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“Girls and women have always been powerful on and off the field. Voice-in-Sport has, at long last, given us a place to call home. VIS is a platform for building community and positioning the athlete and women’s health exactly where it belongs: front and center.” – Emily Jacobs, PhD (VIS Expert™) NEW YORK (PRWEB) June 10, 2021
Voice in Sport(VIS), the first independent, community-based platform for athletes, inclusive of all girls and women aged 13-23, announced that it will transform the mental health and wellness space by expanding its slate of services and experts to young women and girls in sport. As Naomi Osaka has elevated the conversation around Mental Health, VIS is determined to change the staggering statistics that girls in sport are facing:
One third of D1 NCAA female student-athletes report behavior that demonstrated risk of anorexia nervosa (National Eating Disorders Awareness) 41.5% of high school female athletes in aesthetic sports such as gymnastics, figure skating, swimming and dance report disordered eating. (Jankowski, 2012) 46% of girls drop out of sport due to breast development (Brown, Hainline, Kroshus & Wilfert, 2014) 48% of female college athletes struggle with anxiety and/or depression (Brown, Hainline, Kroshus & Wilfert, 2014) One in four people ages 18-23 report feeling suicidal since the pandemic (CDC, 2021) 55% of female college athletes don’t know how to access mental health services (NCAA Survey, 2020) Last August, VIS launched a virtual community centered around young, girl athletes (ages 13-23) empowering them to use their voices to drive change. The platform merges content, mentorship, experts and advocacy providing girls with the support needed to keep them in sport as girls drop out of sport at 2x the rate of boys at 14, and girls of color have a 25% lower participation rate in sport than that of their peers.
On the Voice in Sport Podcast, Olympic runner and VIS League™ mentor Colleen Quigley spoke about her journey with mental health and the moment she realized she needed that change of focus. She was spending countless hours working on her body and it became obvious that she needed to focus on her mindset. “You can’t be who you want to be as an athlete if you are struggling with something else in your free time” she said. “Your mindset going into something is the ultimate tool.”
VIS will continue to offer a portion of their platform for free to all girls and women in sport including exclusive content, a personal profile, community forum, digital notebooks and public mentorship events. In June Voice in Sport introduces 3 paid memberships $18/month, $45/month and $90/month which include access to new services across 1:1 or group mentorship, 1:1 or group mental health sessions, nutrition and sports sciences.
VIS will also launch a Sponsorship Program for individuals and teams (applications are available on their website) who want to be a part of the VIS platform. Any person or organization can sign up to sponsor a girl or team for a 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or yearly membership to Voice in Sport. Voice in Sport is aiming to democratize access by incorporating Sponsoring memberships into their holistic giveback model. Voice in Sport will also donate a portion of their membership revenue to Non-Profit Voice in Sport Foundation which aims to supercharge sports science for women and girls and fund gaps in public school sport programs.
VIS has teamed up with some of the top women in Sport Psychology, Sport Nutrition, Sport Dietetics and Sport Science Researchers to offer girls access to the resources and tools they need to have a better journey. The team of over 80+ VIS Experts consists of a diverse group of industry leaders such as: Dr. Stacy Sims PhD, Nicole Detling – PhD, CMPC, Holly Thorpe – PhD, Cynthia Clarke – PhD, Mariah Bullock – PhD, Kimberly O’Brien – PhD, Meghan Bishop – MD, Angie Ashe – MS, RD, CSSD, Lindsey Cortes – MS, RD, CSSD.
Stef Strack, the CEO and founder of VIS, built this community after competing at the Division 1 level and moving on to a 14-year career in sport at Nike. She hopes to provide the access she wished that she would have had while competing.
“There is still so much work to be done in the sports world,” said Strack who competed at the Division 1 level and spent 14-years building her career in sport at Nike. “At VIS it’s our mission to bring more visibility to women and elevate their voice. We need more women in leadership positions across the sports industry and this month we are incredibly proud of the women we have brought on board to help girls in sport with access to mental health and wellness resources.”
All girls or women in sport aged 13-23 are invited to join the VIS community and gain access to exclusive content, mentorship from professional athletes, experts in sport psychology & nutrition and a community to drive change. Check out http://www.voiceinsport.com and help drive change beyond the game.
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ABOUT VOICE IN SPORT (VIS)
Voice in Sport (VIS) is the first independent, community-based platform for athletes, inclusive of all girls and women aged 13-23, to merge content, mentorship, access to experts and advocacy with a mission to bring visibility to women and elevate their voice. VIS is creating a community of athletes, inclusive of all women and girls, who inspire each other to change more than just the game. Founded by Stef Strack, VIS is uniquely positioned to provide young athletes an inclusive community where they will have access to the tools they need to help navigate their teen and collegiate years as an athlete. VIS extends beyond the platform (http://www.voiceinsport.com) through Instagram (@voiceinsport), TikTok (@voiceinsport), and Facebook (@voiceinsport). The Voice in Sport Podcast launched in May 2020 will continue to explore the journey of athletes, inclusive of all girls and women, by sharing untold stories on topics like mental health, body image, sexual orientation, sports science and nutrition.
Testimonials from VIS Community:
“Girls and women have always been powerful on and off the field. Voice-in-Sport has, at long last, given us a place to call home. VIS is a platform for building community and positioning the athlete and women’s health exactly where it belongs: front and center.” – Emily Jacobs, PhD (VIS Expert™)
“It’s obvious: VIS will transform women’s sports by improving opportunity, access, and mental/physical health for all girls and women in sports.” – Megan Roche, MD (VIS Expert™)
“As for the impact of VIS for women’s sports and young athletes, the first thought to come to mind for me personally is the important conversations taking place. RED-S, eating disorder awareness, mental health, and so many other crucial topics are finally being discussed and brought to light. Guidance and educational pieces written by women, for women.” – Angie Asche, MS, RD, CSSD (VIS Expert™)
“Being a mentor gives me purpose and allows me to be more than just a role model, but someone that can help the next generation navigate the often complicated world of being a girl or woman in sport.” – Rosie Brennan, Team USA Ski (VIS League™)
“Knowing that my personal experiences can inspire the younger generations is something incredible and heartwarming” – Kiah Stokes, WNBA (VIS League™)
“I’ve enjoyed being able to connect with our younger generations. These girls are always asking the right questions and I’ve really enjoyed being able to share the lessons I’ve learned over the course of not only my athletic career but also my life in hopes of giving the younger generation an abridged version of what to do and what not to do.” – Lia Neal, Team USA Swim (VIS League™)
“VIS amplifies my impact with young women in sport who I can connect with and mentor.” – Colleen Quigley, Team USA Track and Field (VIS League™)