The Women’s Sports Foundation’s will be presenting its 2008 Sportswoman of the Year award in Ocotber. Sports fans can vote their favorite nominee through midnight, Sept. 2 and be entered in a drawing to win one of five items autographed by your favorite sportswomen, on the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Web site.  The winner will be presented at the Annual Salute to Women in Sports Dinner on Oct. 14 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

Athletes were considered for their athletic achievements from Aug. 1, 2007, through Aug. 24, 2008.  The ten women who were nominated are:

1. Nastia Liukin, gymnastics
2. Mao Asada, figure skating
3. Veronica Campbell-Brown, track
4. Natalie Coughlin, swimming
5. Ashley Fiolek, motocross
6. Allison Fisher, billiards
7. Yelena Isinbayeva, pole vault
8. Lorena Ochoa, golf
9. Lindsey Vonn, downhill skiing
10. Rebecca Ward, fencing

Support your favorite athlete and vote!!! I am split - I’d like to vote for Liukin and Coughlin!

Spring is in the air and there is plenty to talk about in the world of sports girls play this week!

• The 2008 Pacific Rim Championships takes place this weekend, March 28-30 and will feature Olympic gymnastics hopefuls Nastia Liukin, Jana Bieger, Daria Joura, Elise Hopfner-Hibbs, Charlotte Mackie, Rebecca Bross, and more from 14 Pacific Rim countries.
• The world’s best swimmers smashed records all over the globe this past weekend! Check out some of these numbers!
• The Olympic Torch has started its journey to Beijing. You can see footage of it being lit in Athens, Greece on March 24.
• Go Ahead and Run Like a Girl
• And on Girls are Champions there is a great article on Running Buddies.
• Girls Softball coaches, players and parents - check out some great videos from Sue Enquist.
• PreraceJitters reports on Texas Sprinter Bianca Knight Goes Pro.
• How to Prevent Eating Disorders in Sports - this is a must read whether you are a coach or a parent.

If you have any girls sports related links you’d like to contribute, please feel free to leave them in the comments below! We are also looking for some guest authors to contribute news, tips, stories, and such over the next few months.

Did you know that when it comes to sports, girls are more likely to suffer concussions and head injuries than boys are? According to a recent study by the Journal of Athletic Training, in sports that both girls and boys play, like soccer and basketball, girls are 1.5 times more likely to suffer head injuries in basketball and 3 times more likely when playing soccer.

What is a concussion? According to Dr. Gwenn of Pediatrics Now:

Head injury can cause external injuries to the scalp or skull as well as internal injuries to the brain such as bruises, bleeding, and concussions. Any internal brain injury can be serious but concussions are the most common and can be the least obvious. A concussion occurs when the brain is shaken causing a temporary disruption in how the different nerves talk to each other, similar to a power surge at home. Symptoms vary and often include seeing stars, being dazed, blurred vision, nausea and occasionally amnesia. With more serious concussions, headache, vomiting, balance problems and changing levels of consciousness may occur. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to have a concussion without loosing consciousness and even minor head injury can cause concussions.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently discussed this study at his blog and wonders if girls are less protected physiologically than boys (who have bigger heads and tend to have stronger neck muscles) or whether they just report it more often?

Either way, head injuries are not to be taken lightly and in the case of an athlete hitting her head during training or competition, it is always best to err on the side of caution and seek medical treatment immediately.

Here are some additional articles on concussions in girls sports:

• Study shows girls more susceptible to concussions than boys
• Girls Soccer: Concussion Risks
• Kids and Head Injuries
• Female Athletes Bear Brunt of Concussions
• Girls Suffering More Concussions in High School Sports