Celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day 2005
On Feb. 9, 2005, sports educators, coaches, teachers, students, athletes and other women's sports advocates will support female sports participation by celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD). Established by a Congressional resolution in 1986, NGWSD celebrates the achievements of girls and women in sports. This year's theme, “More Than A Game,” will continue to acknowledge the past and current sports achievements, the importance of females sports participation and their struggle to attain the same equal athletic opportunities as men.
The first NGWSD was organized to honor Flo Hyman, the Olympic volleyball champion who brought women's volleyball in the United States from obscurity to a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games. Hyman died suddenly while playing in Japan in 1986 from Marfan Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that led to a faulty aorta.
NGWSD is celebrated in all 50 states, with community-based events, award ceremonies and other activities honoring the achievements of girls and women in sports. Several states have statewide dinners to recognize accomplished athletes, coaches and contributors to women's sports. Other states organize meetings between women's sports leaders and state legislators to discuss current legislation relating to women in sports. NGWSD is sponsored by seven prominent national organizations: American Association of University Women, Girls Incorporated, Girl Scouts of the USA, National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, National Women's Law Center, the Women's Sports Foundation, and the YWCA of the U.S.A.