For the fifth consecutive year, Northern Arizona University’s athletics department will host the National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) on Saturday, Feb. 4, in conjunction with the NAU women’s basketball game against Idaho State. Nationally observed for more than three decades, NGWSD was created to encourage and empower girls and women to push their boundaries.
“Participation in sports for young girls is important,” said Robyne Bostick, interim coach for NAU women’s basketball. “A day like this, when we can encourage members in the community to start a sport or to stick with a sport, will help them be successful in whatever they choose to do in life.”
Activities will begin with the department’s annual youth sports clinic in the Rolle Activity Center. The clinic is free and open to boys and girls from kindergarten to eighth grade. The clinic will run from 4:15-5:45 p.m., with check-in starting at 3:15 p.m. Space is limited and pre-registration is encouraged.
In addition to student-athletes and coaches teaching sport-specific skills through various activities, NAU’s strength and conditioning staff will speak about the importance of healthy eating habits. All clinic participants will be provided healthy snacks and a free T-shirt.
Following the clinic, participants will receive free admission to the women’s basketball game at 6:30 p.m. in the Walkup Skydome and are invited to join the team at a postgame autograph session.
This year’s clinic theme is “Expanding Opportunity” and will recognize the progress since Title IX—a law in the Education Amendments Act of 1972 that states no person, on the basis of sex, shall be excluded from participating in school programs.
“As coaches we strive to be role models for our student-athletes, and it’s good to see not only our student-athletes on the basketball team but student-athletes from all of our sports be role models in the community,” Bostick said.