Women's Sports Foundation and Gatorade Award $50,000 to Local High School Girls
2008 GirlGoGirl! Ambassador Team Awards Honor Teams. Leaders
NEW YORK, N.Y., (July 15, 2008) – The Women’s Sports Foundation and Gatorade will award $50,000 in funds to 20 girls’ sports teams as part of the annual GoGirlGo! Ambassador Team Awards. The Women’s Sports Foundation’s GoGirlGo! program educates and encourages girls to play fun sports and games as a means to safeguard their health in addition to developing mentorship and teamwork.
The Foundation and Gatorade created the Ambassador Team Awards portion of GoGirlGo! to inspire teams to join them in the fight against obesity and preventable diseases afflicting our nation’s girls. The Women’s Sports Foundation administers the program championed by the Gatorade Company, which is a national sponsor of the Women’s Sports Foundation.
"Gatorade is proud to support the teams that are going above and beyond to get other girls involved in the benefits of physical activity, and we are excited to be part of a program that promotes young women in sports," stated Jeff Urban, Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing for The Gatorade Company. “Through our continued support and partnership with the Women's Sports Foundation, Gatorade is reaffirming what our brand is all about - celebrating the value of sport and inspiring more kids and teens to experience the rewards of physical activity."
The GoGirlGo! Ambassador Team Awards recognize high school teams that inspire other girls to get involved in sports and physical activity through their leadership. A total of $50,000 in cash grants will be awarded with each of the 20 teams selected receiving $2,500.
“Whether it's coaching a sports team or teaching an after school fitness group about the importance of teamwork and leadership, high school mentors have an incredible opportunity to have a lifelong impact on the physical and emotional well-being of younger girls by empowering them to be active,” said Urban.
“Having fun with fitness is a key element to getting girls physically active,” said the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Program Officer Elizabeth Flores. “Teams must lead their own group project that will get girls in their communities physically active and submit a detailed essay telling us about the project.”
School, amateur, community and affiliated teams with female members enrolled in the 9th through 12th grade are eligible to participate in the awards program. All teams must live within the United States and its territories. There is still time to enter the 2008 deadline is July 18, 2008. Winners will be announced before the start of the new school year.
Below are just a few of the organizations and young women the Women’s Sports Foundation and Gatorade were able to support in 2007:
The Kemet School Dance Group chose to start an organization because of the high rate of obesity in the community of Florence, S.C. The girls were especially alarmed of the obesity rate among women in South Carolina, which is 36 percent. The girls of Kemet School wanted to educate the youth in their community so that they would be aware of these health risks and lead healthier lives. The Kemet School recruited 40 girls ages 5-16 from Pee Dee and surrounding areas and participated in an eight-week dance program, which also encompassed learning the fundamentals of health. The participants learned basic techniques and dances, which the girls performed at the end of the program. The program taught ballet, modern jazz and ethnic dance. Besides the physical rewards of dance, the Kemet School girls felt it was important to focus on the artistic benefits as well.
The City Honors volleyball team has won 22 consecutive games, achieving another undefeated season, and wanted to share its love for volleyball and abilities with the young girls in the community of Buffalo, N.Y. The Centaurs reached out to girls in grades six though eight to teach them the fundamentals of volleyball and important information about fitness and healthy living and help them establish relationships among their peers through exciting drills. The Centaurs held a series of three clinics for girls from a local elementary school, which focused on various volleyball skills and helped them prepare for their upcoming spring seasons. The Centaurs wanted to focus on the dilemma of young women unwilling to be active and expose the lack of fitness facilities provided for girls as well.
2007 National Ambassador Team Award Grant Winners:
North County Extreme – Encinitas, Calif.
Hot Shots – Laguna Beach, Calif.
IRC Colts – San Diego, Calif.
Bethel High School Varsity Volleyball Team – Bethel, Conn.
Lady Tigers Basketball Team – Mountain Home, Idaho
DeKalb High School Tennis Team – Waterloo, Ind.
SHS Women's Health – Sabetha, Kansas
Macksville Dance Line – Pawnee Rock, Kansas
Fontbonne Academy Step Squad – Randolph, Mass.
Westwood Girls’ Swim Team – Champion, Mich.
Detroit Lady Crusaders – Detroit, Mich.
Northwest Snow Bunnies – House Springs, Mo.
Bulldog Cheer Team – Rolla, N.D.
City Honors Centaurs – Buffalo, N.Y.
Marysville Lady Monarchs – Marysville, Ohio
Kemet School Dance Group – Florence, S.C.
Fox Creek High School Predators – Belvedere, S.C.
Eagle Basketball Stars – Savoy, Texas
Randolph Girl Ghosts – Randolph, Vt.
Reedsburg-Mauston-Dells Freeze – LaValle, Wis.
The Women’s Sports Foundation—the leading authority on the participation of women and girls in sports—advocates for equality, educates the public, conducts research and offers grants to promote sports and physical activity for girls and women. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, the Women’s Sports Foundation builds on her legacy as a champion athlete, advocate of social justice and agent of change. We strive for gender equity and fight discrimination in sports. Our work shapes public attitude about women’s sports and athletes, builds capacities for organizations that get girls active, provides equal opportunities for girls and women, and supports physically and emotionally healthy lifestyles. The Women’s Sports Foundation is recognized worldwide for its leadership, vision, strength, expertise and influence.
For more information, please call the Women’s Sports Foundation at 800.227.3988 or visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
About Gatorade
Gatorade Thirst Quencher, the nation's leading sports drink, is backed by 35 years of research. Gatorade is scientifically formulated and athletically proven to quench thirst, replace fluids and electrolytes and provide carbohydrate energy to enhance athletic performance. Gatorade is the official sports drink of the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, and US Soccer, MLS, American Volleyball Professionals (AVP) and numerous professional, collegiate and amateur teams and events throughout the world. Gatorade is manufactured by PepsiCo Beverages and Foods, a division of PepsiCo.