New Balance 4500 pairs shoe to be distributed among New Yark road runners

New York –  New York Road Runners (NYRR) and New Balance today announced plans to celebrate the first year of their 1 for You 1 for Youth program with a special “Winterfest” shoe distribution this Saturday at City Field. At the distribution, more than 500 Rising New York Road Runners from 13 public schools across New York City’s five boroughs will be surprised with a brand-new pair of New Balance running shoes and will be able to test them out with a series of activities.

Launched in January 2017, 1 for You 1 for Youth is a joint initiative by NYRR and New Balance to provide young runners with new high-quality running shoes. The program’s launch coincided with the opening of the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, a community running center located in Manhattan near Central Park. For each pair of shoes purchased at the New Balance Run Hub, New Balance will donate a pair of running shoes to NYRR’s youth programs. In turn, New York Road Runners distributes the running shoes to participants in their free youth running programs.*

“Beyond inspiring youth across the country to get moving, 1 for You 1 for Youth provides kids with high-quality New Balance running shoes, and by extension access to the sport of running to improve their health and fitness,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO at NYRR. “New York Road Runners and New Balance share a commitment to encourage the next generation of runners, and this program was a natural step for our year-round partnership.”

“One of the many shared values New Balance has with New York Road Runners is giving back to the communities in which we are a part,” said Rob DeMartini, president and CEO at New Balance.  “We are extremely proud of the success to date of 1 for You 1 for Youth in supporting youth running.”

Since its inception, more than 4,500 pairs of New Balance Running shoes have been distributed to young runners across the country through 1 for You 1 for Youth. The recipients of the shoes have all been participants in NYRR’s free youth fitness programs including Rising New York Road Runners, NYRR’s flagship youth program, Run for the Future, a scholarship program designed to introduce young women from across New York City to the sport of running, and the Youth Wheelchair Training Program, which introduces young athletes to the sport through the support of a racing wheelchair.

Throughout the first year of the joint program, NYRR and New Balance hosted nearly 20 shoe distribution events to deliver the free running shoes directly to the young runners. On a number of occasions, the organizations were joined by notable members of Team New Balance, including New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner and Olympic medalist and six-time New Balance 5th Avenue Mile champion Jenny Simpson, who also serves as Ambassador & Special Advisor to the Rising New York Road Runners program.

For nearly 20 years, New York Road Runners has offered free youth fitness programs and today annually serves 267,000 youth nationally, including 134,000 across New York City’s five boroughs. Since 2007, NYRR has distributed more than 12,500 pairs of running shoes to participants in its national free youth fitness programs.

NYRR’s youth programs are supported by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the Premier Partner of NYRR and NYRR youth and community programs and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon; New Balance, the Official Athletic Footwear and Apparel Partner of NYRR; the New Balance Foundation; and the Fairway Community Foundation. For more information on Rising New York Road Runners please visit rising.nyrr.org. 

New York Road Runners (NYRR) 
In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners.  To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org. 

*In 2018, for every pair of athletic shoes sold to a customer at the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the NB Run Hub in New York City, New Balance shall donate a pair of new athletic shoes to New York Road Runners, a 501(c)(3) public charity, for the benefit of a New York Road Runners supported youth program, up to a maximum value of $300,000 based on New Balance’s then current cost. For more information about New York Road Runners visit http://www.nyrr.org.

Nielsen and Tennis Channel Extend Agreement to Include National TV Ratings

NEW YORK:  Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) and Tennis Channel announced that they have expanded their relationship, beyond the Nielsen Local TV Ratings Service, to also include Nielsen’s National TV Ratings service. Tennis Channel is the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both professional tennis and its lifestyle.

This multi-year agreement provides Tennis Channel with national ratings insights, giving them full flexibility in analyzing minute-by-minute viewership information and daily measurement of commercial and program performance. The use of Nielsen’s rich and deep-level data will enable Tennis Channel to offer agencies and advertisers the information they need to make smarter and more strategic media buying decisions.

“With today’s ever changing media landscape, it’s important for us to get insights into our viewers in order to assess our performance,” said Steve Badeau, Senior Vice President of Research, Tennis Channel. “By expanding our relationship with Nielsen, to include National TV Ratings, we’ll now have a complete view of our audience across local and national TV. Nielsen continues to evolve and provide offerings that allow us to showcase the growing fan base of tennis to our valuable and potential advertisers.”

In addition, the agreement gives Tennis Channel access to other Nielsen products and services. The expanded relationship delivers limitless opportunities for detailed and complete analysis of TV audiences including time-shifted viewing, custom demographics and TV consumption habits. Nielsen will also provide Tennis Channel with comprehensive and actionable advertising intelligence that alerts them of changes in ad spend across multiple categories, markets and media.

“We are delighted to expand our relationship with Tennis Channel,” said Peter Bradbury, Managing Director of Nielsen National Television Client Solutions. “At Nielsen, we are committed to providing our clients best-in-class products that deliver valuable insights into their viewers and support their ad sales process. We look forward to working closely with Tennis Channel and to helping enable their business success with our suite of gold-standard, independent and accredited measurement solutions.”

ABOUT NIELSEN
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers watch and buy. Nielsen’s Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Nielsen Total Audience measurement services for all devices on which content—video, audio and text—is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry’s only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen also provides its clients with analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries, covering more than 90% of the world’s population.

Cricket: ICC Level 1 Coach Education course conducted in New Jersey USA

New Jersey, USA 28th June 2016: Youth cricket has grown exponentially in New Jersey and New York over the last 5 years.

New Jersey now has several youth cricket tournaments and is home to the summer season-long NATA youth cricket league with a dozen teams in Under-13 and Under-15 age categories.

New York has also seen organized youth cricket grow thanks to the efforts of the PSAL league and academies such as LIYCA and QUCA.  Youth programs have also emerged in West Haven, Stamford, Albany and Boston areas.

As junior cricket experiences exponential growth, the demand for qualified and experiences coaches is steadily increasing as well.  DreamCricket Academy alone has four coaches to oversee its many junior teams under the overall supervision of Coach Earl Daley.

However, with cricket administration in disarray, the region has suffered from the lack of ICC-endorsed coaching education programs.  Prior to this weekend’s initiative in New Jersey, the last time such a course aimed at developing coaches in the region was delivered was in 2011 when ICC Americas and US Youth Cricket Association conducted a course in Maryland.

At its 2015 townhall meetings in Chicago and New York, ICC Americas acknowledged that coaching education was a vital component of the USA strategic framework.  Following up on its promise, in April 2016, the ICC Americas invited USA cricket leagues and programs to apply to host Level 1 Coach Education courses in their regions, noting that ICC Americas had the capacity to conduct 2-3 courses this summer.

DreamCricket Academy and Long Island Youth Cricket Academy each applied to host the course in the Greater New York/New Jersey area.  Upon ICC Americas’ suggestion to combine strengths, the two programs quickly came together to offer a joint course in New Jersey with CLNJ and Bat and Ball Cricket providing logistical support.  The course was delivered by Tom Humphries of ICC Americas.

The course attracted twenty six cricket registrants, including current coaches, youth organizers, PE teachers and cricketers.  Nivedita Aluri of the Starlets was the lone female participant.

Participants learned how to teach basic batting, bowling, fielding, and wicket keeping skills through modified games and activities.

At the end of the program, each of the participants conducted a cricket education session and were assessed by Humphries.   Participants were also required to complete the Positive Coaching Alliance’s online course and an assessment of the PCA’s Double Goal Coach Philosophy, a best practice methodology that is utiliezed by multiple sports bodies in the U.S.

Upon receiving their certification, each of these 26 new coaches will be ready to take cricket to their communities adding much needed coaching resources to a region starved of qualified coaches.

Courtesy DreamCricket

New York has approved a bill legalizing daily fantasy sports

New York:

Due to the large concentration of daily fantasy sports players in the state (about 10 percent of the national market), New York has always been at the center of the country-wide fantasy sports debate, and is seen as a model for other states in the country.

Plus, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was one of the first public officials to order DraftKings and FanDuel to cease-and-desist operations in the state, saying that daily fantasy sports violated his state’s gambling laws. This was likely the impetus for similar notices from Attorneys General in other states like Texas and Illinois.

This cease-and-desist notice was followed by legal action from both sides. DraftKings and FanDuel jointly filed a lawsuit against Schneiderman then subsequently received a stay to continue operating in the state until the state’s supreme court made a final decision.

But a legal battle was never the goal for the two companies. DraftKings and FanDuel knew that to permanently cement operations in New York (and other states), they would have to fight a legislative battle, getting new laws passed that explicitly legalized their operations and delineated it from sports gambling.

So the companies (and related lobbyist organizations) took their battle to states’ capitals. And it worked. In March, Virginia became the first state to legalize daily fantasy sports and impose state-led oversight of the industry. This was followed by similar legislature in Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, and Colorado.

And while some other states have declined to explicitly legalize the industry, New York’s actions may send a signal to these states that it is O.K to proceed with new legislation.

Stricter Oversight

The bill can be found here, but it essentially amends the state’s current gambling laws to include “regulated interactive fantasy sports contests with an entry fee”.

Under the new legislation, providers will have to apply for registration with the state before being allowed to operate. But, in another win for DraftKings and FanDuel, companies that offered contests in NY before November 10th, 2015 (the day AG Schneiderman ordered them to cease-and-desist) will be allowed to operate in the interim until their application is approved or denied.

The bill also establishes some safeguards protecting players in the state. These include:

• Restricting players under the age of 18 from participating
• Ensure that the accurate odds of winning are actually represented in all advertisements
• enabling players to permanently exclude themselves from future games (and potential losses) at any time
• Identifying highly experienced players on the platform

The most interesting restriction is probably the last one, and seems to be designed from having amateurs unknowingly enter contests with professionals, where they presumably have a much smaller chance of winning. This is important because it alludes to the fact that results are impacted by skill, something that differentiates it from luck-based gambling.

The bill also requires operators to pay a 15% tax on gross revenue made from interactive sports contests in NY, which will go to the state lottery fund for education.

These restrictions actually provide a good amount of consumer protection, and may serve as a guideline for future states looking to legalize the industry while providing safeguards to protect participants.

While not yet signed into law, the bill is a promising development for daily fantasy sports operators both in NY and around the country. This bill will undoubtedly lead to similar actions in other states, and is a major win for companies like DraftKings and FanDuel.

N.Y. and Pittsburgh named FOR 2025 AND 2026 U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

FAR HILLS, N.J. (June 18, 2016) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced sites for the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Open Championships, naming Oakmont Country Club in suburban Pittsburgh, Pa., and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., respectively, as the host sites.

“Bringing the U.S. Open Championship to Oakmont for the 10th time in 2025 is testament to the quality of this fine golf course and the longevity of the strong relationship the USGA has with the club,” said Diana Murphy, president of the USGA. “It is an honor to make this announcement during the 116th U.S. Open when everyone here can celebrate the Open’s return to this iconic course in nine years.

“In keeping with our goal of providing the most comprehensive test in championship golf, we are also honored to announce a return to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for the 2026 U.S. Open Championship,” Murphy said. “Four previous U.S. Opens there have yielded memorable competitions and worthy champions such as Raymond Floyd, Corey Pavin and Retief Goosen. New York metropolitan area golf fans can anticipate another exciting chapter in their region’s golf history in 2026.”

The 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont will mark the 10th U.S. Open on the iconic H.C. Fownes design, the most of any U.S. club, and the 17th USGA championship. It will be held June 12-15.

In addition to 2016, Oakmont previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1927, 1935, 1953, 1962, 1973, 1983, 1994 and 2007. Oakmont’s illustrious past is filled with historic moments, including Jack Nicklaus’ first career victory as a professional in the 1962 U.S. Open, when he defeated Arnold Palmer in an 18-hole playoff. Eleven years later, Johnny Miller scored the lowest round ever posted in any major championship to that time with an 8-under-par 63 in the final round to earn his only U.S. Open victory.

Oakmont’s 17 USGA championships are tied for second-most among U.S. clubs, behind only Merion Golf Club, which has hosted 18. Other USGA championships contested at Oakmont include five U.S. Amateurs (1919, 1925, 1938, 1969 and 2003) and two U.S. Women’s Opens, in 1992 and 2010.

Henry Clay (H.C.) Fownes remained president of the club from its inception in 1903 until his death in 1935. His son, William Clay, was the 1910 U.S. Amateur champion and a former USGA president who served as the club’s president until his resignation in 1946. Father and son, who were very close and shared a determination to make Oakmont the sternest championship test possible, tweaked the course throughout their tenure to maintain its exacting standards.

“We are thrilled to host the 2025 U.S. Open,” said Ed Stack, president of Oakmont Country Club. “Oakmont and the USGA have had a very special relationship for nearly a century, and we are honored they have chosen Oakmont to host a record 10th U.S. Open in 2025.”

The birth of Oakmont is a story of chance. H.C. Fownes began seeing alarming spots in his vision after using a welding torch in 1898, and a doctor gave him a prognosis of just a few years to live. He wanted to enjoy his final years and developed a passion for golf. Later, a second opinion from another doctor lifted the death sentence. After becoming one of the best golfers in the area, Fownes wanted to build a course that would challenge even the most talented players of the day.

The 2026 U.S. Open will be held June 18-21, and will mark the sixth U.S. Open and ninth USGA championship at Shinnecock Hills.

Past U.S. Opens contested at Shinnecock Hills include the second U.S. Open in 1896, when James Foulis outlasted Horace Rawlins by three strokes, and the 100th U.S. Open in 1995, won by Corey Pavin over Greg Norman by two strokes. Shinnecock Hills also hosted the U.S. Open in 1986, when Raymond Floyd broke away from Chip Beck and Lanny Wadkins to win by two strokes, and in 2004, when Retief Goosen captured his second U.S. Open, defeating Phil Mickelson by two.

Additionally, the USGA has conducted these national championships at Shinnecock Hills: the 1896 U.S. Amateur (won by H.J. Whigham); the 1900 U.S. Women’s Amateur (won by Frances Griscom); and the 1977 Walker Cup Match (won by the USA).

Shinnecock Hills will also host the 2018 U.S. Open, and is the only course to host the championship in three centuries. The 2026 U.S. Open will be the 20th in the state of New York and the 11th on Long Island.

Willie Davis designed the original 12-hole course in 1891 before expanding it to 18 holes in 1895. Members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation helped build the original layout. A series of renovations ensued before William Flynn designed and Dick Wilson built the modern course, inspired by those on the British Isles, in 1931.

“You can’t write the history of Shinnecock without writing the history of the USGA, and vice versa,” said Barrett N. Pickett, Shinnecock Hills president. “Our relationship today is stronger than ever. We are honored to host the 2026 U.S. Open, 130 years after our first in 1896.”

In 1894, Shinnecock Hills was one of the founding clubs of the USGA along with The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., Newport (R.I.) Country Club, Chicago (Ill.) Golf Club and Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. It is also the home of the first clubhouse in the United States, designed by Stanford White and opened in 1892.

To download course images of Oakmont Country Club and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, visit 2025 and 2026 U.S. Open Sites Announcement.

Other future U.S. Open sites are: June 15-18, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.; June 14-17, 2018, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.; June 13-16, 2019, at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links; June 18-21, 2020, at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.; June 17-20, 2021, at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif.; June 16-19, 2022, at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.;June 15-18, 2023, at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club; and June 13-16, 2024, at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

“We are truly honored to return to historic Oakmont and Shinnecock Hills,” said Mike Davis, USGA executive director/CEO. “The architectural genius of both courses offers a complete test of golf for the world’s best players and a fascinating spectacle for the fans. Both the Pittsburgh and New York markets have been very supportive of the U.S. Open. We look forward to history once again being made at these iconic venues.”

USGA Championships at Oakmont C.C.    
Championship Years and Winners

1919 U.S. Amateur: S. Davidson Herron def. Robert T. Jones, 5 and 4
1925 U.S. Amateur:  Robert T. Jones Jr. def. Watts Gunn, 8 and 7
1927 U.S. Open: Tommy Armour def. Harry Cooper, 301 (76)-301 (79)
1935 U.S. Open: Sam Parks by two strokes over Jimmy Thompson, 299-301
1938 U.S. Amateur: William Turnesa def. B. Patrick Abbott, 8 and 7
1953 U.S. Open: Ben Hogan by six strokes over Sam Snead, 283-289
1962 U.S. Open: Jack Nicklaus def. Arnold Palmer, 283 (71)-283 (74)
1969 U.S. Amateur: Steve Melnyk by five strokes over Marvin Giles, 286-291
1973 U.S. Open: Johnny Miller by one stroke over John Schlee, 279-280
1983 U.S. Open: Larry Nelson by one stroke over Tom Watson, 280-281
1992 U.S. Women’s Open: Patty Sheehan def. Juli Inkster, 280 (72)-280 (74)
1994 U.S. Open: Ernie Els def. Loren Roberts, Colin Montgomerie 279 (74-4-4)-279 (74-4-5)-279 (78)
2003 U.S. Amateur: Nick Flanagan def. Casey Wittenberg, 37 holes
2007 U.S. Open: Angel Cabrera by one stroke over Jim Furyk, Tiger Woods, 285-286
2010 U.S. Women’s Open: Paula Creamer by four strokes over Suzann Pettersen, Na Yeon Choi, 281-285
2016 U.S. Open: To be determined

USGA Championships at Shinnecock Hills G.C.
Championship Years and Winners 

1896 U.S. Open: James Foulis by three strokes over Horace Rawlins, 152-155
1896 U.S. Amateur: H.J. Whigham def. Joseph Thorp, 8 and 7
1900 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Frances Griscom def. Margaret Curtis, 6 and 5
1977 Walker Cup: USA def. Great Britain and Ireland, 18-6
1986 U.S. Open: Raymond Floyd by two strokes over Chip Beck, Lanny Wadkins, 279-281
1995 U.S. Open: Corey Pavin by two strokes over Greg Norman, 280-282
2004 U.S. Open: Retief Goosen by two strokes over Phil Mickelson, 276-278
2018 U.S. Open: To be determined