SHE FLIES Celebrates Impactful First Year, Sets Sights on Greater Accomplishments in 2023

Sport Oregon to host Holiday Bash Dec. 6 to benefit flagship SHE FLIES initiative

When Sport Oregon launched its new SHE FLIES initiative last year, the organization had clear objectives for the signature endeavor. In its most simple terms, 2022 would take a building approach, with more ambitious goals in store for 2023.

As the flagship initiative of the Sport Oregon Foundation, the focus of SHE FLIES is connecting girls and women across Oregon to sports, and creating inclusive communities through its programs, partnerships and networks. It aims to do so through three focus areas: getting girls in the game, empowering women coaches and promoting fitness for life.

Now, as the holiday season approaches and 2022 winds down, it’s rewarding for the organization to look back at the first full year of SHE FLIES and see the strategic work behind building such an impactful initiative from the ground up come to life.  

“The past year was really about building a network and constructing what SHE FLIES is, and can be,” said Maika Janat-Vennemann, COO of Sport Oregon.

As Sport Oregon continues growing the initiative to achieve increased impact, awareness and support, it is hosting The Sport Oregon Holiday Bash benefitting SHE FLIES. The event is set for Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Cosmopolitan Ballroom at Hotel Eastlund in Portland. The Holiday Bash will feature an online auction, a raffle and a live auction with exclusive packages, such as a Grand Slam trip for two to New York to take in the 2023 US Open for tennis and a VIP access experience for next year’s INDYCAR Grand Prix of Portland. 

Individual tickets and tables for The Sport Oregon Holiday Bash are currently available for purchase.

The goal all along has been to build a solid foundation for SHE FLIES, with the focus of 2023 centering around boosting its programs and increasing its impact.

“This first year was more about friends raising than fund raising,” Janat-Vennemann continued.

Still, while it’s a relatively new initiative, it’s safe to say SHE FLIES is off and soaring on the strength of a great first year. In 2022, SHE FLIES has generated upwards of $100,000 in revenue thus far. Through SHE FLIES, Sport Oregon awarded $25,000 in Community Grants in the spring. Additionally, the organization launched a new SHE FLIES content series, produced a free SHE FLIES Festival event, hosted a Women in Motorsports panel event in conjunction with the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Portland, and SHE FLIES became the exclusive non-profit partner and beneficiary of The Red Gala. Notably, the organization has established a number of strategic partnerships that have set a great foundation for the organization to experience continued growth for SHE FLIES.

Looking ahead to next year, Sport Oregon is looking to substantially add to and further enhance its events and fundraising efforts around SHE FLIES. For starters, the organization aims to give a minimum of $125,000 in Community Grants, with the new cycle beginning February 2023. Additionally, plans are in place to make the SHE FLIES Festival a much larger event, with future plans to expand it to additional communities across Oregon.

While there are plenty of successes to celebrate at the upcoming Holiday Bash, there is still work to be done to ensure 2023 is even bigger and better than expected. The organization hopes you can join them in their efforts to connect girls and women across the state to the many benefits of sports participation.

Celebrating the First Three-Time NWSL Champions

While the Portland Thorns have spoiled us a bit with their resumé of success over their 10 years, we will never take their championship achievements for granted. This week, we celebrate the FIRST THREE-TIME NWSL CHAMPIONS in their return to the Rose City, and we couldn’t be more proud. From everyone at Sport Oregon, we congratulate the Portland Thorns and revel in the celebration of our true champions.

In the end, it was a 2-0 victory over the Kansas City Current at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. that sealed the title. But, really, the accomplishments from this past season already made them champions in our book.

It was a season of standout performances, and ultimate team effort in support of the guidance, direction and tutelage of first-year Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson and general manager Karina LeBlanc. No fewer than four Thorns players dotted the NWSL Best XI at season’s end, including Sophia Smith, who was also crowned the league’s regular-season MVP and NWSL Championship MVP for her standout efforts. Smith and Sam Coffey were named to the Best XI First Team, while defenders Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelli Hubly made the Best XI Second Team.

It was with laser-focus that the Thorns became the league’s first three-time champ, with a dominating performance in the title game over the weekend. Smith set the tone early lead with a fourth-minute strike, and Portland doubled its lead in the 56th minute on its way to a 2-0 victory over the Current. The win gave the Thorns their third Championship in 10 years, with Portland being crowned champs in 2013 and again in 2017. They are two-time NWSL Shield winners (2016, 2021), and in 2021 they won the NWSL Challenge Cup.

At Sport Oregon, we’ve been oh-so proud to support the Thorns for these many years, and couldn’t be more thrilled for the team, its passionate supporters, and the entire city and state. The Thorns women are an inspiration to thousands and thousands of youth in our state. As the team’s playoff run commenced, we were privileged to partner with the team to raise funds for our SHE FLIES initiative. As a result of the team’s semifinal win over San Diego played before 22,000 at Providence Park, we were able to generate important funds for SHE FLIES, a Sport Oregon Foundation initiative that aims to empower girls and women through sport to overcome barriers and challenges, ultimately to unleash their full potential.

For this, we are extremely grateful. 

The Thorns championship efforts provide yet another boost for Portland, and are a tangible reminder of how sports impact and bond us as a community. As we revel in our champions’ accomplishments together, we’ll be front and center at Tuesday’s Championship Rally at Providence Park.

Our Portland Thorns are proven champions, and will always be as much to us, win or lose. But we are simply thrilled to celebrate their championship achievements this season.

If You’re Going
In celebration of Portland Thorns FC’s 2022 NWSL Championship victory against the Kansas City Current on Oct. 29 at Audi Field, the club invites fans to come celebrate with the team at an NWSL Championship rally on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Providence Park beginning at 6 p.m. Stadium gates will open to fans at 5:30 p.m.. The rally is free and open to the public, and fans will have the opportunity to purchase food and beverages as well as NWSL Championship merchandise and gear.

The championship rally will feature remarks by Thorns FC players as well team and local leaders. The entire event will also be live streamed on the Thorns website.

Time: Gates open at 5:30 p.m., event begins at 6:00 p.m.
Gates: Gates D and F only—The rally is free and open to the public. (Fans will be required to go through magnometers and bag checks)
Food: Concession locations will be open on the north end of the stadium
PTFC Authentics: Both main store locations at the stadium will be open with NWSL Championship gear on hand for purchase

With Playoff Spot Secured, Thorns Aim for More as Season Draws to a Close

Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer, Portland Thorns

First-place Portland takes steady approach to postseason prospects and season goals

As is oftentimes the case, the fate of the NWSL postseason once again is coming down to the wire. But with a 3-0 victory over Racing Louisville FC at Providence Park on Wednesday night, Portland Thorns FC locked up their spot in the NWSL playoffs, and remain in strong contention for the NWSL Shield. The win vaulted Portland into first place with two games remaining, but as of Thursday morning, only six points separate the top seven teams in the 12-team league. The Thorns lead is just one point over San Diego and OL Reign, and just two points over Houston and Kansas City.

Having made the playoffs all but once since serving as a founding member of the league in 2013, there’s an established standard of excellence with the Thorns. A two-time league champion and two-time NWSL Shield winner, it’s no surprise, then, that Portland once again is aiming for more than a mere playoff spot as the regular season comes to a close with their final two games.

As a former player, first-year Thorns head coach Rhian Wilkinson knows all too well the pitfalls and traps players are confronted with as any season draws to a close and teams jockey for position. Sure, the pressure ratchets up with every passing game, but it’s simply too easy to get caught up in table-watching and worrying about things out of one’s control, including pundit prognostications and expected results. 

So, as simple as it seems, Wilkinson emphasizes a very steady, common-sense approach as the season draws to a close, and the pressure ramps up. For her, it essentially just comes down to the team taking care of its own business and letting the cards fall where they may. In this way, she makes it a priority to support the players, first and foremost, and try to keep them in the moment.

“It’s so easy to get caught up in another narrative,” Wilkinson said. “If we keep doing what we’re doing, that’s the biggest piece. It’s really about us, and it’s always been about us from the beginning.”

Wilkinson, who played briefly in Portland during the 2015 NWSL season, came to Portland as its new head coach at the conclusion of the 2021 season. Previously serving as an assistant coach with the England Women’s National Team (2021) and as an assistant with the Canada Women’s National Team (2019-20), she came to Portland with a well-rounded base of experience.

But that’s no assurance of success, especially in a league like the NWSL where the unexpected can happen on any given match day, seemingly. With a new coach, a new system, and the inevitable roster turnover due to attrition and injury, Wilkinson is very pleased with how the team has responded this year, especially considering the degree of change.

Every player on the current roster has started at last one game, young players are stepping up, and others are taking on greater responsibilities to complement the strong core that helped Portland win its second Shield in 2021. 

“They’ve just consistently found a level of play that, as their new head coach, I’ve just been so impressed with,” Wilkinson said. “Their willingness to fight through the challenges – it’s a testament to the culture here, the club and the team itself. No matter what happens, these women just get on with it.”

The top six teams in the 12-team NWSL advance to the postseason, with the top two teams receiving a bye in the first round of playoffs. This year’s quarterfinals will take place Oct. 15-16, the semifinals will be Oct. 22-23, and the 2022 NWSL Championship will be held Saturday, Oct. 29, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. 

Next up, the Thorns look to keep their hold on the top of the table when they host the Chicago Red Stars at Providence Park on Sunday. The team will then round out the regular season with a road game at Gotham FC on Oct. 1.

Any way you slice it, it’s shaping up to be an eventful end to the season. Sport Oregon is joining in with the season-ending excitement when the Thorns play their final home game of the regular season Sunday. The organization is hosting a special happy hour and fundraiser for its SHE FLIES initiative at its offices, conveniently located across the street from Providence Park. Offering tickets for $35 each, Sport Oregon is inviting interested fans for a pre-match party – featuring mimosas, beer, wine, cider, water, soft drinks and pastries – at 11 a.m., followed by the game at 1 p.m.

Click here to purchase tickets – which include access to the pre-match party and general admission entrance to the game. Proceeds raised will directly support SHE FLIES, a Sport Oregon Foundation initiative that aims to empower girls and women through sport to overcome barriers and challenges, ultimately to unleash their full potential.

For more information on the event, contact Sport Oregon Event Manager Hannah Roxas at hannah@sportoregon.org.

For the Thorns, it’s been a successful season so far, one that has positioned them well to make some noise in the postseason. But while a good regular season is always nice, the Thorns have their eye on greater achievements in 2022.

“It’s clear to the team: we’re giving everything we have to bring home the Shield and then the championship,” Wilkinson concluded.

First Women in Motorsports Panel Event Set to Kick Off Grand Prix of Portland Weekend

Grand Prix weekend caps off eventful summer of top-level racing’s return to PIR

As a much-anticipated bookend to an eventful summer of racing at Portland International Raceway, the Grand Prix of Portland makes its return to the venerable track the weekend of Sept. 2-4.

The action-packed weekend will feature nine total races and five different racing series, including the marquee NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Sunday. Friday’s slate features USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 races, and Indy Lights and ARCA Menards Series West practice sessions. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice and qualifying takes place on Saturday, a day that also includes a USF2000 race at 10:15 a.m., an Indy Pro race at 2:20 p.m., Indy Lights practice and qualifying and the ARCA Menards Series West Race at 5:30 p.m. Sunday features an Indy Lights race at 10:20 a.m., followed by the NTT INDYCAR Series Grand Prix of Portland at 12:30 p.m. 

As a special kickoff to this year’s Grand Prix of Portland, Sport Oregon is teaming up with PNC Bank to present a panel event on Thursday, Sept. 1. The event – An Evening with Women in Motorsports Powered by PNC – includes an engaging panel discussion with five prominent female leaders in motorsports. The panel includes SJ Luedtke, the vice president of marketing for INDYCAR; two members of the Chip Ganassi Racing team, Angela Ashmore and Anna Chatten; engineer Claire Binci and 14-time road racing champion and team owner, Cindi Lux. The invite-only event will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the Alpha Media Live Studio at 1210 SW 6th Ave. in Portland.  

Earlier this year, PNC, which also sponsors INDYCAR driver Scott Dixon – a six-time champion and Indianapolis 500 winner – and his No. 9 PNC Bank Honda, teamed up with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) to launch a new gender-equality initiative – Women in Motorsports Powered by PNC – to create awareness and hands-on experiences to educate, advocate and advance career path opportunities for women in traditionally male-dominated careers, such as motorsports.

“PNC Bank is committed to creating more opportunities for women innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders,” said J.T. Hutchinson, PNC regional president of Portland. “Our Main Street Bank model allows us to be intentional in how we impact the communities where we live and work, and this program is a great example of how we are doing just that.”

The program provides a three-month paid internship at Chip Ganassi Racing to five college women in roles ranging from mechanic and athletic training to engineering and IT. The program also launched a video content series showcasing women leaders in the industry that CGR already employs, including engineers, mechanics and drivers. The inaugural class of student workers is nearing completion of the first group of internships provided by the program, with applications for the second class opening this fall.

Women in Motorsports has received great interest and overall engagement thus far in conjunction with other NTT INDYCAR SERIES races throughout the country, and Portland PNC officials are excited for the opportunity to showcase the new initiative on the local level in conjunction with this year’s Grand Prix of Portland.

“The response has been overwhelming and this is our contribution to that overall effort of promoting our new Women in Motorsports initiative,” said Brian Stewart, PNC’s director of client and community relations. “We’re lucky to be able to partner with Sport Oregon on the event, and it promises to be a fantastic panel discussion.”

From a Sport Oregon perspective, the Women in Motorsports initiative is a natural extension of the organization’s SHE FLIES initiative. Through SHE FLIES, Sport Oregon strives to empower girls and women through sport to overcome barriers and challenges, ultimately to unleash their full potential. 

Those goals are very much in line with that of Lux, a featured panel participant and lifelong native of the Pacific Northwest. Growing up around the sport, she knows first-hand the barriers women wanting to enter the field can often face. But she’s quick to point out that, especially with how much more sophisticated and involved the industry is, the opportunities do exist but that there’s no substitute for hard work and persistence to succeed, especially in such a competitive field.

“Any position available on a race team is open to a female,” said Lux, whose Lux Performance Group is based in Aloha, Ore. “There are so many other avenues besides just the driver on professional teams these days. That’s kind of what the journey is, to really open up these doors.”

Through her vast experience, she can list off a dozen or so different areas of expertise available to women within the sport just off the top of her head, including team executive positions, truck drivers, engineers, mechanics, accountants, marketing and public relations, social media and the many functions of the sport’s expansive hospitality programs, to name a few.  

Lux enthusiastically embraces her role as a leading voice for women in the sport, especially her upcoming participation in the Women in Motorsports panel discussion in her hometown where she hopes to make connections that continue well after the event.

“Being involved with this event is really important to me,” she said. “If there’s a handful of people from the Portland area that I can be a local resource for, that’s great. Basically, if you want to talk further, give me a call.”

It’s a great time to be involved with motorsports in general, but particularly so here in Portland and at Portland International Raceway. After more than a decade without top-level events, the track once again is rumbling with premier races as it did in its previous glory years. This summer marked the return of a NASCAR series event to PIR for the first time in more than two decades, and with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returning in 2018 after an extended absence of its own, Northwest racing fans are being treated to a host of high-level racing action once again.

“For a city-owned facility like PIR to have two top-tier racing events on each end of the summer is a huge win for the entire city,” said Sport Oregon CEO Jim Etzel, who credits Green Savoree Racing Promotions for its vision and partnership in making the two race weekends such a success. “Premier motorsports events are back as they should be in Portland, and that’s been huge for fans of the sport in the Pacific Northwest.”

For those who can’t make this year’s Grand Prix of Portland, the race will be televised live on NBC, including locally on KGW, with race coverage beginning at 12 noon.

If You’re Going to the Grand Prix of Portland
Ticket prices start as low as $20 for single-day general admission and $70 for single-day grandstand seats. Three-day tickets remain available for purchase and offer the best value. General admission for the entire weekend is $65, and three-day grandstand reserved seats start at $85, which includes gate admission. For more information or to purchase tickets online, click here.

As Title IX Turns 50, Sport Oregon Continues to Inspire Female Athletes Through SHE FLIES

Photo: University of Portland Athletics

Foundation initiative aims to facilitate greater girls’ and women’s participation in sport

Fifty years ago this week, Title IX – a 37-word passage written to address gender discrimination in public education and federally assisted programs – was passed into law as part of a larger education bill. Despite its relative brevity, Title IX’s passage on June 23, 1972, proved to be a milestone in gender equity.

Though not specifically written to address girls’ and women’s athletics, Title IX is most commonly associated with sports. In essence, its passage meant any federally funded school from the elementary to college level had to provide fair and equal treatment of the sexes in all areas, including athletics. It opened doors and reduced barriers for girls and women to participate in a variety of sports and to have equal access to educational opportunities and academic disciplines.  

Sport Oregon has long celebrated the achievements of high school, collegiate and professional female athletes as part of the Oregon Sports Awards and through its programs and initiatives. It’s simply hard to imagine how that landscape would differ had it not been for Title IX.     

Today, a significant amount of the work Sport Oregon does through its foundation is focused on continuing to reduce barriers to play, especially for females. While there are many more opportunities available to participate in sports for girls and women as a result of Title IX, many of today’s challenges relate to dwindling participation numbers, lack of resources and not enough mentorship and inspiration to encourage continued participation. 

Specifically, Sport Oregon’s SHE FLIES initiative is the signature platform for its foundation. At its core, SHE FLIES is inspired by a fundamental belief that people learn to soar as confident individuals, team players and strong leaders through sport. Its mission is to connect girls and women across Oregon to sports, and to create inclusive opportunities through its programs, partnerships and networks.

Teresa O’Neill is the vice president of global strategic partnerships for Travel Oregon, a state agency that works to enhance Oregon’s economy by developing world-class visitor experiences and inspiring travel to the state. She is connected to sports in the state in many ways, including her work as an executive board member for Sport Oregon and as a founding member and supporter of SHE FLIES.

On a personal level, O’Neill appreciated the opportunities available to her as a teenager as she participated in swimming and running programs while growing up in Montana. Granted, these opportunities are essentially a given in today’s world – at least in the United States – but it’s not lost on her the impact that Title IX had on making them possible.

“The opportunity to not even question whether you could participate at the same level as the male athletes was a big deal,” she said. “It really did open my eyes that women can do anything.”

Travel Oregon is actively involved in helping to attract large events to the state, but particularly it is committed to its mission to assure Oregon remains a welcome destination that celebrates diversity. It is keen on attracting and supporting sporting events that celebrate women’s athletics, like the encouraging pursuit of the Women’s Final Four for basketball and the upcoming World Athletics Championships Oregon22, which will celebrate a day of special programming honoring female athletics with a “Women in the Spotlight” day on July 18.

“These things are important to Oregon,” O’Neill said.

Fifty years after Title IX, most would suggest that support for women’s sports and female athletes is still not enough, and that there is still work to be done. There’s also a growing concern with the decline of girls and women’s participation in sports. According to studies, girls are two times more likely to drop out of sports participation by age 14 when compared to boys.

The decline in participation for female athletes is a major area of focus for the SHE FLIES initiative. First, it strives to get more girls in the game, specifically by reducing barriers to access and promoting the many positive advantages of participation. Additionally, there is a broader focus on empowering more women coaches in sports, with statistics showing women making up less than 30 percent of youth coaches nationwide. Lastly, SHE FLIES promotes a lifelong, fit-for-life mentality that encourages fitness as a lifelong pursuit for increased health and wellness.

With many resources already available from a variety of like-minded groups, SHE FLIES has been designed, intentionally, as a supporting resource to tackle the issue. Sport Oregon has embraced its role as a supporter, connector and as an overarching entity that can shine a light on the work being done and to further rally the cause. This commitment, notably, includes a significant fundraising element aimed at supporting the many groups and causes already working to make a difference, especially in areas disproportionally affected.

Like O’Neill, Elisha Lutz sits on the board of directors with Sport Oregon and has both a professional and personal connection to sports, including the development of SHE FLIES. Lutz is the general manager and vice president for accounts and client partners for Ideas Collide, a digital marketing agency and Sport Oregon sponsor. Ideas Collide began its work with SHE FLIES at an inflection point, collaborating and lending its collective expertise in refining the initiative’s mission, vision and values, and developing the tools to help amplify its message.

Lutz can relate to the troubling statistics related to girls dropping out of sports. Personally, she played high school sports until she was about 15. She says that it then stopped becoming fun, started being over-competitive and frankly, it just wasn’t seen as being “cool” by her peers at that age.

“I didn’t have anyone to pull me back in, to help me see different options,” Lutz said. “I really didn’t have a relationship with a coach like that, and my parents didn’t really push me in that way; so that’s where it ended for me.”

She says she regrets missing out on what a team environment provides and the benefit of those team-related experiences. But her experience as a teenager inspires her even more to help make a difference through her work with Sport Oregon and SHE FLIES.

“Personally, I just feel really compelled to help change that and give girls, women and the community more resources to support girls and the cause,” she said. 

Jack Elder is a noted area Olympian and historian with a varied and interesting relationship with sports over the decades, highlighted by his experience and achievements at the international level. He founded the Oregon Sports Authority (now Sport Oregon) in 1991 and was part of a group that explored the potential of bringing the Olympics to Portland. As a broadcaster and a 1972 Winter Olympian in luge, he essentially had a front-row seat for the progressive era of change that was the 1960s and 1970s. He remembers well witnessing the rise of women’s athletics and the fight that athletes like Billie Jean King and Steve Prefontaine endeavored in taking a leading role in the rapid changes for the better that were occurring across sports.

“Title IX and the rights of athletes in general was finally coming to a head in the early 1970s; all of these things were happening around the same time,” Elder said.

You can’t have a conversation about Title IX without King, who worked tirelessly for women’s parity in sports for years while helping to pass Title IX and prohibit sex discrimination in all federally funded school programs.

“When Title IX passed, the explosion was just stunning,” Elder remembers. “The growth of women’s sport was just amazing.”

Prefontaine fought for athletes’ rights against the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), which held tight controls on where athletes could compete and essentially all aspects of an athlete’s life. Elder could relate to this plight on a personal level, as he was held out of the 1968 Winter Olympics basically for not being at the right race at the right time.

Elder, who is the current historian for the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association, points out that one of the great benefits of Title IX and the advancement of women’s athletics can be seen off the field of play, with women taking a leading role in the business side of sport, from the operational level to the executive level to the political side. It also paved the way for the creation of women’s professional sports leagues, like the WNBA and NWSL, which features Portland Thorns FC.

Things have come a long way in 50 years, but there’s still work to be done. For Sport Oregon’s part, it will remain sharply focused on advancing women’s athletics and continuing to foster and inspire participation amongst girls and women through its programs and initiatives. 

For More Information on SHE FLIES
To learn more about SHE FLIES and Sport Oregon’s work to keep lifting girls and women through sport, click here.