Smith College will hold an event Sunday, while Springfield College's annual day will be Feb. 11.
Western New England University held its National Girls and Women in Sports Day Jan. 21.A few colleges in the area are ready to have a little girl-only time as Smith College and Springfield College will hold a National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Smith’s event is Sunday, while Springfield’s is Feb. 11. Both schools have held venues for National Girls and Women in Sports Day in past years, and they look forward to the event every winter.
Smith drew 50-60 participants last year, and Sports Information Director Abe Osheyack is expecting the same today. Team and club members from rugby, cheerleading, field hockey, lacrosse, rowing, tennis, softball, volleyball, soccer, fencing, rock climbing and even quidditch will be on hand to work with the kids in their respective activities.
“Several of our sports teams and a couple of our clubs put on a few things, and then at the end we all (get together) and go over the experiences,” Osheyack said.
“This is a way for young girls in grades 3-5 to join together and meet people from throughout the Pioneer Valley who are the same age, and check out some sports they haven’t had a chance to check out before – something like rugby, which typically isn’t exposed to third graders.”
Registration begins at 12:30 at Smith’s Indoor Track and Tennis facility. The event will wrap up at 4 p.m.
Adam Smith at Springfield College said this year’s event is on its way to matching the 75 girls who took part in 2011.
“We have people on campus in dining services and human resources, and they’ll tell me how their kids look forward to this all year,” said Smith, an athletic administration graduate associate at Springfield. “They’re the first ones to sign up. They’re the biggest advocates for us. A lot of people in the area look forward to it.”
Athletes from the field hockey, volleyball, lacrosse and soccer teams will run the kids through various drills and games.
“They’ll do all kinds of stuff,” Smith said. “They’re kindergarten through sixth grade, so you have to have age-appropriate activities and people who are going to keep their attention that long. They all do a little bit of everything. It’s a great day.”
Springfield’s day starts with registration at 9 a.m. Events begin at 9:30 and finish at 12:30. Kids are welcome to stay for a lunch, a meet and greet with the women’s basketball team, and to watch the women’s basketball game at 3 p.m.
Smith said people need to pre-register, and can do so through email (asmith3@spfldcol.edu ) or phone (748-3756).
Western New England University held its annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day last weekend for girls ages 7-12.
FREE THROW WINNERS: Nine kids won their age groups at a free throw contest at Powder Mill Middle School, hosted by the Father Shea Knights of Columbus Council No. 11178. The event was for boys and girls ages 10-14.
Advancing to the district competition were: Southwick’s Brittany Penland, Maya Daley, Hannah Baker, Timothy McGrath, Matt Daley, Christopher Kibbe and Christopher White, as well as and Westfield’s Kaleigh Farris and Kyle Grabowski.