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Making a Difference, One Girl at a Time

 “Beidler needs Girls in the Game every day,” said Olivia, age 9. This simple comment surprised her coaches and showed the impact that just a few hours can have on one girl. 

When Girls in the Game arrived at Beidler Elementary, it was clear that Olivia wasn't open to trying new things. She seemed skeptical of participating and had a tough time cooperating with her teammates and coaches.

However, Olivia’s day began to turn around as the coaches noticed that she started participating in activities, impressing them with her contributions and reactions towards new sports and experiences. Olivia’s positive attitude continued throughout the rest of the Game Day events: soccer, flag football, and a discussion about healthy relationships between friends.

During a Game Day, young girls from communities around Chicago join Girls in the Game at a local school or park and participate in a three-hour event introducing different sports while teaching girls about leadership and life skills. For most girls, it's their first exposure to new sports and talking about issues like peer pressure and self-esteem. While three hours doesn’t seem like a long time, some girls go from shy or rebellious when presented with these new opportunities to embracing the chance to do new things and not wanting the day to end.

At the end of the day, Olivia called a coach over to show her what wrote on the evaluation. When asked about her favorite part of the Game Day, Olivia wrote, “Soccer, flag football, and healthy relationships.” She had written down every single activity.

Read more about Game Days at http://www.girlsinthegame.org/gamedays.                                                     

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