The summer is over already?! We had so much fun that it went by so fast! As we get ready for another awesome school year, we wanted to reflect on the Play Bold events from summer 2022.
As part of our mission, our Play Bold programs are dedicated to inspiring girls to get involved in and stay in sports, while also teaching them leadership skills and confidence. Throughout the summer, we offered two different Girls Sports and Leadership camps in partnership with Minneapolis Parks and Recreation. During the camps, each girl was able to try new sports such as boxing, gymnastics, and sailing! The girls had a blast at each camp and had a great time connecting with each other through conversations and thoughtfulness about their values, identities, skills, and ways that they’re unique leaders and athletes! It was so powerful to see measurable growth through the week. After camp, each girl showed an increase in the extent to which they agree that they are a leader, have a voice of leader, and feel like they belong in sports. After our camp at Creekview Park, 100% of the girls indicated they fully agreed that they were a leader, which is a substantial increase from the rate of 60% of girls who agreed with the statement at the beginning of camp. The girls also had a chance to reflect on what they learned from camp, as one camper put it, she learned to, "Be confident, you can be a leader, you have an important voice". We are so grateful for our awesome campers as they continue to inspire us with their growth!
Later in the summer, we brought our Play Bold Workshop to the Minnesota Twins at their Girls Baseball Camp. The girls learned so much and were confident that they belonged in baseball by the end of the camp. It was an awesome chance for girls to grow their game and practice their skills on Target Field!
Our last camp of the summer was the Middle School GIrls Tennis and Leadership Camp. Together with our partners, St. Paul Urban Tennis, InnerCity Tennis, USTA Northern, and Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center, we had a great week filled with tennis, leadership, and community building. The girls had a blast learning and practicing tennis with about 12 different coaches, all of whom are women! Each day they worked on their leadership and communication skills as we explored what it means for them to Play Bold and lead authentically. The girls also got to hear from Her Next Play Advisory Board members Sue Newton and Peg Brenden.
Sue, a former collegiate basketball player and coach, shared about her experiences in basketball that now translate into her current role as a senior business developer. The girls were eager to learn from Sue as she shared insightful advice on how to harness our potential both on and off the court. Later in the week, the girls heard from Peg Brenden, a tennis pioneer who paved the path for girls in high school competitive tennis in Minnesota. We were honored to hear about experience playing tennis and fighting for equal rights, as she inspired the girls to Play Bold and use their strengths to achieve their goals.
We’re so thankful for all of our partners and proud of the girls who came to our camps this summer! We were able to see each of them grow in different ways and take different helpful lessons away from all of the different camps. We are also extraordinarily grateful to be supported by The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation which allows us to equitably share our programming and inspire girls across many communities. Stay tuned for more Play Bold Programs this fall and into the school year!