Don’t really understand (or care to understand) sports, but want to be a part of the conversation? Or, do you love sports but just not have the time to follow the news? That’s where we come in.

Welcome to The SportsQuip!

Who are “we”?

We’re three women who bleed Duke blue: Sara Friedman (Duke BA’10), Lauren Busch (Duke BA’14) and Sanyin Siang (Duke BSE ’96 MBA ’02).  In our offices, Sara, the sports savant, is known as The Coach, Lauren, with her all around skills, is The Ace, and Sanyin, who in spite of her sports industry expertise, is still getting up to speed on what’s happening on the field and court, is The Rookie.

We’ve combined our powers to fill you in on the week’s sports highlights. We’ll make your life a little easier and a lot more fun.

What is this, really?

Sports play a key role in our culture, and often serve as the gateway to building business relationships. Our team came together because we saw how often those with an awareness of key sports news can get a leg up on building connections in the workplace and in social settings. We’ve also seen how people with good ideas got sidelined in conversations because of their inability to talk sports. Our goal is to help you engage in conversations about sports in both personal and professional settings.

But, you may not have the time or knowledge to get up to speed on what’s happening. SQ remedies that by filtering through the news and providing you with what you need to know.

In short, SQ unpacks what’s happening in sports into a fun and easy read. And — because sports are more than just stats — SQ will share savvy stories that provide insights into sports characters and the power of sports to do good.

We want you to see why we’ve fallen in love with sports, so that you can, too.

So, what can you expect from us?

Expect to receive your quirky, informative, and skimmable weekly news brief in your e-mail inbox every Monday morning. The e-mail will include talking points, fun stories, and a feature on a person or organization that has harnessed the value of sports in an impactful way.

On our website, you can browse past editions, read more insights and stories about sports characters, and get your dose of the pop culture side of sports.

You can also ask us questions (and get answers), by tweeting at us @thesportsquip on Twitter!

Want more?

We’re working on it. We’re exploring weekend primer editions (don’t worry, we aren’t looking to flood your inbox ) and other fun ideas.

Speaking of fun, that’s so important to us. It’s part of our team culture, and it’s part of our friendship. Life would be better if everyone had time for a little more fun. We want to be your remedy and make sports a fun part of your life. As Beyonce says: Who run the world? Girls! So stick with us.

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WHO ARE YOUR QUIPPERS?

Sara (The Coach). Policy strategist and communications specialist with experience working for Senator Tom Daschle, with ESPN, and at the NFL.  She is a fierce free spirit and writer who loves philanthropy and breathes sports, social policy and pop culture. She loves sports because they are a universal language and tool that can   be used to empower today’s youth in our local and global communities.

 

 

Lauren (The Ace). Savvy editor and social media strategist.  She is an avid consumer of media with ad sales experience at CBS. She has been an equestrian for 16 years, and was the President of the Duke Equestrian Team. She loves the sports industry because of its power to unite people of all walks of life and impact societal  change.

 

 

Sanyin (The Rookie). Mom, sports industry expert, and executive leadership coach   for whom sports intelligence is often a key entre to conversations with other executives.  She is also the ED of the Coach K Leadership & Ethics Center at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and serves on startup and nonprofit boards. She contributes regularly to the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and the Huffington Post.  She loves sports because of its power to bridge across divides (political, socioeconomic, cultural), that it’s lens with which to look at other industries and situations, and for its power to help people realize their human potential.

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INTERVIEW WITH THE QUIPPERS

Sara Friedman (The Coach):

Favorite Sport: Basketball, played/watched for as long as I can remember

Favorite Sports Team(s): Duke, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, New York Giants

Favorite Food to Eat While Watching Sports: Chips & guac (or pie, but not both) with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc

Favorite Places: London, Hilton Head, and Washington D.C.

Favorite Stadium: Cameron Indoor Stadium

Favorite Dance: The Dougie or The Wobble

Favorite TV Show: PTI, Scandal, Veronica Mars and The West Wing

Favorite Athlete: Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry

Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans, The American President

Favorite Musicians: Beyonce, Drake, Delta Rae and John Legend

Favorite Book: Pride & Prejudice and The Joy Luck Club

Favorite Sports Memories: Duke National Championships 2001 and 2010, New York Giants Super Bowl 2007 & 2011 and Space Jam victory over the Monstars

 

Lauren Busch (The Ace):

Favorite Sport: Horseback riding (I’ve been a hunt seat equitation rider for a long time!)

Favorite Sports Team(s): Duke Basketball, Duke Equestrian Team (DUET), New York Knicks

Favorite Food to Eat While Watching Sports: Pigs in a blanket

Favorite Stadium: Madison Square Garden

Favorite Dance: I don’t dance, because if I tried, I would endanger everyone around me!

 Favorite TV Show: The Mindy Project, Scandal, Vampire Diaries, The League, Blue Mountain State

Favorite Athlete(s: I think everyone has the ability to be an athlete!

Favorite Movies: The Notebook, Wolf of Wall Street

Favorite Quote: “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Dr. Seuss

Sanyin Siang (The Rookie):

Favorite way to spend time: Hanging out with my family.  I’m a mom of three age four and under.  They keep my husband and me on our toes! We love discovering the world through their eyes and sharing with them our favorite things.

Favorite Sports Team: Duke Basketball

Favorite Sports Memory: The first times that my husband and I took each of our kids to a Duke Basketball Game in Cameron Stadium.  When we won the 2010 National Championship, my oldest was 6 months old and we took her to campus to witness the celebration and cheers!

Favorite Athlete(s): Derrick Coleman (1^st deaf player to win NFL championship), Midori Ito (who gained the gumption to go for a perfect triple axel after several falls and shortly before the end of her routine), and other athletes who have transcended what people thought was possible given their limitations to do the seemingly impossible.

Favorite Books: I love children’s books and collect first editions. Books by James Thurber, Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle, JK Rowling, along with The Little Engine That Could.  I also write and illustrate children’s picture books.

Favorite Places: Charleston, Asheville, London, Paris, and anywhere that my husband and kids are.

Favorite TV Shows: This is a toughie!  I watch A LOT of TV.  Okay here’s a start– Mad Men, Intelligence, Arrested Development, Breaking Bad, Sherlock, Downton Abbey, Modern Family, Game of Thrones.

Favorite Movies: Another toughie!  Costume dramas, romantic comedies, and movies with storylines that tug at your heartstrings and make you weep (read Disney here) are a good bet.

 

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