More than 200 girls participated in an Aug. 12 event designed to get them excited about 鈥 and in some cases introduce them to 鈥 what sports can do for them. It was organized by a local chapter of , an organization dedicated to making sure kids throughout Michigan鈥檚 southeast region have access to sports and physical activities.
It was formed after a study in the area found that on average, only 13% of youth were spending at least an hour per day being physically active (11% for girls). For the August event, Project Play鈥檚 southeast Michigan director, Alana Glass, says they wanted to focus on girls to honor the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX 鈥 legislation meant to prevent discrimination based on gender in schools.
鈥淭itle IX wasn鈥檛 enacted specifically to address sports, but 鈥 it has allowed girls to have equal access,鈥 Glass says. 鈥淪o at Project Play, we wanted to honor and celebrate the history of Title IX and how far we鈥檝e come but also highlight that there are still challenges that exist for girls.鈥
Working with several partner organizations, Project Play鈥檚 event, held at the UWM Sports Complex in Pontiac, brought girls and young women from Livingston, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Oakland counties to participate in eight different sports, including soccer, tennis, basketball, and cheering done on TikTok, 鈥渨hich was really popular,鈥 Glass says, laughing.
Some of the girls were experienced athletes, while others were trying things out for the first time. Glass says she was glad to see that the girls felt welcome to try new things, even in front of their peers.
鈥淚t was inspiring. I have to say I was emotional half a dozen times that day just seeing the girls just having fun and being championed for being who they are,鈥 Glass says.
This story is from the November听2022 issue of 糖心vlog安卓版. Read more in our digital edition.
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