AU leagues being individually led, it's additive
(25:58):
to pre existing leagues, or it's an interesting and cool
and new way to see the players that you know.
But without having an established, dominant league with all of
the best players in it that followed the traditional format
for softball, it seemed necessary. So it's interesting how going
traditional made it innovative, right.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, absolutely, And I still think like trying to do
things a little bit differently, trying to be a responsive
right traditional in the format, But where we can be
thoughtful and innovative and responsive to players and still keeping
that out of our core I think is really important.
And so I think that that is an interesting observation
to go from our format to traditional as being innovative.
(26:36):
But I also think it's sowing like we're responsive, right,
we're adaptable. We're looking at the landscape and understanding where
opportunity is and we're going to go there. And so
I think it was a really a huge credit to
the company for taking that leap and for seeing that
that leap is actually really helping helping it thrive.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Well in some of the really smart decisions, like having
it be a barnstorming league in that first season so
you can really in practice see which cities responded, Where
were the fans showing up, Where did the infrastructure make
sense to put a team full time. Do we expect
soon that announcement about expansion, the new teams and the
home cities for the teams. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
I think we're going to have some really exciting announcements
coming up. As we've said before, we're excited to expand
from four teams to six teams and marry those teams
to cities. I think you'll see that coming up in
the next few months. You know, we have a season
to play in June, so in order to make those
local markets have increased fandom and get everybody excited, we're
going to want to do that thoughtfully. So we're excited
(27:35):
about the many, many announcements that are coming our way.
Like I said, Team Cities, we're going to be doing
our Golden Ticket College Draft again, So I think we
have a lot to look forward to between now and
first pitch of twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
The Golden Ticket was such a fantastic idea for those
who don't remember showing up for top collegiate players while
they're still playing with their college teams and handing them
a ticket that they will be part of the draft.
The AUSL is such a great way to connect the
enthusiasm and excitement at the collegiate level with this professional
league and hopefully pull some of those fans from the
(28:08):
players that they love watching in the Women's College World
Series and in the collegiate level up into this new league.
Just really really smart. You know, you've got a really
impressive advisory board at athletes unlimited, folks like Cheryl Swoops,
Kevin Durant, Rich Kleinman, Abby Wambach. How does their feedback
or advice inspire decision making. Do you recall in particular
anything that that board brought to the table that you thought, wow,
(28:30):
that is different and innovated or something we should consider.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
You know, when that board was first set up that
predated me, and I do know that, you know, folks
like Angela Orgerio were so critical in how, you know,
in advising on how we were setting up. I think
our advisory boards often there to you know, bounce ideas
off of I think they're an incredible group of people. Obviously,
Cheryl is engaged far beyond her advisory role with AU
(28:54):
Pro Basketball at time, so I think, you know, just
having the ability to have that group of people at
the ready to give us advice, I think is just
something that we don't take lightly at all. So I
think you know that it's an impressive group. We want
to make sure when we ask them for things that
we're using their times time wisely. So I think, you know,
we continue to just make sure that we were keeping
(29:17):
them in the loop and obviously open to any and
all advice and thoughts that they have to make this
league and this company just continue to grow and evolve.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
You mentioned Cheryl Swoops and AU Basketball. AU Basketball is
back in Nashville with some big, big names this year.
What are you most excited about as AU pro Hoops approaches.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
You know, I'm here now in Nashville.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
We're here with nine players, a real incredible mix of
vets and newcomers, so everyone from you know Isabelle and
Dory Harrison or Daughters of Nashville, Sidney Coulson, Teresa Place once,
Lexie Brown and bringing newcomers like Tahina Poupou and Anissa
Morrow and Jace Sheldon here to experience what AU pro
(29:57):
Basketball is, which is, you know, a really uniq format
where we bring forty you know, professional basketball players and
we have them compete in four weeks of intense competition
to crown an individual champion. You know, hearing from the
players what they love most about this and I think
the strength of the roster this year shows how this
brand continues to grow. Is that's a really interesting community
(30:18):
place for them to play. It's a place where they
can play five on five basketball, where they can learn
from each other, where there's freedom that you know, the
PEC has a huge role in Aupro Basketball where there's
some kind of level of mentorship and mentee ship, not
obviously official, but more that you have you know, folks
at various stages of their career in community together, a
lot of them falling back in love with the game
(30:39):
that they play. And so I couldn't be more excited.
I think Megan Perry, who is our vice president of basketball,
has done an incredible job every year of leveling up
the play. I think, you know, there's more players and
there is opportunity women's basketball, so to be able to
convene these incredible athletes together and give them a platform
here in Nashville, which AU Pro Basketball is the only
(31:02):
women's professional sports league in Nashville, and so we have
the opportunity of being a kind of a destination for
women's sports fans here. The community here has embraced us
with open arms, with you know, true Southern hospitality. Everybody
from city hall to local government officials, community groups, the Titans,
(31:22):
the Predators, Nashville s see all really leveraging their platforms
to drive awareness of the fact that we're here in
February for four weeks.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
So we are really excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
We think Nashville is an incredible place with a storied
history of women's basketball, and to be able to deliver
this product to fans is just a huge opportunity. So
we could not be more excited. I mean it's a
pretty fun city.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I mean, yeah, good place to be for a couple
of weeks.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Yeah, there are worse places to be in February. So
I think our athletes obviously enjoy it, we as a
staff enjoy it, and the fans enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
I'm just bummed because I couldn't make it down last
year and then I was like, oh, I'm going this year.
I've been mean to get back to Nashville and now
I'm going to be in Italy for all of February.
Not that I'm complaining to be covering the Olympics, but
I'm missing AU hoops again, which is a bummer. You know,
you mentioned the mentorship, and I do love this because
talking to someone like Alicia Clark who's been playing AU
for a long time, her ability to bond with younger
(32:18):
players and to help them learn and understand what it's
like to be a professional basketball player and have a
long career so important. And you mentioned young folks like
Tahina Pow Pow, Caitlin Chen making their debuts alongside someone
like Tina Charles, who I believe is the longest run
and player ben at it for maybe Alisha. I know
Alisha is the oldest, but you've got these incredible vets
(32:40):
meeting up with these new players, and because of the
way the teams switch each week, you really have a
lot of contact with different players, different styles of play.
It's a great place to hone your game. And then
there's you know, five hundred thousand dollars in prize bonuses,
so that's not too bad either. What do you hear
about the desire to come play especially I think now
with Unry you would consider it almost a rival, But
(33:02):
I actually think what it does is drive more players
to want to play basketball in the States and not
leave in the off season and have the five on
five opportunity.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Exactly exactly, And listen, this is a community of players
that talk to each other, right, and so they're choosing
to come here because you know, I'm sure that they're
hearing from folks that have played with us, just what
the experience is like, how AU feels like a community,
what we're trying to build here and should you want
to play domestically and want to play five on five,
it's a really great place to be.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
Competitive for four weeks.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
So you know, I think more basketball all around is
good for women's professional sports. I think having the opportunity
to play with US or with unrivaled is again great
for these athletes. And so again, you know, we are
super excited about the group our returners many come back,
and the new folks that are coming to see what
it's about. And it's all because of incredible leadership that
(33:56):
we have within that PEC. Who are you know, ambassadors
for this lead to the community. So I'm excited to
see what it's going to be like. I think it's
it's I think it's going to be fun. I think
it's going to be a really interesting thing to see
who is at the top of the leaderboard. I mean
last year it was so cool that you know, several
folks come here unsigned and many were invited to camps
(34:17):
and many were signed to teams. I mean, sid Coulson
will say the story of how she came to au
not without a contract and then was on the aces.
And Sidney Coulson is you know, has been in the
w for years.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Face of the league, face of the league, as she
likes to say, Yeah, I was gonna say, Sidney Coulson
is there, so it can't be boring. It will be
a good time if Sidney Coulson is anywhere, But especially
in Nashville, we've seen some of those performance. Is a
is a generous word for what she's doing at karaoke,
but what a blast. I'm looking forward to seeing all
the dispatches from Nashville and that group. You just recently
(34:50):
wrapped up the volleyball season. AU Pro Volleyball best roster
of players yet, I mean, didn't it just feel like
you had the best group pulling from Love and M
in all the top international leagues.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
I think you know, we were really proud to be
the first league five years ago to prove that there's
a market for women's volleyball in the US. And obviously
since then, you LOVE and MLV have entered the landscape,
and again it's great that there's more opportunities for folks
to play domestically. I think this year we repositioned ourselves
as essentially an all star competition, and so you saw
that in the roster. You saw the best of the best.
(35:23):
You saw Jordan Thompson last night be crowned the champion.
She's a two time Olympic medalist for Team USA. I
think our roster spoke to the incredible level of talent
and competition, and I think they too enjoyed the experience. So,
you know, we couldn't be more proud of about the
level of talent and the competition that we are building
(35:44):
with the volleyball property.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
And you mentioned Jordan Thompson talk about an advertisement for
competing with AU after she was crowned the season champion.
She said that AU really helped her fall in love
with the sport again, which is just a wonderful thing
to hear from someone, particularly as we talked about kind
of a different and unique experience that isn't just replicative
(36:07):
of their other league, but something that allows them to
engage with their you know, fellow players in a different
way and really cool to see that. What's next for
a You got any big announcements to make or any
changes that we should anticipate coming down the pipe.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
I think we are just going to continue to grow
these three properties, create their identities, and serve the fans
that they each have. I think we had an incredible year,
and I know I'm not trying to blow smoke, but
I can't even wait to see what the next year brings.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Because if you had told me a year ago we'd
be sitting here.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Today, I'd be hard pressed to acknowledge that we could
come this far in such a short time. That's not
because of blood, sweat and tears, but because it's in
the case of AUSL it's exponential, and I see that
with the basketball property as well. It's coming a year
back to Nashville. It feels like we're in a very
different place. And seeing with volleyball, to see, you know,
Jordan Thompson being crowned last night, it's a matter of
(36:58):
where these things are going to go. We have a
lot of work ahead of us, but I couldn't be
more encouraged and excited by all that's to come.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Yeah, and I love that you mentioned serving the different
fans of these sports, because that's one thing I think
AU is stepping into is better understanding how the demos
are a little bit different for basketball, volleyball, and softball,
and how do you make sure that the sport feels
still like it's AU but it's its own thing and
it has a fit for that space totally.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
I think, you know, recognizing that there are different communities
of athletes, they're different communities of fans, and how do
we speak to those fans and create a genuine experience
for all of them to connect with athletes unlimited, which
has a through line right of centering with the athlete,
and so it just it might be expressed in different ways,
in different properties, but that's still at the core of
who we are.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
Yeah, before I let you go, we're going full circle
back to the beginning. I need to hear about these
emails and how an uber driver inspired you to start
sending emails that won't be read for at least another
decade or so. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
I was traveling a lot for business pregnant, and the
driver told me that he was writing in a book.
He was writing notes to his daughter when he was
on between rides, and it just struck me because I thought,
what an amazing gift to be able to, you know,
communicate to your kids without you know, just in a
very different kind of headspace. And so before they were born,
(38:21):
after they were born, I each have an email address
for both of them and I send them notes all
the time, and it could be anything from like don't
be friends with idiots, to you know, a funny story
about who their best friend is this week, or if
somebody you know happened to maybe look at somebody else's paper.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
For the first time.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
So it's just a way that I hope that when
they do read them over time, they hear me talk
to them in my voice, not as their mom, but
as a person, and kind of I talk to them
like I would talk to my friends, And I think
that that might give them a different perspective when I'm old,
and I love that.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Yeah, no, hopefully not sad, but you might be there
because I hear that from my every pair.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
They want to hang on to the useful years. But
I do love that because I think you can try
your best to stay quote unquote cool and young as
a parent. But we all know, having been through it ourselves,
that we see our parents as a certain thing no
matter what, we just can't relate to them as ever
having been our age at any point in their lives.
(39:22):
So to actually have you be a cool young mom
who's you know, traveling around doing awesome things for work
and talking to them like you hal a friend. They
will always have that sort of time capsule, which is
really cool and I think, you know, some of us
would be good to do that for ourselves in some
sort of journal or email and able to remember things.
I used to remember a lot more when I kept
(39:42):
a journal. Now everything is based on whether I took
a photo. I'm like, oh, I remember I was there
because I have a photo of it, and that's about it.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
I know.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
It actually forces me to like critically think too.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
Right and right? No, that would be an all time love. No,
not at all.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
But it's cool too because I gave it to my parents,
and you know, also for them to be able to
communicate with them. I think that's just again a gift
that will keep on giving for them.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
I love it. Yeah, so cool, so cool. Well, I
love getting to catch up with you about all things au.
We'll have to catch up again in a couple months
and see where this rocket ship has gone. Thank you
so much for the time.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Ali, Thanks Sarah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Thanks again to Ali for hanging out with us. We
got to take another break when we come back. How
is it already calendar season? Welcome back, Slaces, We love
that you're listening, but we want you to get in
the game every day too, So here's our good game
play of the day. Check out the great story Friend
at the Show Katie Barnes wrote about other friend of
(40:42):
the show, Azy Fud, from her decision to return to Yukon,
to self doubt returning from injury, and her work with
a sports psychologist. It's a great deep dive into as
one of the biggest names in college hoops. We'll put
a link to the story in the show notes. And
we always love to hear from you, so hit us
up on email Good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or
leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two o
(41:02):
four fifty seventy and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.
It's easy watch Super Slice. Joey Maldonado taken an early
lead for twenty twenty six MVP, rating twelve out of
twelve months of women's sports review. Our guy Joey is
back with a brand spankin new spreadsheet of women's sporting
events for twenty twenty six. Speeke, How's it already almost
(41:25):
twenty twenty six? The guy who brought you the very
first women's sports schedule spreadsheet is back for year two,
laying out all the Major League volleyball and AU basketball
games we know so far, and he's ready to add
more as the league roll out their schedules. Joey, you
truly are a mench. We'll link to this year's and
next year's spreadsheets in the show notes. Book Mark them,
love them, use them often. Now it's your turn. Y'all,
(41:48):
rate and review. Thanks for listening, See you tomorrow. Good game, Ali,
Good game, Joey. You to whatever weird algorithm has been
making My legitimate and very much not spam emails to
everyone who works on this show get sent to email
purgatory and not to them. Good Game with Sarah Spain
(42:10):
is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are alex Azzie
Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, and Gianna Palmer.
(42:33):
Production assistants from Avery LOFTUS and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
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