What does National Women and Girls In Sports Day mean to you?

National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is celebrated annually across the United States and featured community-based events, notable women athletes, awards, and other activities. It's an annually day of observance held during the first week of February to acknowledge the accomplishments of female athletes, recognize the influence of sports participation for women and girls, and honor the progress and continuing struggle for equality for women's sports.

Originally initiated in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her achievements and work for equality. Hyman suddenly died in 1986, due to Marfan's Syndrome, a genetic disorder of the connective tissue, while competing in a volleyball tournament in Japan. Since then, the day has evolved to recognize all female athletes, their past and current sports achievements, the positive influence of sports participation for women, girls and society, as well as the progress made since Title IX was passed and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports.

So how can we celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day? There are ways to celebrate which includes:

• Post on Social Media

  • One can observe this day without engaging in any activity, other than through social media posts on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram among others. To make this achieve more, use the hashtag #NationalGirls&WomenInSportsDay, to attract attention and ensure that the campaign for women in sports is propagated across borders and states.

• Appreciating the women and girls around you

  • You can also observe this day by appreciating the women and girls around you that participate in sports. This appreciation can be in the form of a gift or simply words of encouragement and appreciation to make them feel their efforts are noticed and that they are appreciated as gender champions.

• Holding or attending a women-only sports competition

  • In case you're an event planner or have the means to, you can schedule a sports competition between girls, women, or both. There are many sport choices for you to select from, including soccer, basketball, softball, and even track and field. The decision to reward the champion is not mandatory as holding such an event is a monument on its own.

You can also observe and help raise awareness to this day by going to the sports stadium or venue to watch girls actively participate in different sports activities.

So there you have it for this blog and always support women's sports for many years to come! And to all the female athletes from across the globe, WE SALUTE YOU!!