NGWSD is Sponsored by the Women's Sports Foundation.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - Several Northeast-10 Conference institutions celebrated the 37th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) earlier this month with events and presentations on their campuses. Officially celebrated on February 1, NGWSD recognizes student-athletes, coaches, administrators and lawmakers committed to providing equitable access to sports for all girls and women.
For more details on NGWSD events throughout the NE10, please see below.
ADELPHI
On Saturday, February 4, the Adelphi athletics department hosted a NGWSD event in conjunction with the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Over 50 young girls participated in the event, with various sports teams on campus providing activities throughout the morning. The event concluded with attendance to the women's basketball game, which began at 1:30 p.m.
"I really love events that give us the opportunity to give back and connect with the children in the community," said Brooke Derosa, head coach of Adelphi women's soccer. "It was inspiring to see females of all ages interacting and encouraging each other to have fun and be themselves."
In addition to playing, attendees were teamed up with Tobie Langsam, a counselor and sport social worker, to discuss mental health as it relates to performance. Participants got to create a mantra bracelet with a word or phrase that meant something to them as it pertains to sports.
"The girl scouts bonded with our student-athletes through sport and activities. By the end of the event, they were expressing their excitement over learning new sports and the chance to spend time with college players," said Jess Mulhern, head coach of Adelphi field hockey.
FRANKLIN PIERCE
Franklin Pierce hosted a free clinic on Sunday, February 12, as part of the nationwide celebration of NGWSD. The clinic was for girls and boys, ages 6-12 (grade 1-8), and featured a variety of sessions geared towards developing sport-specific skills at The Bubble - The Grimshaw-Gudewicz Activity Center at Northfields on campus.
Representing the athletic department was the women's lacrosse, field hockey, softball, golf and volleyball programs, with both coaches and athletes in attendance.
SAINT ROSE
Saint Rose used NGWSD as an opportunity to honor one of its own, as the athletic department recognized former women's basketball coach and current administrator Karen Haag with the Golden Knight Award of Excellence to acknowledge her decades-long efforts to promote and advance women and young girls in sports and recreation.
Haag was the head coach of Saint Rose's women's basketball program for 19 seasons, a span that included four trips to the NCAA Tournament. She is currently serving as Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator for the Golden Knights, overseeing student-athlete success and well-being, recruiting, academic monitoring, community service, sport supversion oversight and is the advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) on campus.
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
On Saturday, February 11, Southern Connecticut hosted a NGWSD event in the James Moore Field House. Participants took part in a variety of sports at clinic stations in the morning and received a free t-shirt and lunch. Following lunch, participants had an opportunity to meet with and receive autographs from all of the SCSU student-athletes in attendance.
All participants were invited to attend the SCSU men's and women's basketball doubleheader that afternoon, as well. Girls from grades 1-8 were welcome to sign up for the event.
National Girls & Women in Sports Day - 2023
