The 2024 National Girls and Women in Sports Day brought joy and fun to local children
In one of many stations at National Girls and Women in Sports Day, girls were given the chance to practice throwing softballs into a target while members of the Tufts women’s softball team helped them learn about the sport and cheered them on. Photo: Alonso Nichols
Tufts student-athletes led girls in grades K–5 from local communities in batting practice, dribbling soccer balls around cones, sprint drills, and much more—all while empowering the next generation of female athletes and showcasing the fun and positivity that participating in sports can provide.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), which took place earlier this month at Carzo Cage on Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus, was co-hosted by the Department of Athletics and Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life in conjunction with the Women’s Sports Foundation and Strong Girls United to celebrate the achievements and impact of girls and women in sports while emboldening the young female athletes who attended by having them meet and learn from strong role models. This is the second year that NGWSD has been held at Tufts.
Student-athletes from the Tufts women’s varsity field hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, tennis, softball, swimming and diving, crew, soccer, and track and field teams set up stations for the girls in attendance. The girls, who came primarily from the local communities of Medford and Somerville, were able to choose which sports they wanted to learn about and rotate between groups throughout the duration of the hour-long event.
“The event exposes the girls to a lot of sports and displays the fun in them,” said Natalie Hu, A27, a student-athlete on the women’s tennis team who volunteered at the event alongside her teammates. “I think that’s important at a young age—having fun with sports, exploring new things, and staying active.”
Annie McCarthy, a Somerville parent who brought her two children—one in kindergarten and one in first grade—to the event, said that they were “so excited to be able to have a day for girls in sports. This teaches them about different kinds of sports all at one time while having fun and seeing other girls participating.”
Upon the conclusion of the multi-sport clinic, NGWSD participants were honored at a halftime ceremony at the Tufts women’s basketball home game against Bowdoin College.
The Tufts women’s soccer team encouraged girls as they weaved their way through cones while dribbling a soccer ball. “I really wish I had something like this when I was growing up,” said Anna Griffin, A26, a member of the women’s soccer team. “I'm just really grateful to be able to be here today to provide young girls with a vision of who they could be in the future.” Photo: Alonso Nichols
Claudia of Somerville tried out rowing with some help from Tufts women’s crew team member Aoife Schmitt, E24. The women’s crew team worked one-on-one with girls to teach them to use an ergometer. Photo: Alonso Nichols
After teaching them the proper form for passing a volleyball, members of the Tufts women’s volleyball team took turns passing the ball with the girls in attendance. Photo: Alonso Nichols
Lexi King, A27, of the Tufts track and field team did one legged hops over hurdles with Sully from Somerville. The track and field team also guided girls in flexibility and sprint drills. Student-athlete Madelyn Silveira, A24, who led the track and field team’s station, said of the event’s impact, “We’re supporting girls participating in sports, getting them excited about wanting to do athletic activities, seeing the joy in it, and enjoying hanging out with their friends—which is one of my favorite things about athletics.” Photo: Alonso Nichols
Elsa Schutt, A26, of the Tufts women’s lacrosse team instructed Natalie from Cambridge how to pass a lacrosse ball. Photo: Alonso Nichols
