2017
ASANA
WORLD
SERIES
2017 ASANA SPECIAL EDITION WWW.COMPETENETWORK.COM
ASANAseries.org September 16th - 23rd, 2018 LOGO & AD DESIGNED BY:
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2017 ASANA WORLD SERIES Volume 1, Issue 1
10 ASANA - DOING IT OUR WAY 14 PLAYER PROFILE: MAILE GORION PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLI KULICK
3 TEAMS AND DIVISION 6 COMMISSIONER'S LETTER Angela "Butterbean" Smith
8 EDITOR'S LETTER
ConnieWardman, M.A., SDL
9 WELCOME TO AUSTIN Steve Adler, Mayor
12 E VENTS 20 AUSTIN BECOMES NON-MEMBER
PARTNER OF SPORTS DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL 22 ASANA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
COVER ATHLETE Maile Gorion SPORT Softball PHOTOGRAPHER Kelli Kulick
Interested in starting Women's League? Ready to play against women from across the nation?
The NGFFL can help.
Governing Body of 22 LGBT Flag Football Leagues across US and Canada Oversee the National Gay and Lesbian Flag Football Championship every Fall Partners in year round regional tournaments across the country
Come join in the fun at Gay Bowl!
Boston 2017 & Denver 2018!
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FROM THE COMMISSIONER
WELCOME Amateur Sports Alliance of North America Angela Smith, Commissioner
HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY ASANA!
W
elcome Players, Coaches, Managers, Spouses, Partners and Fans to ASANA’s 10th Anniversary World Series. Along with Softball Austin and the ASANA Board, I am happy to be celebrating this milestone event in the beautiful city of Austin, Texas. It seems hard to believe how far we have come from our first ASANA World Series in Seattle to the present. I remember the first pitch to the last one and how excited everyone was; how happy teams were to win their first ASANA Championship! Not only has ASANA grown in numbers of players and public recognition of who we are but now it has also grown in terms of sports. I am proud to add ASANA Flag Football to the family for its inaugural World Series Tournament this year. Two of the greatest things about ASANA are the pride and honor each team has in representing its city and the opportunity to make friends from all over the United States. While the competition is fierce on the field, off the field the time spent with friends new and old is always a highlight of the series. So whether your ASANA memories are about winning the championship, having fun with friends or finding the love of your life, remember – it all started with a softball, a football and ASANA. On behalf of the ASANA Board and Softball Austin, thank you for making this a special World Series for us all.
Happy 10th Anniversary Y’all!
Angela “Butterbean” Smith ASANA Commissioner
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FROM THE CATBIRD SEAT
PLAY LIKE A GIRL!
COMPETE MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief ConnieWardman•connie@competenetwork.com
@CompeteConnie
T
he Amateur Sports Alliance of North America, better known as ASANA is in Austin this week to hold its annual softball World Series. And the City of Austin is excited and ready to welcome the anticipated 1,500 players, coaches and fans who are here to play and have fun! This year marks ASANA’s tenth anniversary of its World Series. Adding to that excitement this year is the introduction of flag football as a new ASANA sport. Women’s sports have never carried the same cachet as men’s sports, especially in recreational sports circles. To tell a man he “plays like a girl” is meant as the ultimate jibe. There’s just one problem with that, fellows – you’ve never seen the ASANA women play! ASANA has come a long way over the last ten years and adding additional sports to the ASANA schedule is just one of the new directions the group’s founding women had envisioned. As the women gather in Austin this year, whether it’s softball or flag football they’re playing or officiating, or if they’re cheering on friends and loved ones, you can be sure they’re showing the world what it really means to “play like a girl!” Keep Smiling,
PUBLISHERS Eric Carlyle • eric@competenetwork.com PatrickGamble•patrick@competenetwork.com This special issue of Compete was created in partnershipwithASANA.Ifyourorganization produces or hosts a run, tournament, sports festival,awardsceremonyorothertypeofevent, pleasecontactCompetetodaytofindouthow wecanpartnertoproduceahigh-qualityissue unique to your organization and its special events. Send us an email at: publications@competenetwork.com Copyright © 2017 MEDIA OUT LOUD, LLC All Rights Reserved. Corporate Office 6991 E Camelback Rd., Ste. D-364 Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 • 480-493-6191 CompeteisatrademarkofMediaOutLoud,LLC
MISSION STATEMENT Compete unites the world through sports.
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Connie Wardman, M.A., SDL Editor-in-Chief connie@competenetwork.com
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WELCOME
CITY OF AUSTIN Steve Adler, Mayor
DEAR ASANA TEAMS AND FANS:
A
s Mayor of Austin, it is my pleasure to welcome the 2017 ASANA Softball World Series. We are incredibly honored to host the 10th annual tournament. The Austin Parks Department and the Austin Sports Commission have been working hard to make this year’s event the best ever for the teams, their coaches and managers, and the fans. The City of Austin is one of the most progressive, liberal and considered one of America’s “gay-friendliest cities.” We are a proud supporter of LGBTQ-based events, whether they be athletic events or otherwise. Austin has a long history of diversity and inclusiveness and we are honored to host a group known for its efforts to celebrate and support the LGBTQ community. While you are here for the games, we encourage you to enjoy the many offerings of Austin’s communities and neighborhoods. Explore South Congress, paddle board on Lady Bird Lake, have a run along one of our many hike and bike trails, sample some of Austin’s excellent downtown restaurants and enjoy the 4th Street nightlife. Above all, take a moment to meet and get to know our biggest asset—the warm and friendly people of Austin. Home to Whole Foods, Dell Technologies and Tito’s Vodka, to name a few, Austin is full of many unique and unforgettable experiences that will appeal to everyone. If you are a history buff, the historic state capitol building is a must see. For baseball fans, the Round Rock Express games are very exciting as are the University of Texas Longhorn baseball games. Cool off in the spring-fed Barton Springs pool at Zilker Park. Above all, get out and explore the city. Major events such as the ASANA Softball World Series cannot take place without the tireless efforts of an army of volunteers. I would like to personally thank the volunteers helping run this event from many of our LGBTQ non-profit organizations. The coalition of volunteers who have donated their valuable time are an example of why we are all proud of Austin. On behalf of the City of Austin, Steve Adler Mayor
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BY CONNIE WARDMAN
HISTORY
ASANA – DOING IT OUR WAY THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT sports diversity is that it supports not only diversity in sports, it also supports equality, inclusion and the ability to create teams and leagues that have meaning for the people who choose to play on them. To the benefit of all, it’s never a one-size-fits-all requirement. ASANA, the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America grew out of the women’s division of NAGAAA, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance which had its own separate board. While some large national and international sports organizations were losing mem-
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bership, both the men’s and women’s divisions of NAGAAA continued to grow. In fact, the organization as a whole grew so large that it became more difficult to find cities and fields large enough to accommodate everyone. By 2007 the women’s division decided to form its own identity and established ASANA with the express purpose of heading in a new direction. A large part of needing to focus only on women athletes left room for innovation. By 2008 ASANA was ready to hold its first World Series in Seattle, co-hosted with NAGAAA. And now, 10
Photos Courtesy of Kelli Kulick
years later, the league has implemented an innovation that was an original part of the founding plan – adding additional sports. This year flag football is joining the lineup. Another change for the new league was that it focused more on fellowship, an important element for the women athletes. Whether it’s done at a bar, restaurant or field, the opportunity to hang out and visit over a cold brew is an important element of ASANA
events. And with the advent of same-sex marriage, a growing number of families with children have become the new normal for the league. It’s also prompted a lower-key approach to holding a tournament – less time and money spent on pomp and circumstance. So enjoy seeing old friends and making new ones at this 10th Anniversary World Series. And appreciate the fact that ASANA women are doing sports their way! www.CompeteNetwork.com
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2017 ASANA WORLD S MONDAY, JULY 3RD
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ASANA Delegate Meeting at Courtyard Marriott 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Happy Hour at Sellers Underground 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. World Series Kickoff Party: Susan Arbuckle at One2One Bar
TUESDAY, JULY 4TH
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Rallying to Beat Cancer: LGBT Against Cancer Breakfast at Wyndham Garden Hotel 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Lake Travis Party Barge 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Bat Check at Courtyard Marriott 4:00 p.m. Mandatory Managers Meeting at Courtyard Marriott 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Opening Ceremonies and Registration at Parish on 6th Street 9:30 p.m. Fireworks at Town Lake
WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH
7:00 a.m. – Noon Bat Check at Krieg Softball Park 8:00 a.m. Pool Play Begins 8:00 a.m. ASANA Hall of Fame Day at the Park 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Happy Hour at Oilcan Harry's 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. ASANA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Maggie Mae's on 6th Street 9:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. Superheroes vs. Villains Party at Rain on 4th
THURSDAY, JULY 6TH
8:00 a.m. Pool Play Continues 8:00 a.m. Peanut Foundation Day at the Park
SERIES EVENTS FRIDAY, JULY 7TH
8:00 a.m. Elimination Play Begins - Day of Pink at the Fields: Wear Pink in Support of Cancer Awareness 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Happy Hour at Rain on 4th 7:00 p.m. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS EVENT: East Coast vs. West Coast MVP Flag Football Game, Krieg Football Field 7:00 p.m. ASANA Flag Football & Lynn Lewis Foundation Inaugural Breast Cancer Invitational, Registration at Krieg Football Field 8:30 p.m. ASANA Flag Football & Lynn Lewis Foundation Inaugural Breast Cancer Invitational, Managers Meeting at Krieg Football Field 9:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. PINK Dance Party at Sellers Underground: All proceeds from silent auction to benefit the American Cancer Society!
SATURDAY, JULY 8TH
8:00 a.m. Elimination Play Continues/Championship Games 8:00 a.m. ASANA Flag Football & Lynn Lewis Foundation Inaugural Breast Cancer Invitational Pool Play Begins 3:00 p.m. ASANA World Series Softball Closing Ceremonies at Oilcan Harry's
SUNDAY, JULY 9TH
8:00 a.m. ASANA Flag Football & Lynn Lewis Foundation Inaugural Breast Cancer Invitational, Elimination Play and Championship Games 4:00 p.m. ASANA Flag Football & Lynn Lewis Foundation Inaugural Breast Cancer Invitational Closing Ceremonies at Krieg Football Field 3:00 p.m. Sunday Funday - Volunteer Appreciation on 4th Street! www.CompeteNetwork.com
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MAILE GORION |
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Photos Courtesy of Kelli Kulick
CAPTURING THE GOOD SIDE: ASANA 10TH ANNIVERSARY PLAYER PROFILE BY KELLI KULICK
"M
ake sure you get my good side,” she says with a sly smile. With her flawless Polynesian complexion and glossy black hair, there is no bad side when I focus the camera on Maile Gorion. But I humor her anyway. She turns to her right and I wait until she takes that first relaxed breath, that fraction of a second when she forgets that I am watching, and I snap the picture. Looking down at the image of this 34-year-old athlete and Army veteran, I have a sly smile of my own. Like most competitive athletes, Gorion first started playing sports as a child. But in her native Hawaii there were few girls’ teams when she was growing up. Rather than avoiding sports altogether, she spent her youth playing as the only girl on a boys’ team. Although being the only girl on a boys’ team, whether for baseball or basketball made her nervous at first, she said that ultimately it made her better and faster than the competition. “[My dad] said I was just as good as them and even better than most of them. It’s about how much you practice your skills and get better at everything you do. He said not to worry about them and just do me and play my game.” He was right. She repeatedly made All-Stars in both baseball and basketball, proving she could do so much more than just keep up with the boys. But at the age of 13, Gorion left Honolulu for the U.S. mainland and the
change required a multiple-year hiatus from sports while acclimating to her new environment – a life in Las Vegas. When asked what the hardest adjustment to make was, she said, “The cold. And the time change [referring to Daylight Savings Time]. Time is not supposed to change!” By high school, however, Gorion was ready to re-enter the sports world. During a basics of softball class, her PE teacher was wowed by Gorion’s throwing arm. It was then that she was first introduced to softball. And the love she experienced for the game would later lead to appearances in seven ASANA (Amateur Sports Alliance of North America) World Series competitions across the nation, including our photo shoot on the steps of a vacant school in Atlanta, Georgia. But come September 2001, softball and basketball no longer mattered. The course of Maile’s life – along with the zeitgeist of the entire nation – was forever altered. It was on September 11, 2001 that the Twin Towers came crashing down, planes collided with the Pentagon and a farm field in Pennsylvania, and nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives. Like many Americans, Maile Gorion’s life was irrevocably changed by witnessing the tragedy of 9/11. Within two months of that horrific day, at the age of 19 she enlisted in the Army Reserves to show her support for the nation that had given her so much freedom and oppor-
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tunity as a child. She spent a total of 15 months in Kuwait and Iraq operating specialized military logistics vehicles to receive bulk ammunition supplies and distribute them to troops in the field. It was not only 15 months of service to her country but also 15 months of hiding. Maile Gorion had just come out to her family the year before her enlistment. But in 2002 the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was still in full effect, meaning that any observance or disclosure of homosexual behavior could result in military discharge. Gorion knew this prior to entering the service but still felt it was worth the risk and personal sacrifice of hiding something she had only recently come to accept. When coming out at the age of 18 Gorion was fortunate to have the immediate love and support of her family. She said her sister claimed she already knew. After all, Maile had been shopping in the boy’s section since she was a little kid. And when she confided to her mother, her mom shrugged and said with the brutal honesty that only one’s own mother can get away with, “You walk like a dyke, so I knew you were gay.” And that was that. Although serving in the Army Reserves often meant restricting what she talked about and certainly meant never bringing a girlfriend around, Gorion said she was fortunate during her tour of duty that those with whom she was the closest knew the truth of her sexuality and simply accepted her for who she was. That unquestioning acceptance felt like family, a feeling she sought out again once returning to civilian life in the States.
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After spending eight years in the Army Reserves, Maile Gorion returned to civilian life in 2009 and was living in Atlanta when a friend asked her to tag along to a team softball practice. Gorion offered to help out the girls by shagging balls from the outfield. Impressed by the distance and accuracy of her throws, the team asked if she could hit the ball as well as she could throw it. After sending several balls into the outfield, she was invited to join the team. And so began a nearly decade-long relationship with the Hotlanta Softball League (HSL). Founded in 1981, HSL is Atlanta’s only LGBTQ-friendly softball league. It currently has over 550 members making up 35 teams, only three of which are currently all-female. “HSL is different because we play against guys too,” Gorion says. “It’s more competitive because there are only three all-girl teams. It makes us better because we are used to guys hitting the crap of the ball.” But for Gorion, the camaraderie off the field is just as important. “There’s no separation between gays and lesbians [in the league],” she says. “It’s just an extension of the gay community. It’s a family.” But if HSL is Maile’s family, it is just an extended one. Her immediate family, her REAL family, is her team, the Night Riders. “We are all really close and support each other,” she says of the girls on the team. “We hang out with each other. We have each other’s back, which I love.” A member since the team’s inception in 2013, Gorion is preparing to compete in her fourth ASANA World Series with the Night Riders, her seventh since joining HSL. Now celebrating its ten-year anniversary, ASANA is comprised of women
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dedicated to promoting the participation of LGBTQ+ people in organized softball competition. Its premiere World Series event is played each year at one of ASANA’s 23 member cities and brings together women from across the nation for four days of competitive softball in multiple skill divisions. This year Gorion and her Night Riders teammates are headed to Austin, Texas for the World Series that begins July 4th. She knows the Texas heat will be intense and the competition even hotter but the softball games are just part of the fun. The extracurricular activities are what make the series memorable. “The team always wants me to perform on someone [when we are] at the Series,” says Gorion with a laugh. She is well-known in HSL and the Atlanta drag king community for her dancing prowess. “Lap dances are my specialty!” As Maile sits there on the steps of the vacant middle school in her combat boots and army fatigues, asking me to capture her good side, she isn’t in any position to show off her dance floor moves. Instead, as she cradles her bat and glove she eagerly asks me how that photo turned out. I look at my camera again. The image I see is more than just another girl who managed to outplay her male counterparts, more than just another member of Atlanta’s gay community, more than a
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military veteran, more than an athlete who intends to play until her heart gives out. I see the embodiment of all that I aspired to be when I came out late in life – strong, confident, loyal and completely accepting of all that she is. “Eh,” I tell Maile with a shrug, knowing she will never see in that photo what I see. “It came out OK.” Sometimes a person’s good side is the one that too few ever see.
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BY HARRY ANDREW
SDLC
AUSTIN JOINS COMPETE SPORTS DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AS NON-MEMBER PARTNER THE COMPETE SPORTS DIVERSITY Leadership Council (SDLC) is pleased to announce that the City of Austin, Texas has officially joined the Council as a non-member partner. It is the first city to officially support the SDLC in its dedication to training tomorrow’s sports leaders today. Individuals as well as organizations and municipalities that complete the SDLC’s designation program and agree to abide by its strict continuing education requirement are awarded the Sports Diversity Leader (SDL) designation, indicating to others they have completed the curriculum that includes training, mentoring and volunteering elements. Individuals may complete the designation program courses online or in person at one of our conferences or a combination of both. Our next conference is being held November
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9th in Kansas City, Missouri. Organizations and municipalities may begin the program online at the conference and finish it by completing a review process. The SDLC’s current advisory board includes CEO, Eric Carlyle; board president, Jared Garduno; education director, Connie Wardman and board member-at-large, Catherine Kelly. Additional advisory board members will be announced soon. For more information please visit sportsdiversityleaders.com.
OFFICIAL MERCHANDISER OF THE 2017 & 2018 ASANA WORLD SERIES
play hard.
get dirty.
facebook.com/dirtathletics
info@dirtathletics.com
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INDUCTEE'S
HALL OF FAME
2016 Tracee Borger - Kansas City Laura Kilmer - Los Angeles Nikki Mitchell - Kansas City Sam Roger - Long Beach 2015 Terri Watkins - Long Beach Brandi Fitzgerald - Philadelphia 2014 Adrienne Freeman - Atlanta Erin Henry - Houston Jennifer Reiser - Kansas City Lisa Tinnerman - San Diego 2013 Angela Smith - Atlanta Kim Nordike - Kansas City 2012 Barbara Clanton - Orlando Kellie Cohen - Phoenix Rebecca Evans - Greater Palm Beaches Julie Faagau - Los Angeles Dani Goodlett - San Diego Stacey Hayashi - San Diego Tammy Kagarice - Kansas City 2011 Karen Brickhouse - Norfolk Nancy MacKenzie - Chicago Nancy Nomura - Los Angeles 2010 Katrina Nason - Los Angeles Deborah Jean Brown "Brownie" Kansas City Candace Kissee "Candy" - Kansas City 2009 Carrie Gundermann - Portland Cheryl O'Bryan - Greater Palm Beaches 2008 Theresa Bredwell - Atlanta Noelle Buckley - Portland
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2007 Carol O'Neill - Philadelphia Robin Rutherford - Philadelphia 2006 Jeanette Fulcher - Atlanta Rhonda Graham - Atlanta Virginia Gutierrez - Philadelphia Lynne Mobley - Atlanta Ace Palodichuk - Minneapolis Patty Price - San Francisco Toni Carr - Portland 2005 Pam Dunnam - Dallas Maggie Weis - San Francisco Gretchen Gruber - Atlanta 2004 Debra Jean Lowrey - Dallas Sharon "Willie" Wilson - Twin Cities 2003 Liz Alling - Southern New England Rosalyn Bugg - Los Angeles Julie Colwell - Chicago WCAA Wendy Gershow - San Francisco Carron Harris - Twin Cities Rhonda Mariani - Connecticut 2002 Sue Ellen Garner - Washington, D.C. Marie Kurby - Chicago WCAA Sue Marohn - Chicago WCAA Dee Reinking - Twin Cities 2001 First Year of NAGAAA Women's Induction
Susie Arnold - Chicago WCAA Maureen Bennett - San Francisco Nina Cole - Atlanta Joanie McElligott - Chicago WCAA Claire Monfort - San Francisco Leslie Tiffany - Boston