Posted by Katie Peverada
Some were dressed in shorts and t-shirts, while others went with jeans and sneakers. Just looking at them, you would think the group was dressed for an average Saturday of wherever mom or dad took them. However, the group of about 120 girls stormed the courts of Skidmore on Feb. 2 in order to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. No matter their attire, all were ready to participate in the festivities.
Seven years ago, Skidmore College established a day of clinics in order to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day and the monumental Title IX amendment. Every year, almost all of the women's athletic teams participate, allowing each girl who attends the opportunity to take part in several sports.
This year, the tennis, lacrosse, softball, soccer, field hockey, and volleyball teams all participated. The girls, who were in grades three to eight, spent 20 minutes at each station. Some of the girls were first time participants in the sport at a station, while others were seasoned veterans. Each group had varying skill levels, but each group brought high levels of enthusiasm. After the clinics, the girls shared lunch with Skidmore student-athletes, who were as equally as excited to share their experiences and inspire the younger girls.
The participants may not have had an in-depth understanding of what they were celebrating, but they were the beneficiaries of what National Girls and Women in Sports Day is all about. Started in 1987 to remember Flo Hyman, an Olympic volleyball player, NGWSD is intended to raise awareness of women's athletics and achievements in sports.
There continues to be an ongoing struggle for equal access for women in sports, but events like this one at Skidmore, in communities across the country, are working to continue to chip away at the barriers. If the success of Skidmore's event is any indication of what is going on around the country, then the sports world is in good hands.