A day for girls, by girls. That is how the Chicago Bulls describe their annual event, "Girls’ Day of Play," in honor of Women’s History Month. The event in early March is designed to include speakers and basketball skills activities, so attending girls get inspired as well as get a chance to level up their game.
This year, more than 150 girls from around Chicago attended the event. They listened to an opening address from Edniesha Curry, former WNBA player and current NBA assistant coach. Following Curry’s speech, a panel discussion included other former professional female basketball players and collegiate athletes.
When it was time to get up and move, the girls followed a Latina Sweat Project warm-up routine and went through a basketball clinic led by an all-female coaching staff. A DJ played music while the girls practiced their skills on the court, and everyone who participated received a unique Bulls jersey designed by an all-women creative team.
Vice president of community engagement, Adrienne Scherenzel told Bulls News, “Girls’ Day of Play is the perfect event to start off Women’s History Month because it celebrates women athletes and the lasting impact sports can have on a girl’s life. We champion girls in sports not just in March, but throughout the year and equip them with the necessary tools to be successful in all areas of their life.”
According to Bulls News, “Sports can have long-lasting impacts on youth and foster positive skill development and it is crucial to increase access to sports for girls, who often face barriers to playing. The Women’s Sports Foundation reports that that over two-thirds of women have faced barriers to full access in sports, yet the same amount believe they have carried the skills and lessons from sports into adulthood.”
While the annual "Girls’ Day of Play," took place last week, the Chicago Bulls have a full line up of Women’s History Month events and initiatives still to come. The team played their ‘Women’s History Month’ home game on March 4, and additional women-based community programming is scheduled for the rest of March to celebrate the girls and women of Chicago.
