West Chester's National Girls And Women In Sports Day A Success
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - West Chester University's female athletes again hosted local school-aged girls in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sport Day. This annual event brings together members of West Chester’s 14 athletic teams with girls from the YMCA of the Brandywine Valley, Youth Program Center.
This is the first year that the YMCA has been involved in the event and will no doubt be involved in the future. The theme for this year was “stay strong, play on,” and everyone took it to heart!
Girls aged 7-12 worked with student-athletes in the sports of soccer, tennis, basketball and gymnastics and also participated in relay races. Members of the United States Tennis Association, Middle States Division, were also on hand to help out with instruction in the sport of tennis.
After working up a sweat and hanging out with their new college friends, all girls received pizza and a ticket to a future West Chester University women’s basketball game.
NGWSD began in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women's sports. Hyman died of Marfan's Syndrome in 1986 while competing in a volleyball tournament in Japan. Since that time, NGWSD has evolved into a day to acknowledge the past and recognize current sports achievements, the positive influence of sports participation, and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports.