It was a curious, uncommon sight: a large group of girls, clearly not of college age, swarming around Coolidge Cage. The gym was filled with the infectious energy of children like 10-year-old Persephone, who was immediately smitten with the high jump. “Ok, now try to somersault like this after you jump!” instructed Jennifer Rybak ’10, a multi-event competitor for the track and field team. Persephone gawked at Rybak’s perfect form and ensuing graceful tumble, then proceeded to hurtle towards the jumping pit at top speed and fling herself over the rope in utter enjoyment.
Seventy-nine other excited, lively girls descended upon Alumni Gymnasium on Friday, Feb. 8 for this community event, organized in conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The youngsters, who hailed from various towns in the area, tried their hands at crew, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, squash, tennis, track & field (high jump, hurdles and shot put) and volleyball. This special activity was the brainchild of the Amherst Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, led by SAAC President Lauren Benson ’08.
In October, Benson met with two of the advisors of the SAAC, Hitchcock Fellow Sarah Harper ’07 and Women’s Lacrosse Coach Christine Paradis, to discuss a way that the SAAC could welcome children from the community into the world of Amherst athletics. They discovered the National Girls and Women in Sports Day program and decided that it would be a great way to expose young girls to sports. “We were a little apprehensive because this was the first time Amherst hosted an event like this, but everyone was willing to help and put in a lot of work to make sure the event was a success,” Benson said.
The program concluded with encouraging messages from several women. Caitlin McDermott-Murphy ’09 and Sophie Galleher ’10 spoke about winning a National Championship in cross-country, while diving coach and former Olympian Mary Ellen Clark displayed her medals. And as if this wasn’t inspiring enough, the girls had a chance to watch the women’s basketball team in action at LeFrak Gymnasium and shoot some hoops during halftime. “We met with the girls before the event started, and I think they enjoyed getting to play a bit with us,” said Sarah Leyman ’11, a center for the basketball team. “They were really enthusiastic about watching us play, too. It was great to see such a large turnout for an event like this, because I believe that sports can be a positive thing in a girl’s life.”
Paradis was thrilled with how the event went. “Many elementary school girls aren’t exposed to sports due to a lack of funding or other issues,” she noted. “National Girls and Women in Sports Day gave them an opportunity to try many different sports, and hopefully one day they’ll have a chance to participate in the activities that they most enjoy.”
The event also brought coaches and athletes from various sports together in volunteerism. “It was great to see such enthusiasm and positive energy—everyone who helped out has commented on how rewarding the experience was for them,” Paradis said. As for the participants, Paradis is sure that they had a blast. One girl told her, “This has been the best day of my life.”