MY DAY AS A GOLDFISH

MY DAY AS A GOLDFISH! By Angela Smith, SDL

Last month I got to “Jump Into the Goldfish Bowl” to showcase ASANA, the organization I love. Not only did ASANA compete but we tied for first place. For those who don’t know, ASANA became a charter member of the Sports Diversity Leadership Council (SDLC) in 2018. ASANA represents a sports community of female athletes rich with pride, unity and love for who we are. For just those reasons we were chosen as one of four SDLC finalists for the Goldfish Bowl competition.

A fun take on the TV show “Shark Tank,” this was sponsored by Compete Magazine, Connect Sports, Diversitas Media and several other media partners with over $18,000 in cash and prizes for the winners. But it was also a great SDLC learning exercise on how to put together and deliver your organization’s best presentation for potential partners and sponsors.

So with sweaty hands and my Southern drawl it was time to showcase ASANA with a concise PowerPoint presentation I created. With an unexpected lump in my throat I began explaining what ASANA was, who and what we represented and the family we’ve become.

As I went on to highlight our Peanut Foundation, the many charity organizations we’ve supported over the years and the softball play of the World Series I found myself tearing up, realizing that not only was I representing the organization but also all the players past, present and future who carry on our great tradition.

This wasn’t just about a contest to win, it was who I was and who we all are, proud and fierce organizations with significant purposes. To myself I thought, “Wow, no matter who wins this, we all are really winners!”

Editor’s Note: Congratulations ASANA on your Goldfish Bowl Win! We'd like to thank all semi-finalists including Gay Polo League (tied for first place) and WeHo/USA Dodgeball and Lynn Lewis Foundation (tied for third place). Special thanks to Connect Sports and our judges, DJ Doran, Catherine "CJ" Kelly and Danielle Vincentes.