Joy Drop: PWHL and the importance of bringing a dream to life
CBC Sports' senior contributor Shireen Ahmed on the week's happier moments
Hello! Hello! What an incredible week we've had in the sports world. I have to begin with the celebration and beginning of the PWHL draft that happened on Monday at the Barbara Frum atrium at the CBC's Broadcast Centre in Toronto.
What a day it was! I have had the opportunity to do some pretty amazing things in my career but this was truly a special event.
I'm definitely a people person and seeing the people experience different emotions around the birth of a new women's hockey league was so important. Seeing parents witness the beginning of new chapters for their daughters was a very emotional moment — particularly when this moment was so hard fought.
The day started off with sports legend and board member of the league, Billie Jean King, in attendance and calling the first draft pick. This week also marks the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Sexes of which Billie Jean King had a very particular battle: playing and beating Bobby Riggs. King was in the studio with CBC Sports' Devin Herroux and she spoke of patience, persistence and why it's important to maintain a dream.
WATCH | Devin Heroux in discussion with Billie Jean King:
My dear friend, Jessica Luther, wrote a beautiful piece in Texas Monthly about the golden anniversary of this "battle" and why it's so important to the history of sport, but also to the Astrodome in Houston where the match took place. Not only is the scene critical to the story but so are the surroundings. Over 30,00 watched the match, which was the largest tennis audience to date in the U.S.
On the topic of Billie Jean King, I had a chance to meet and sit down with her after the draft. She is a formidable person and a force of life. To say it was a transformative moment for me is an understatement. She was very easy to speak with and such a treasure of wisdom to impart. I will be writing more on our encounter soon. Of course, I got a selfie. During our conversation, I told her that I had her Barbie and it was happily nested alongside the Sarah Nurse Barbie. She was happy to hear that.
This week, the video that I can't get enough of is not only fun but it's from a group of dads kicking it on the dance floor. This "Uncle Shuffle" reminds us to keep moving and to lead the moment with joy in any way.
I am sending out a lot of love to many people from the LGBTIQ2S+ communities this week who have been facing a relentless type of injustice. Sometimes it feels hard to share happy moments when things make you angry. So, I go back to a conversation I had with my friend, trans athlete Chris Mosier, from 2022 and what he said about joy as resistance.
So, I offer joy as a form of that resistance. This particular joy will be in the form of curling! United We Curl is hosting a Pride Bonspiel and it's a wonderful way to unite as a community through sport. I found out about from my colleague and friend Devin and encourage everyone to attend. If you can support this event or the organization, it's a wonderful opportunity.
Have a restful and safe weekend!
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