The Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative hosted its sixth annual “Philly Girls Got Game” event at South Philadelphia High School in collaboration with female student-athletes from the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Lasalle University, Saint Joseph’s University, Temple University and Villanova University.
"We work to get engaged with youth sport providers across the city and find ways to bring resources to them, like training. We have a fund for smaller organizations that we can provide. Every kid should be able to play in their own neighborhood," executive director of the PYSC, Beth Devine, told ABC 6.
Hundreds of young girls in grades two through eight gathered in the gymnasium alongside dozens of female basketball players from high-level college programs. The college athletes led the girls through drills in ball handling, passing and shooting. For some of these girls, it was the first time they had played basketball; for others, it was a chance to see that they could achieve their dreams of playing for a Philadelphia-based college team.
Amaris Baker, a graduate student on the women’s basketball team at Drexel University, attended a similar Philadelphia clinic herself when she was a child. Now, she said she’s excited to “have an impact on the next generation.”
“When you get on a team, you have a group of people who have your back,” said Devine. “It’s so important to me that girls can experience that.”
In creating the “Philly Girls Got Game” event series, PYSC organizers knew that girls in underprivileged neighborhoods often face barriers to sports participation. The issues can range from lack of funds to safety concerns and even transportation issues, leading to fewer girls competing on sports teams.
The September event focused on basketball, but PYSC hosts the “Philly Girls Got Game” event for other sports as well, including volleyball and soccer.
