Mariah Burton Nelson: Frances Willard Society Story

Author/Athlete/Professional Speaker

"Think of yourself as an athlete. I guarantee you it will change the way you walk, the way you work, and the decisions you make about leadership, teamwork, and success." --MBN

Sportswriters Team Up in Frances Willard's Name
Mariah Burton Nelson
Special to the Frances Willard Historical Association, 2003

Only one friend encouraged Frances Willard to learn to ride the newly invented bicycle. The rest feared she would break her bones, she writes in A Wheel Within a Wheel. But she did manage to round up "various kind teachers," and with their help, after numerous lessons and two months of daily practice, she achieved her goal, despite her age (53) and "the sedentary habits of a lifetime."

This year the Frances Willard Society (FWS) celebrates its fifth anniversary. Dedicated to providing networking and professional development to people who write about women's sports, we are an online community named for the first woman to write a nonfiction book about her sports experience. Mostly women (about 90 percent), and mostly writers (plus some editors and professors), we chat about current events, offer advice and resources, and serve as "kind teachers" for each other in a variety of ways.

I founded the FWS in response to writers and aspiring writers who called and wrote to me, seeking information and advice. Never having had a mentor myself, I was committed to mentoring others in this fast-growing field of women and sports, but it occurred to me that a "team" could provide more assistance than I ever could alone. So I asked twelve colleagues to become charter members. Now 135 members strong, we refer to each other as "Frankies," in honor of Frances' childhood nickname.

"In other faucets of my life, I have encountered hostile competition where I had craved mentoring," says Laura L. Noah, a soccer and basketball coach who writes fiction and nonfiction. "FWS offers a unique opportunity to converse with other writers and thinkers who understand the significance of our work."

Noah's editorial was published in the New York Times as a direct result of networking through the list. Other list members have received magazine assignments, job offers, agents, and sources for quotes. Editors find writers. Several members (including Kate Sekules, author of The Boxer's Heart; Judy Guillermo-Newton, author of Competitive Tennis for Girls; and Shura Gat, author of Fighting Women, Fighting Cultures) have even found publishers through FWS connections.

"The list has a high 'you are not alone' value," says Nancy Boutilier, a writer and former basketball coach. "Instead of officemates, we have 'Fellow Frankies' to call our colleagues."

"Whenever there is a question of any sort related to the world of women and sport," says Naomi Graychase, a freelance editor and writer from Northampton, Massachusetts, "I know I will find someone with the answer among our Frankies."

Anyone who writes or wants to write about women and sports is welcome to join us. Sign up here.

Mariah Burton Nelson is an author, athlete, and professional speaker who uses sports stories to show people how to lead and succeed with courage, compassion, commitment, and confidence. For reprint permission contact the author; information below.

To contact Mariah, call 703/276-8323 or write to her at Mariah@MariahBurtonNelson.com

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